VERY GOOD INITIAL feedback, consumer reports is not afraid of any automaker and tells it like it is, of course they are not perfect it gets it wrong sometimes.
I want to thank them for being so hard on the civic, as it deserved "most" of their wrath.
And that woke up honda and forced them to make a better Accord and not cheapen it also, they will also slightly update the civic, after one year on the market, unheard of before.
CR has more power than any other auto mag including CD, simply because they don't take no advertising and there fore are solely free to tell it as they see it.
First impressions are that Honda is getting over their electric steering tuning issues that robbed steering feel from other recent Honda and Acura models. Road noise, a persistent Accord complaint, seems better than before. And the new continuously variable transmission (CVT) feels well integrated, lacking some of the annoying traits that sour us on this technology.
Although we only got a brief stint in the not-quite-done-yet Accord Plug-In, it was impressive to drive. Acceleration response is enjoyable via the electric's abundant torque, and the car stays in electric-only propulsion even with a good deal of throttle input. We are surprised, though, that Honda is introducing the plug-in hybrid version long before its conventional hybrid. Honda claims this is because it's easier to develop the heaviest, most complex version first. We wonder if Honda hopes to sell a few more of the more-expensive and more-esoteric plug-in model while riding the inevitable wave of customer interest that comes with a freshly introduced car.
Another big change is the front suspension, which has switched from double wishbones to McPherson struts. Normally, I don't write much about this sort of thing; as long as the car drives well, I don't care if they attach the wheels with bananas and paper clips. But the new suspension makes a big difference: While the Accord now handles far more responsively than its competitors, the ride quality has gone down the tubes. It isn't hard, but it's very busy -- the suspension allows the body to move up and down with such great frequency, rapidity and duration that smooth roads feel bumpy and bumpy roads fell like the surface of the Moon. It's as if, in response to charges that the Civic (Honda's last McPherson design) was too soft, they made the Accord too firm. Oddly enough, the Sport version -- which gets more aggressive suspension tuning -- has a slightly more comfortable ride.
Ex What Car ("Tarzan" Heseltine/Haymarket so-so UK magazine) intern and now US Top Gear producer (arghh).
His comments on it being noisier than rivals are probably wrong - based on Inside lines measured tests and Honda's claims anyway. But I will judge this for myself. Ditto "bumpy" ride. No-one else seems to think so.
The motor delivers 185 hp and 189 lb-ft of torque, while the infinitely variable gearing of the CVT aims to maximize both its performance and fuel economy potential. As the bread and butter model, the power is spot-on for the class and the engine sewing machine smooth in true Honda fashion.
As far as CVTs go, this one’s a winner, with a nicely linear response to throttle inputs and less of the sensation that the car is trying to catch up with the engine that some of these units tend to exhibit. Fuel economy is short of the current best in class Nissan Altima’s 38 mpg highway, but on the high side for the segment at 36 mpg highway, 26 mpg city.
PlugIn: It’s a pretty seamless system, with the same, very smooth power delivery exhibited by almost all electric cars – including Honda’s Fit EV. The electric motor on the prototype I drove did have a slightly annoying high-pitched whine, but I expect that’ll be ironed out by the time the car goes on sale early next year.
Hardly a surprise. All they have to do is what they NORMALLY used to do, and wow...positive press.
I keep reading "HONDA IS BACK!!!"
Bullshit. Where did they ever go away in the Accord segment? They aren't back to anything yet, until we see improvements in the areas they are weak, and not where they are already strong.
They certainly went away with the 8 gen in canada - sales have steadily collapsed over the years. less than Odyssey now by some margin. I think the new model will see an improvement, as long its priced right, incentivised right, and advertised right...
DCR wrote: Hardly a surprise. All they have to do is what they NORMALLY used to do, and wow...positive press.
I keep reading "HONDA IS BACK!!!"
Bullshit. Where did they ever go away in the Accord segment? They aren't back to anything yet, until we see improvements in the areas they are weak, and not where they are already strong.
The new CRV, RDX and now Accord have all been getting rave reviews. And let's face it, we are a tough group to please at TOV.
I think the average consumer's will be snatching up the new Accords in record numbers, despite the new Altima's stealing some of it's thunder.
superchg2 wrote: TSX69, Thanks for keeping us up to date on the new Honda articles that are out there. With the Accord, it's nice to see so many positive sentiments.
