What do the Guide Rating stars mean?
The all-new 2008 Accord is Honda's latest attempt to not only overtake the Toyota Camry as the best selling car in America, but to steal a march on rapidly-improving rivals like the Nissan Altima, Saturn Aura and Hyundai Sonata. The 2008 Accord is bigger and more powerful than the old model, yet it resurrects the small-car feel that made older Accords so appealing. How does the new '08 Accord compare to its rivals? Read on. Price range $20,995 - $31,145 (including options), EPA fuel economy (new 2008 formula) 17-22 MPG city, 25-31 highway, on sale mid-Sept. 2007.
First Glance: A new audience for the new Accord
Larger photos:
Sedan: front - rear
Coupe: front - rear
When I look at an Accord, I think "family car." After all, I've been hauling my own family around in Accords for quite some time now. So it may surprise you -- it certainly surprised me -- to learn that Honda's not aiming the all-new 2008 Honda Accord at families. Nope, the target for the new Accord is DINKs (for the acronym-challenged, that's Double Income, No Kids). American couples are waiting longer and longer to have children, and many are deciding to forgo them altogether. They're working on their careers, they have money to spend, and Honda wants them to spend that money on an Accord.
According (no pun intended) to Honda, these buyers want a car that reflects their advancing status in their lives and careers. They don't want an SUV and they don't want a Civic, which they see as a kid's car. They want something that portrays a professional image and says they made a smart choice. The Accord's secondary target buyers are empty nesters -- people whose kids have already flown the coop. Many have owned an Accord in the past and have been spoiled by its high level of DQR (another industry acronym - Durability, Quality, Reliability).
The new Accord's styling features sharper angles that give the car a more aggressive look while visually tying it to previous generations of the Accord. The shape is different, but as with previous Accords I'm sure it won't be long before it becomes mainstream. Like the outgoing model, the new Accord is available in two body styles: A four-door sedan and a slick-looking two-door coupe.
In the Driver's Seat: More space, more complexity
Larger interior photos: LX - EX-L - EX-L Coupe
Among the Accord's most noticeable improvements is the bigger interior. Accords without a sunroof have just enough interior room to be classified by the EPA as large rather than mid-size cars. DINKs may not have kids to lug around, but they do have adult friends and co-workers, so the Accord's enlarged back seat is welcome. But the sedan's oddly-shaped 14 cubic foot trunk is smaller than most of its rivals. Furthermore, the back seat folds down but doesn't split, and the opening between trunk and cabin is small. The pleasant surprise is the coupe's back seat: It's not nearly as big as the sedan, but it's downright generous compared to rivals like the Nissan Altima coupe.
In keeping with Honda's "Safety for Everyone" campaign, the Accord offers six airbags, antilock brakes and electronic stability control (VSC in Honda parlance) as standard on all models, a notable improvement over last year's model.
One aspect that needed improvement -- but didn't get any -- is the complexity of the Accord's controls. The A/C and stereo use an array of buttons and dials that would do a German car proud. For the navigation system, optional on EX models, Honda has replaced the touch-screen with the dial-based system used on Acura cars. Honda says eliminating the touch screen allowed them to use a recessed mounting that cuts glare and puts the screen closer to the driver's line of vision. That may be so, but I still think it's a step backwards; the dial is slower and more awkward to program and adds even more clutter to the Accord's dash.
On the Road: Four-cylinder power and fuel economy are still Accord strong suits
The 2008 Accord offers three engine choices. LX sedans get a 2.4 liter four-cylinder; its 177 horsepower and 161 lb-ft of torque is more than last year's engine (and even more than the first V6 ever offered in an Accord, back in 1995). EX sedans and LX/EX coupes get a 190 hp version of the 2.4 with an Active Noise Control system, which uses technology similar to noise-canceling headphones to reduce low-frequency sound. It works -- the EX is notably quieter than the LX. Both engines drive the front wheels through a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed automatic. EPA fuel economy estimates (using the new 2008 formula) are very impressive -- 22 MPG city/31 highway for the manual, 21/31 for the automatic.
EX models offer an optional 268 horsepower 3.5 liter V6 with a 5-speed automatic or (exclusive to the coupe) a 6-speed manual. The good news: Automatics get an improved version of Honda's Variable Cylinder Management system, which runs the engine on 3, 4 or 6 cylinders as needed to save fuel. I tried the old version of VCM on a 2006 Odyssey minivan and it does wonders for fuel economy. The bad news: The 6-speed manual isn't the tight, slick-shifting setup found on last year's Accord, though shift quality is still pretty good.
Though my drive time was limited, my first impression was that the new Accord feels more nimble and light on its feet, thanks largely to low-effort steering and a taut ride that all but eliminates body roll. It's less sporting than the Mazda6 and Subaru Legacy, more lively than the Toyota Camry, and it grips the road better than the base-model Nissan Altima.
Journey's End: Still excellent, but can it topple the Camry?
Accord pricing starts at $20,995 for the LX sedan, with power windows, mirrors and locks, air conditioning, and a CD player. The LX-P adds alloy wheels, a power driver's seat, and other goodies, but it's the EX model, with a jazzed-up interior, sunroof and optional navigation system, that Honda expects to be the volume-seller. Topping the lineup is the leather-lined and climate-controlled EX-L. Coupe offerings echo the sedan, with the entry-level LX-S offering a slightly higher spec than its four-door counterpart.
There's no denying the Accord is an appealing package. The light, nimble handling makes the car feel more youthful and energetic than the Camry, making it more appealing to those of us who prefer small cars. And the coupe, with its generous back seat, is bound to be a hit.
But the Accord's button-happy interior is a real turn-off. Look at gadgets like the iPod and iPhone. Complex interfaces are out; simple, intuitive controls are in. Nearly all of the Accord's rivals are more user-friendly.
The new Accord is very good, though I doubt it will knock the mature and dependable Toyota Camry off its perch. The Nissan Altima, with its powerful engine, CVT transmission, and high equipment levels, remains my favorite mid-sizer, and strong rivals like the Saturn Aura, Subaru Legacy, Pontiac G6, and Ford Fusion are bound to erode the Accord's sales. The new Accord will definitely appeal to Honda loyalists; whether it will rise to rule the market remains to be seen. -- Aaron Gold
