2006 Honda Accord Review

Specifications

The Everyday Hero

Its not hard to argue that the Honda Accord is an everyday hero. For the past twenty years its been a companion that its owners have counted on 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year; its a car that you can trust to start the next morning even when its twenty below. But while most modern cars vying for a spot in your driveway are miles more reliable than anything available 20 years ago, the Accord, the most reliable of all midisze rivals, according to J. D. Power and Associates, is now even more special that you might have suspected. Honda has operated on it, turning it into a lean, green mild hybrid-powered machine, and even transformed a Japanese-spec example into a rolling safety lab, the sort of stuff thats usually done to purpose-engineered specialty vehicles, not everyday family sedans. Its also a pretty entertaining vehicle to drive, a description Id have a hard time applying to most midsize family four-doors.

The peoples everyday hero is a winner; it has humbly scooped up countless awards in its 30 year existence, all while meeting its customers many expectations while not only following all the family sedan “rules” to a tee, but inventing half of them along the way. It even follows the unwritten law that says midsize family sedans must be anonymous, making it about as easy to misplace in a moderately busy parking lot as your TVs remote control, particularly in my testers rather inconspicuous shade of browny-gray.

In hopes that you wont mistake it for another midsize automobile, or spend days looking for it at the airport multi-story carpark, for 2006, our hero gets a new tie with a bolder pattern, and a different but still perfectly starched shirt to help it stick out a little more, but keeps the trusty gray two-piece suit that it was given in 2003. Up front, the similarities to the new and improved car are minor at best; it has grown a thin, chrome mustache on its upper grille lip, to put it more in line with the space-cadet Civic, and sports a revised air dam with extra holes for improved breathing. So far, things have been subtle, but the more obvious changes can be seen from behind, where the makeover was concentrated.

To be honest I was never a fan of the previous Accords tail end, which has always looked a little bit droopy; I suppose it complements the melted look of the pedestrian-friendly hood. Anyway, prior to the facelift, or, perhaps more appropriately, tail-lift, the four-doors trunk had a beveled edge and a pair of enormous wrap-around lenses which accentuated the smallness of the cars rear overhang. With what was probably a gigantic eraser, fueled by the discontent of focus groups, stylists wiped out the aforementioned frumpy details, penciling in a pair of pointy triangular tail lamps that illuminate bright red by dozens of ultra-quick LED lamps.

It may seem as if Honda merely plucked the Coupes stylish rear lenses for the sedan, but theyre completely different. The sedans feature separate reverse lights, which have been lumped into the indent for the license plate, while the lamp unit is smaller, and less obtuse in angle, which allows for a wider trunk aperture. Scrapping the wrap-around lamps also allowed Honda to restyle the trunk lid itself, which now has deeper sill for easier loading, and a third LED brake lamp integrated into the trunk lid. A new rear bumper allows the Accord to show its single, or dual exhaust pipes, depending on the engine specified.

If theres one pipe poking out the back, it signifies that the engine under the hood has four-cylinders, like my LX SE model tester. After three years service, the 2.4-liter dual overhead cam i-VTEC engine has been sent to polishing school, where its intake and exhaust systems have been tweaked for improved airflow and performance, netting six ponies over last year for a grand total of 166-hp and 160 lb-ft of torque. As with the V6-powered Accord, and its European-inspired cousin, the Acura TSX, the humble four-cylinder Accord gains electronic throttle control, which replaces the mechanical cable linkage. Two pipes signify a V6-powered Accord, which feature similar changes, but gain only four horses for a grand total of 244, while the Hybrid model gains one horsepower to 253.

For the extensive effort that went into re-working the Accords engine, a gain of six horses doesnt sound like a whole lot, but keep in mind that its six SAE Net horsepower - the new standard that Honda was forced to switch over to, along with everyone else. Like Toyota and Mazda, many of Hondas products, including such lauded vehicles as the Acura TL and RL, were over-rated by as much as 12-hp. Behind the wheel, the Accord also feels more than 6-hp faster, although, that could be attributed to the performance-oriented modifications made to the engine and its resulting rev-happy nature. So, really, underneath it all, the changes feel much greater than the numbers suggest.

OK, it may not be the most interesting vehicle to look at, or to sit in, but one thing hasnt changed: its still one of the best midsize cars on the market to drive. The Accord was obviously fine-tuned by drivers, not marketing men, and so you still get double wishbone suspension, which is not exactly the most space-efficient set up, but leads to more rewarding handling. The spring and damper setup is firmer than on most cars in this class, and the steering wheel, now trimmed in stitched, perforated leather, is set light enough to be twirled about with an index finger, yet it is precise, free of slack, and has a consistent, inspiring weight to it at higher speeds.