+1 Huge thanks. 9th Gen Accord continues as a perennial winner thankfully.
Looking forward to the magazines group comparisons in the coming months.
DCR wrote: Hardly a surprise. All they have to do is what they NORMALLY used to do, and wow...positive press.
I keep reading "HONDA IS BACK!!!"
Bullshit. Where did they ever go away in the Accord segment? They aren't back to anything yet, until we see improvements in the areas they are weak, and not where they are already strong.
Where did they go away in the Accord segment? 2008-2012. The 8th generation was by no means bad, but it was big for the sake of being big, and it had a crummy interior compared to all previous Accords. It felt like Honda tried to chase competitors like the Avalon and Taurus when a traditional Accord should be slightly more compact and much more fun to drive than these cars.
But I think that the people who are proclaiming and rejoicing the fact that "Honda is back" are happy that the big H has finally released a string of very good products, like they almost always used to do in the past. Hopefully very soon a time will come when Honda bolsters their weak areas by improving products such as Civic, Insight, CR-Z, Pilot (which needs it, but not as much as the aforementioned three), and S2000 (hopefully a reincarnation of some sort), but if anything the high caliber of this new Accord is an indication that these changes will happen soon.
DCR wrote: Hardly a surprise. All they have to do is what they NORMALLY used to do, and wow...positive press.
I keep reading "HONDA IS BACK!!!"
Bullshit. Where did they ever go away in the Accord segment? They aren't back to anything yet, until we see improvements in the areas they are weak, and not where they are already strong.
The new CRV, RDX and now Accord have all been getting rave reviews. And let's face it, we are a tough group to please at TOV.
I think the average consumer's will be snatching up the new Accords in record numbers, despite the new Altima's stealing some of it's thunder.
Sure! But I recall us being quite "pleased" for the 20 years prior to this!
Bullshit. Where did they ever go away in the Accord segment? They aren't back to anything yet, until we see improvements in the areas they are weak, and not where they are already strong.
Ironic, that you, who seems to complain about everything, does not see the deficiencies in the 8G Accord! It is not a bad car, but it is not a great one either. Why?
- Too big. Trying to split the difference between a mid-sizer and a full-size meant that the Accord had trouble fitting into some garages. One of the Accord's engineers could not fit his own 8G Accord into his garage in Ohio.
- Powertrain. The K24+5AT did not have enough punch to make the 8G Accord as responsive as the 7G. Jeff commented that the 8G K24+5AT often felt flat-footed at times. Fuel economy also did not improve much until the MMC, because of the extra weight and bulk of the 8G.
- Interior. Materials not as nice as the 7G. Center stack was visually not great. The lower trims like LX were ok, but throw in the dual zone climate control, and throw in the Navi, and it was a mess.
- Electronics. Accord was far behind the competition here. Dealers complained that the Accord's electronics feature set seemed like it was from the dinosaur age.
- NVH. Again.
The 9G Accord fixes virtually all of these problems. The powertrain is snappy and efficient. The car has a more compact exterior. Interior design and electronics are top-notch. Reviewers finally say that Accord is as quiet as the Camry, while still retaining good handling. So hell yes, Honda is back.
Everyone from Fox News to the New York Times is impressed.
"The basic designs of midsize sedans are so similar that it’s tempting to lump them together and assume that each is as good as the others — just go with the one that has the most features you like. And almost all of the cars in this market segment are very good. But this new Accord is excellent."
Bullshit. Where did they ever go away in the Accord segment? They aren't back to anything yet, until we see improvements in the areas they are weak, and not where they are already strong.
Ironic, that you, who seems to complain about everything, does not see the deficiencies in the 8G Accord! It is not a bad car, but it is not a great one either. Why?
- Too big. Trying to split the difference between a mid-sizer and a full-size meant that the Accord had trouble fitting into some garages. One of the Accord's engineers could not fit his own 8G Accord into his garage in Ohio.
- Powertrain. The K24+5AT did not have enough punch to make the 8G Accord as responsive as the 7G. Jeff commented that the 8G K24+5AT often felt flat-footed at times. Fuel economy also did not improve much until the MMC, because of the extra weight and bulk of the 8G.
- Interior. Materials not as nice as the 7G. Center stack was visually not great. The lower trims like LX were ok, but throw in the dual zone climate control, and throw in the Navi, and it was a mess.
