If only size translated into grandeur. When the Accord EX sedan rolled into our lot in Ann Arbor, its squared-off front fascia and upward-sweeping body sides were not met with universal praise. Some of us see it as a pleasant departure from the butter-knife-dull styling of the past two Accords, but others found it a bit too derivative. At one point, we actually parked it next to a new BMW 535i to see if the similarities in the rear quarters were real or imaginary (they’re real). Whatever. In typical Honda fashion, the styling of Honda’s bread butterer should stir few but offend even fewer. Want to add spice? Go to SEMA—the aftermarket tends to love anything with a block “H” on the hood.
The interior, on the other hand, is modern, fresh, and, yes, huge. Three six-and-a-half-footers fit comfortably in the back seat behind two such creatures in the front buckets. The multicontoured dash sweeps around like a mix of Acura TL and Honda Civic, dominated by a zillion-button center stack atop which a display is perched. The size of that readout depends on whether it is equipped with the optional voice-activated navigation system, but in either case, the graphics are almost clear enough for Grandma to understand. Well, almost. Although some of us thought the interior was just as risk-free as the sheetmetal, others of us thought the opposite: Especially in darker colors, the environment is rather cold and geometric, and we can imagine its starkness scaring mature buyers right back into their Avalons.
The Right Balance
Make no mistake: the Honda Accord is a terrific automobile no matter how it comes, but it also compels us to consider something we don’t think about often: At what point does horsepower become truly superfluous? Especially as fuel efficiency and low emissions, both longstanding hallmarks of the Honda brand, become more important than ever before, we are looking for cars that are fun to drive and easy on the earth.
We just found one.
The interior, on the other hand, is modern, fresh, and, yes, huge. Three six-and-a-half-footers fit comfortably in the back seat behind two such creatures in the front buckets. The multicontoured dash sweeps around like a mix of Acura TL and Honda Civic, dominated by a zillion-button center stack atop which a display is perched. The size of that readout depends on whether it is equipped with the optional voice-activated navigation system, but in either case, the graphics are almost clear enough for Grandma to understand. Well, almost. Although some of us thought the interior was just as risk-free as the sheetmetal, others of us thought the opposite: Especially in darker colors, the environment is rather cold and geometric, and we can imagine its starkness scaring mature buyers right back into their Avalons.
The Right Balance
Make no mistake: the Honda Accord is a terrific automobile no matter how it comes, but it also compels us to consider something we don’t think about often: At what point does horsepower become truly superfluous? Especially as fuel efficiency and low emissions, both longstanding hallmarks of the Honda brand, become more important than ever before, we are looking for cars that are fun to drive and easy on the earth.
We just found one.