Honda makes a very agreeable,
comfortable midsizer.
Over the last few years, Toyota and
Volkswagen have been engaged in a no-holds-barred brawl for the “I just need a
quality, reliable, comfortable midsize car” market. With the 2013 Accord, Honda
has kicked the saloon doors open, stared the combatants square in their swollen
eyes and announced that Soichiro’s boys would be joining the fight.
2013
Honda Accord
And after three months with a long-term
Accord, Honda fans will be glad to know that as a transport appliance, we’ve
found the car to be an ass-kicker as long as you can get past a couple of
irksome little downers (to steal a phrase).
The first is the transmission. This car
would be a hoot with a clutch. That said, most people who are shopping in this
segment probably wouldn’t notice the difference between a CVT and regular slush
box, and the CVT does contribute to the impressive fuel economy.
The
seats are comfortable, controls are easy to reach and it’s a genuinely nice
place to spend time
It also feels a hair lighter than its
3,365-pound curb weight, with one editor saying, “It’s wieldy and very light on
its feet. There’s fluidity to the way this car drives that other midsize cars
don’t match.”
The suspension is complaint without being
overly soft, and the electric power-steering is as good as it is in the new
Porsche 911.
The second negative point is the center
stack. Honda has added an additional touchscreen in an effort to make the
navigation/stereo system less of a distraction. Basic operations are still
pretty distracting, though we’ve certainly seen a lot worse.
“It’s
wieldy and very light on its feet. There’s fluidity to the way this car drives
that other midsize cars don’t match.”
It’s not all bad news on the tech front;
Honda’s blind-spot camera is innovative and genuinely useful, as are the
parking aids built into the dash – even if both look a little unfinished.
Judged on is merits, the Accords’ interior
is more than passable, with one editor calling it “decent, but not great.” It’s
well put-together, and the materials are nicely chosen. The seats are
comfortable, controls are easy to reach and it’s a genuinely nice place to
spend time. There was a grating rattle emanating from the B-pillar just above
the driver’s left ear, but it seems to have been eliminated by the techs at the
Honda dealership.
For
a lot of people, a comfortable, reliable, well-built car is the greatest car in
the world
We enjoy having the Accord in the fleet as
a reminder that a car doesn’t have to be mind-blowing to be a great. For a lot
of people, a comfortable, reliable, well-built car is the greatest car in the
world. If our first quarter with the Accord is any indication, with midsizer
should prove to be all of the above and then some.
|
Technical
specs
·
Price: $30,785
·
Miles driven: 5,894
·
Fuel economy: 27.0mpg
·
Fuel cost: $772
·
Maintenance: install winter tires ($868),
reinstall all-season tires ($868)
|