- Electronics. Accord was far behind the competition here. Dealers complained that the Accord's electronics feature set seemed like it was from the dinosaur age.
- NVH. Again.
The 9G Accord fixes virtually all of these problems. The powertrain is snappy and efficient. The car has a more compact exterior. Interior design and electronics are top-notch. Reviewers finally say that Accord is as quiet as the Camry, while still retaining good handling. So hell yes, Honda is back.
Everyone from Fox News to the New York Times is impressed.
"The basic designs of midsize sedans are so similar that it’s tempting to lump them together and assume that each is as good as the others — just go with the one that has the most features you like. And almost all of the cars in this market segment are very good. But this new Accord is excellent."
Pretty much says it all.
atomiclightbulb: Well said. Outstanding summary, in fact.
I own a 2008 EXL sedan, and it's a very good car. But like many Accord fans I think it's a little too big, the handling is a little sloppy, the road noise is a bit loud, the acceleration is a bit slow, etc.
It's still by far the best car I've ever owned! It's so far beyond my 2002 Accord LX that I'm still amazed and pleased when I sit in it and drive it. And I'm one of the few that actually likes the controls.
But really, every area of weakness that the 8G Accord has seems to have been aggressively worked on by Honda's team of engineers.
I'm thrilled that I'm going to get a faster, sleeker, more efficient, more luxurious, better handling, etc., etc. car. Can't wait!
The 8G Accord was a very good car. I still think for many reasons it was the best in its class, but in some areas the competition had equaled or passed it
I'm thrilled Honda went all out on this car and decided to be the best in the class in as many areas as possible.
How thirsty? Four-cylinder CVT model that most people will buy is rated 27 mpg in town, 36 highway, 30 in city/highway mix.
Test car trip computer showed 20.2 mpg (4.95 gallons per 100 miles) in vigorous suburban driving; 33 mpg (3.03 gal/100 miles) in mixed-speed highway driving.
At about 45 mph, Accord's gas engine takes over and begins directly driving the wheels. Gas engines are more suited to high speed.
It worked like magic in the test car, which Honda says is representative of how regular production models will feel. Stunningly quiet. No shudders, shakes, shimmies; no intrusion of any kind as the hybrid system moved between gas and electric power. Not "almost none." Absolutely none.
And the electric motor's low-speed punch made the Accord frisky and fun. It also seemed to handle better despite the extra weight of the hybrid's battery pack.
The car surrenders roughly half its trunk to batteries, though. And it will come only as a single, well-equipped model, so is certain to be high-priced by Accord standards.
Still, it strikes us as worth waiting to try the Accord plug-in before making a decision on which midsize sedan to put into your garage. Never mind the eco-benefits. The plug-in Accord is just so sweet to drive.
I was back in Detroit helping out the family when I saw two Accords perched on the front lawn of a local dealership - a white EX-L sedan and a gray Sport. After a yummy Olga's dinner I wanted to drive by and see the car in person for the first time...the dealership was closed but to my surprise the EX-L was unlocked so I hopped in and here is what I found:
The Good ● Looks good in semi dark conditions...expensive, conservative. Hints of the old TSX with some Infiniti G20, Hyundai Genesis, and BMW 5 Series with some other vague comparisons to other mid-size sedans. It looked MUCH better than the contorted Altima that was nearby - boy is that car goofy looking.
● Door opening/closing had a nice muffled sound.
●Just to see what would happen, I pushed the start engine button - it blinked and beeped, but the engine didn't start - oh well it was worth a try ;-)
● The 'off center' center stack was less noticeable once in the driver/passenger/rear seats
● Soft touch material on doors, less soft on top of dash but still ok.
● The sparkly face plate for the radio/iMid also appeared on the shift gate surround (unlike earlier reports of being used strangely in one spot). Not the best look but at least it didn't stick out like a sore thumb in the dark along with the aforementioned shift gate surround.
● Outside details (headlights, grille, greenhouse chrome details, etc) seemed, thankfully, well thought out...something Honda needed to improve on...
● Rims on the Sport were NICE.
The Bad ● Cost cutting is apparent. For example, the moonroof shade felt extremely cheap, lacked a vent on the leading edge. The Sport lacked a trunk release on the trunk that the EX-L had. Some of the black plastics, like the surrounds for the controls on the armrests had no real texture, looked unfinished (maybe they could have used the same texture they used for the plastic right above the glovebox?).
