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REVIEW: Honda Accord hits the gym

There’s no denying that Mr. Soichiro Honda was a genius, but he also nearly ran his company into the ground.

There’s no denying that Mr. Soichiro Honda was a genius, but he also nearly ran his company into the ground.

Obsessed with perfection, he backed up the production line time and again with new innovations and insights — the engineers eventually set up a desk for somebody to field all his brainwaves.

It was no way to build a car, even if the car in question was actually pretty good. The Honda 1300 was the first proper Honda passenger car, and it had any number of clever tricks; sadly, it wasn’t a
sales success.

The next car to come along was the Civic, and we all know how that went. However, this time Mr. Honda was forced to allow his engineers to stop pulling their hair out in frustration and work together in a more harmonious fashion. Little wonder than they’d soon produce a vehicle called the Accord.

But then something happened. The svelte little Hondas of the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s ballooned into huge machines that were somewhat spongy. The Accord grew so much it crossed from mid-sized to full-sized; comfy, sure, but where’s the personality? Happily, a proper Accord returned last year and the harmony is back.

Design

Not much has changed for the 2014 year in terms of the Accord’s sheetmetal, assuming you discount the optional Hybrid version with its blue-green enviro-cues. It’s a conservative design, yet the more I look at it, the more there is to like.

While slightly smaller, this is still a big, wide car, yet the clean styling avoids it looking cumbersome. You get 18-inch alloys on both the Touring and Sport trims, but the stock 17-inch rims look just fine, and will have cheaper-to-replace tires anyway.

There is the slight worry that the LED treatment on the Accord’s front headlights is going to start looking a bit dated as the LED-as-decorative style fades out of the luxury market. However, as an overall effort, the front fascia manages to look distinctively Honda without looking too distinctive. This is a car that should age well on the outside.

Environment

However, that ageless beauty is only skin deep. While there’s much to like about the interior of the Accord in terms of spaciousness, the application of technology leaves something to be desired.

Just as the split-level instrument binnacle on the Civic has its detractors, the Accord’s twin screen setup is going to puzzle more than a few people. Why’d they do that? The top eight-inch screen looks nice, but it’s operated by a rotary control, while a second lower screen handles the audio functions, and is at a lower resolution.

It’s odd, but it works — and yet a simpler layout probably would have been better. Having said that, the integrated LaneWatch sideview camera is the sort of clever innovation that only Honda could come up with: every time you put your right turn indicator on, a camera mounted on the right mirror shows a nice clear display down the side of the car, making watching for cyclists easy, and parallel parking a cinch.

Other than that, the back seats are simply enormous and ditto the trunk. This Accord might be slightly smaller than the previous generation, but the nips and tucks don’t seem to have diminished the interior space much at all.

Performance

One feature that all Hondas used to have was a fun-to-drive essence that extended right across the range. No wonder kids were hopping up hand-me-down hatchbacks back in the day: those cars had dual wishbone suspension and carved up corners like they were born on a track.

While it’s far more refined than the Hondas of yore, this Accord still has a bit of that racing spirit tucked under the hood. The 2.4-litre four-cylinder option makes a reasonable 184 horsepower at 5,000 r.p.m. and 181 foot-pounds of torque at 3,900 r.p.m. The dual exhausts on the Sport model uncork an extra 5 h.p., and the V-6 stomps out an impressive 278 h.p. and 252 foot-pounds of torque.

Honda, bless their hearts, will sell you an Accord with a real six-speed manual if you want, but you’re better off selecting a continuously variable transmission if you don’t want to wait. I know, I know: a CVT. That can’t be good for driving fun, can it?

Truth be told, Honda’s nailed this transmission. Unless you’re brutal with the throttle, it doesn’t whine and rubber-band too much, and is extremely smooth and efficient. Even better, the Accord’s chassis is that of one of the ballerinas the H-badge used to put out, meaning that it’s really quite quick and nimble. The electric power steering is well managed, without being overboosted, and it frankly feels like a return to form.

Tackling a curving on-ramp, the four-cylinder Accord carried enough speed through the corner that little power was actually needed for extra acceleration. That’s just the way an old Honda would have made the most of its power, and the payoff is a great driving experience with minimal penalty at the pump.

The V-6 version, with its outstanding power levels, should be an absolute rocketship. However, there are some smarter touches here too, such as multiple cylinder deactivation. Essentially, under lighter loads, the six can run as a three, which makes for a real highway star.

Having said that, the four-cylinder Accord is likely to be the bulk seller, and it’s very good at blending together the space and efficiency needed in this segment with a drive that feels interesting enough to be worthy of the badge up front.

Features

Standard equipment in the mid-size sedan segment is usually very good and the Accord is no exception. The eight-inch display and a backup camera are standard, as is Bluetooth handsfree, automatic headlights and heated seats. Move up to the Touring trim and get leather heated seats fore and aft, satellite navigation and a multi-angle rear camera.

Fuel economy is rated at 7.8 litres/100 kilometres in the city and 5.5 l/100 km on the highway. The new five-cycle testing would likely indicate a 10-15 per cent bump in those figures, but the Accord did return very good fuel economy in the real world, particularly the way the CVT worked in the city.

Green light

Roomy, comfortable cabin; lively driving dynamics; good value from base model.

Stop sign

Overcomplicated twin-screen infotainment; styling may be too conservative for some.

The checkered flag

Finds the balance between the practical needs of a mid-sized sedan and the twinkle in Soichiro Honda’s eye.

Competitor

Toyota Camry ($23,750): Selling so well it’s practically ridiculous, the Camry remains well out in front in terms of overall North American sales. The previous generation remains a solid buy, made more attractive by the potential for strong discounting with a new version on the way.

It’s a softer car in most trims than the Accord, and maybe a tad more comfortable as well. However, the Honda drives with a bit more spirit, something that’s been the case since both cars first went head-to-head.

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