Because of this, the Accord isnt afraid to tango when the road gets twisty. It easily works up your confidence, even to a point where you start to experiment; by changing your attack line with the throttle, or by braking a little later, despite the fact that its front discs are the size of cappuccino cup saucers and ABS kicks in prematurely. Nevertheless, youre intentionally kept in check by the cars surprising lack of grip thanks to tires that are merely 205-width, which manage to still break traction on the low-end of the RPM scale in second gear. 

If youve never driven a manual gearbox, the Accord is a great place to be introduced to the world of stick shifts; its about as friendly as they come. The clutch is light as a feather, and the gearbox itself has short, fluid throws. Mated to a slightly sensitive throttle, and an engine that freely spins, its a joy for beginners and enthusiasts alike. The real test of a manny-tranny comes when traffic slows to a speed outpaced by pedestrians, but even then, your left leg wont ache. With a manual as great as this, it makes you wonder why people even bother with an automatic.

Inside, the Accord has all the vibrancy of a Japanese coal box. Im sorry, but really, theres no nice way of getting around this fact. Because this is entry-level territory, Honda has stripped the car of visual pizzaz, leaving a lot of gray, albeit good quality plastic, all of which is one particularly dreary shade. The unusually firm but nicely contoured bucket seats are trimmed in a corduroy-replicating velour that harks back to the mid 80s Accord. And like corduroy, the trim collects string and fuzz, which can only be effectively cleaned with a lint roller. Honda has even matched the dashboard in a light-absorbing charcoal color. Charming stuff, really. Praise goes to the excellent ergonomics, like the arrow-head shaped center console with its clear controls; its a stellar setup, but for the lone sunroof control which is on the dash, near the drivers door.

Compared to last years car, mind you, there are some changes in here, albeit, minor ones. The instrument package now features three clusters with different, flattened fonts, and is devoid any color, while splashes of chrome have been added about the interior vents. Automatic cars get a new perforated leather shift knob too. More importantly, though, is that engine and road noise have been further dulled by better insulation, further improving the Accords already refined nature. Wind noise, however, was more intrusive than I remember it being, to a point where passengers inquired if I had any windows rolled down or the sunroof open.

While the trunk itself is about as wide and as deep as the Grand Canyon Iwell, maybe a scale model of the Grand Canyon), able to swallow up plenty of suitcases, the lid itself has been neglected. Its bare painted metal, with sharp edges, and exposed tail lamp housings. It also doesnt have a handle, and shuts with a resounding, un-insulated buzz as the license plate shimmies. My Volkswagen Jetta, in basic GL spec, and Toyotas bare-bones Corolla (gasp) no less, have felt trim covering the back panel, so why not this Accord which is nearly a decade on? Meanwhile, the Accords rear seats arent split-folding; the whole unit comes down at once, and on top of that you need to use the key to unlock it.

The four-cylinder LX SE model, such as this one, is a good place to be introduced to the Accord. Its the second lowest model, with an as-tested price of $20,725, but it comes with most of the goodies youd want and need in a family sedan. Its the cheapest model to feature four-wheel disc brakes and ABS, and you get an alarm, plus a power glass sunroof. It also has a bit more of an upscale feel with chrome-accented bits, and 16-inch alloy wheels, a far sight better than the standard, plastic-covered steelies.

But, if youre looking for value, the basic VP is pretty hard to beat, as it packs all the features any family really needs for $2,500 less. Cant bare the gray? Upgrade to the top of the line EX four-cylinder at $22,450, and that pads the spec list with leather, and your choice of wood or alloy trim, dual zone digital climate control, and a six-disc CD player amongst other goodies. Throw even more money at the Accord and you can upgrade your engine to the 244-hp V6, which gains VSA stability control too, and the option of voice-activated navigation system. And lets not forget the hybrid, which is both the fastest Accord sedan and the most efficient one to boot, so youll at least get some of your money  back on fuel savings.

But aside from being the hero that tens of thousands of Americans have called their own for three decades, the Accord is a benchmark that many automakers model their own midsize vehicles on. In more recent times, particularly over the past three years, it managed to stay strong against an onslaught of new and improved American, Japanese, German and a truly impressive effort from Korea, yet, the Accord has yet to be knocked off balance: not pricing incentives, nor extended warrantees, nor clever and witty advertisements from the opposition have withered its trade secret or appeal, and with this facelift, it will continue to set the standard.