● I'm 5'9" with socks on so when I sat in the back seat, I was surprised when I sat up straight my head was hitting the headliner while my legs were splayed out, needed some more thigh support.
Anyway, that's all I got for the details I could see at 9 o'clock at night in the dark...hope it provides some insight.
At about 45 mph, Accord's gas engine takes over and begins directly driving the wheels. Gas engines are more suited to high speed.
It worked like magic in the test car, which Honda says is representative of how regular production models will feel. Stunningly quiet. No shudders, shakes, shimmies; no intrusion of any kind as the hybrid system moved between gas and electric power. Not "almost none." Absolutely none.
And the electric motor's low-speed punch made the Accord frisky and fun. It also seemed to handle better despite the extra weight of the hybrid's battery pack.
The car surrenders roughly half its trunk to batteries, though. And it will come only as a single, well-equipped model, so is certain to be high-priced by Accord standards.
Still, it strikes us as worth waiting to try the Accord plug-in before making a decision on which midsize sedan to put into your garage. Never mind the eco-benefits. The plug-in Accord is just so sweet to drive.
Good to see nice reviews on the plug-in.
But what is really really important is how the regular hybrid (non plug-in) shapes up, which will show how good (or bad) the new hybrid tech is, and will dictate Honda's hybrid future for the next many years.
Also I hope the Honda's hybrid tech in Accord will soon come down to Fit and insight.
One of my local dealers had an LX sedan on the lot yesterday when I drove by. I thought it looked very nice with all of the details of the 8th gen sedan dialed back or buttoned down a bit making the car one very cohesive design. The lines along the sides flow nicely with the only semi-awkward part being the oddly shaped front mud flaps Honda is offering. I'd say the styling of the sedan places it between the Camry and Sonata with some elements from both mixed together - the wrap-over trunk and hood shut lines along the sides are obviously Camry-like.
One thought after walking around the car a few times was this LX replaces the EX of older models albeit without a moonroof and the MSRP of the LX makes it an incredible bargain. After owning three Accord sedans I'd definitely consider buying this new one. Another thought was this very car is what the Sonata should have been from the start without the very dated grille and headlamp treatments. The Accord folks would have settled on the basic shape and styling of the sedan before the current Camry and Sonata were released so the similarities of the three are interesting.
OK, so one question. What is the vertical line on the driver's side rear view mirror? The portion to the left of that vertical line wasn't an obvious convex shape so it wasn't clear why the line is there.
The driver side mirror has an expanded view so the shape is a little elongated. That may be what you are referring to.
Grace141 wrote: One of my local dealers had an LX sedan on the lot yesterday when I drove by. I thought it looked very nice with all of the details of the 8th gen sedan dialed back or buttoned down a bit making the car one very cohesive design. The lines along the sides flow nicely with the only semi-awkward part being the oddly shaped front mud flaps Honda is offering. I'd say the styling of the sedan places it between the Camry and Sonata with some elements from both mixed together - the wrap-over trunk and hood shut lines along the sides are obviously Camry-like.
One thought after walking around the car a few times was this LX replaces the EX of older models albeit without a moonroof and the MSRP of the LX makes it an incredible bargain. After owning three Accord sedans I'd definitely consider buying this new one. Another thought was this very car is what the Sonata should have been from the start without the very dated grille and headlamp treatments. The Accord folks would have settled on the basic shape and styling of the sedan before the current Camry and Sonata were released so the similarities of the three are interesting.
OK, so one question. What is the vertical line on the driver's side rear view mirror? The portion to the left of that vertical line wasn't an obvious convex shape so it wasn't clear why the line is there.
markitdown wrote: The driver side mirror has an expanded view so the shape is a little elongated. That may be what you are referring to.
Grace141 wrote: OK, so one question. What is the vertical line on the driver's side rear view mirror? The portion to the left of that vertical line wasn't an obvious convex shape so it wasn't clear why the line is there.
Expanded View Driver's Mirror
Introduced to the Honda line in the 2012 CR-V, the 2013 Accord's Expanded View Driver's Mirror is integrated into the driver's side mirror. Standard equipment on all 2013 Accord models and trim levels, the mirror increases the driver's field of vision by 4.2 degrees to provide a better view of objects to the back and side of the vehicle.
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