2013 HONDA ACCORD TOURING: An agreeable family sedan

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/02/2013 (4614 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The ninth-generation Honda Accord arrives as a much sharper looking car and, naturally, now features LED daytime running lights. As before, it is offered in both coupe and sedan guises. Visually, the new sedan has a substantial look and, with the V6 along for the ride, the right sort of pace.

The Accord Touring tested brought a nattily attired cabin and a ton of space. There’s lots of front leg- and headroom — enough it accommodated a 6-foot-2 driver with ease. Likewise, the rear seat brings enough width, head- and legroom to accommodate three adults with some semblance of comfort.

It also brings an enormous trunk. At 15.5 cubic feet it easily handles a family of five’s luggage and it benefits from split/folding rear seats. If there is a disappointment it lies in the crush-anything-placed-beneath-them hinges. I expected more of Honda.

When it comes to the level of comfort and equipment, the Accord Touring had both in spades. The list of amenities ran from the usual power toys, an eight-way driver’s seat and power moonroof to a decent audio system and HondaLink. The latter allows everything from the radio and connected media to a cellular phone to be controlled through the touch screen, voice commands or steering wheel-mounted controls. Compared to many such systems it’s easy to use, although pairing a phone proved to be a convoluted affair.

As for the technology along for the ride, the Accord Touring arrived with both lane-departure and forward-collision warning systems. However, the most significant safety add-on proved to be the camera mounted on the lower edge of the right side door mirror.

This thing showed exactly what was lurking to the side and rear of the Accord whenever the right turn signal was activated (the driver also has the option of turning it on with a switch). The view extends back from the front passenger door handle and out a full 80 degrees. The wide-angle nature of the view means it shows a lot more than the driver normally sees in the right side mirror. The camera’s view is displayed in the centrally-mounted screen that also houses the navigation system.

The advantage, beyond the clarity and extent of the view, is the amount of time one’s eyes are away from the road ahead. Checking the right side mirror forces the driver to turn and look at the mirror and then back at the road. Checking the central display simply takes a quick glance and no head movement because of the proximity of the screen. LaneWatch, as it is known, would be a very welcome addition in all cars.

The latest Accord can be powered three ways, including a hybrid powertrain and two engine choices. While the base Earth Dreams 2.4-litre 185-horsepower engine, paired with a manual or continuously variable transmission, works nicely and is a boon for those that value fuel economy, it’s the heavily revised 3.5L V6 that is the better choice. It spins out 278 hp and 252 pound-feet of torque, and it remains smooth and quiet in the process.

This engine arrives with a slick six-speed automatic that features a sport mode. This combination puts 100 kilometres an hour on the clock in 6.5 seconds, which is pretty snappy for a family sedan.

If there is a nit, it lies in the lack of a manual mode. True, this is a family sedan, but the Touring V6 does have a decidedly sporty feel and so it would benefit from having paddle-shifters — which, ironically, are available with the less-sporty CVT.

When it comes to the ride and handling side the Accord does a very good job of catering to both aspects. There proved to be very little in the way of body roll through a fast sweeping corner and understeer remained a non-issue until liberties were taken. This reinforced the sporty feel the V6 engine delivered.

On the flip side, the ride quality is right up there with the best in class. It takes a pretty large ripple in the road to upset the ride and its serenity. As such, there is none of that unseemly head-bobbing that seems to define sportiness in a large family sedan.

The rest of the dynamics are equally good. The Touring’s up-sized P235/45R18 tires help quell the aforementioned understeer and improve steering feel. As such, the steering, which is electrically-assisted, delivered the right feedback when this driver pushed on, but remained light enough to wheel the Accord about town very easily.

Finally, jump on the brakes and the stops measure just 39-metres from 100 km/h, which is, again, pretty sharp for a family sedan. The brakes also double to provide a handy hill-holding function.

The latest Accord is just what one has grown to expect from Honda. It’s nicely equipped, it has comfort aplenty and, in V6 guise, a decidedly sporty bent.

However, the game-changer for me proved to be LaneWatch — it added a measure of safety I did not expect. I headed into the test thinking it was going to be a gimmick. I soon learned to rely on it heavily.

— Postmedia News

THE SPECS

2013 HONDA ACCORD TOURING

Type of vehicle: Front-wheel drive mid-sized sedan

Engine: 3.5L iVTEC V6

Power: 278 @ 6,200 rpm; 252 lb-ft of torque @ 4,900 rpm

Transmission: Six-speed automatic

Brakes: Four-wheel disc with ABS

Tires: P235/45R18

Fuel consumption (L/100 km): 9.7 city, 5.7 hwy.

Base price/as tested: $23,990/$35,290

Destination charge: $1,640