2008 Honda Accord Review

Specifications

I have to admit to having long been a closet Accord lover, even in four-door guise. Sure you can find a half dozen on every block, its popularity making an otherwise unique design somewhat mundane, but overlooking ubiquity it has long been a very, very good car, with excellent quality and, for the most part, truly enjoyable driving dynamics. For 2008 Honda has built on this theme, producing a car that improves practicality, fuel efficiency, performance and styling simultaneously.

First of all, the new Accord’s origami surfaces, with sharper lines and edgier folds is a great leap forward over the old car’s soft curves and now generic shape. Honda gave the new grille a bold, rectangular and upright Ridgeline treatment, toughening up the image in a most fashionable way, while slit-like headlamp clusters are more assertive in approach. A couple of years ago in a mid-cycle upgrade the Japanese company tried to clean up the rear taillight design of the outgoing model with triangular lenses, and for the most part it was immediately better looking than the droopy design of the previous lamps. Still, too many competitive midsize cars featured similarly styled rear lights, with Chevy’s Impala having received a mid-cycle restyling the same year with almost identically shaped rear lenses. The 2008 Accord’s rear design is much more distinctive, with a more upscale design that’s sure to appeal to entry-level buyers wanting to step up to a premium-style sedan, but lacking the funds. All-round, the new chiseled shape should be well accepted by trend-setters while not alienating Honda’s more conservative core buyer.

In a similar way the sedan’s three-fold engine lineup will only make Accord fans’ faces smile, being that the engineers continue to miraculously deliver better performance with improved fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions. OK, hybrid fans will be out of luck as no Accord Hybrid will be offered, but then again there aren’t many of you out there as it is (if there had been it wouldn’t have been discontinued). What matters more, both four- and six-cylinder Accords get higher output engines, with the former sporting a 177-horsepower 2.4-liter unit with 161 lb-ft of torque in base trim, followed by a 190-horsepower version of the same engine with a nominal 1 lb-ft of torque advantage, for the upscale EX/EX-L. In case you were wondering, the extra 13 horsepower comes from a special exhaust system with larger diameter tubing and a variable-valve silencer design that results in a 31-percent increase in flow. The top-line 3.5-liter mill now boasts 268-horsepower and 248 lb-ft of torque, while its fuel economy has become even more manageable at 19 mpg in the city and 29 on the highway. This is quite good, made even better by its regular unleaded requirement – premium can quickly negate any financial fuel economy advantages at the pump. As a note, you don’t have to opt for the base four-cylinder to get the fuel economy leader in the Accord family, because the 190-horsepower four also achieves 21 mpg in the city and 31 on the highway, in automatic guise.

Only the two top engines were available for testing during the launch, so if you’re already satisfied with your base Accord’s four-cylinder you can be confident the new one is that much better. And as much as I like the improvements made to the silky smooth, high revving flagship V6 and its ultra-smooth five-speed automatic transmission, I couldn’t help but fall head over heals for the all-new 190-horse four. This is a lively powerplant with plenty of scoot and frugal fuel efficiency, and being that it’s lighter than the six, the Accord’s front suspension is less taxed and therefore reacts to input even more adeptly than the top-line car. You’ve got to have an appreciation for the characteristics of a four-cylinder to truly enjoy this engine, being that a smaller displacement engine needs to be revved higher in order to garner maximum performance, but Honda’s fours are so sweet in the lofty regions that I couldn’t help but send it spinning every moment I had it. It should be mated to the standard five-speed manual, as it’s a wonderfully smooth gearbox and clutch take-up is also nicely weighted but hardly heavy. The automatic works well too, although the 2.4 is not known for torque and torque is necessary to get the most out of an automatic. If an automatic is a must, mind you, then 190-horsepower is certainly better than 177, even if torque is more or less the same at 162 lb-ft. Fortunately, the gear ratios have been augmented to take advantage of the greater power.

Interestingly, the automatic gearbox features Grade Logic Control and Shift Hold Control, the former for holding a lower gear when driving up or down a long, steep hill, reducing gear hunting in the process, and the latter for maintaining the optimal gear when tackling curves. Nice stuff.

I spent the majority of my time in a V6-powered car, and couldn’t help but appreciate the smooth refinement the larger engine provided. Where the four loves to rev all day, the six doesn’t need to in order to extract good performance. The engine makes a lot of power throughout its rev range, although peak horsepower is quite high at 6,200 rpm, and this in mind, peak torque is also higher than average at 5,000 rpm. Like the four-cylinder, the Honda V6 is capable of spinning up to the loftier realms without undue noise and harshness, and actually sings so sweetly up there that you’ll probably find yourself looking for excuses to rev it up despite your significant other’s disapproving glare. Truly, Honda’s forte is engines, and the new V6, making 10 percent more power and 18 percent greater thrust is a much improved machine for those with sporting intent. Then again, I think that even those who never drive their cars with any enthusiasm will appreciate the time and effort Honda went through in order to improve what was already an award winning engine, with advancements such as direct ignition, magnesium intake manifolds and valve covers, close-coupled catalytic converters plus an under-floor catalytic converter, as well as i-VTEC, of course, with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM cylinder deactivation) for improving fuel efficiency.

VCM is a three-way system, with the ability to run on six, four or three cylinders depending on load. If cruising down a relatively flat, straight highway at posted speeds only three cylinders will be needed, while a little more exertion might require four. Open up the throttle to make a pass and all six cylinders will be engaged for all 268 horsepower. It operates seamlessly, however, without any input from the driver, much thanks to Active Control Engine Mount (ACM) and Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), designed to reduce the effects of engine vibration when VCM switches the cylinders on and off.

Something even less noticeable, all new Accord engines get a revised fuel injection system, with injector nozzles that reduce the typical size of fuel droplets by 34-percent compared to last year’s model, improving atomization and flame propagation inside the combustion chambers, enhancing combustion and reducing emissions. A drive-by-wire throttle system connects the right foot to the power, for smooth, linear throttle control.

And that smooth, linear power was much appreciated during my drive around one of America’s most picturesque neighborhoods. As much fun as I was having behind the wheel, sometimes I just had to slow down and take in the spectacular vistas, especially when traveling along the seashore. It was as if the state’s government had purposely tied up old wooden boats in the middle of little used harbors for postcard-like visual effect, an ideal backdrop for a number of photo shoots I just couldn’t help but stop and take advantage of.

Sitting still was the perfect opportunity to contemplate all Honda had done with this car’s interior. The old car featured a good, functional cabin with a fairly attractive overall design that I personally lauded compliments on after the previous launch program. This new model takes things up more than one notch, by delivering more attractive interior styling, nicer materials, more room and greater functionality. The general layout will be familiar to Accord owners, which was a smart move on Honda’s part, although it’s a very different looking cockpit. The new car boasts a much more interesting design treatment inside, with creative angles and curves atop the dash and generally a great deal more going on, although it doesn’t look overly busy. The center stack seems vaguely similar at first, although there are now more buttons and switches that do different things. Suffice to say it all works well and, when the optional navigation system is integrated, looks very upscale.

My tester was filled with leather and woodgrain, the latter of which looked almost completely authentic, and metal-like trim embellished most everything in a tasteful way. Other than the leather-clad round hoop that carries forward mostly unchanged, the steering wheel looks more like a games controller than anything I would have previously used for driving. Its metal adorned spokes covered in myriad buttons are pretty sci-fi, something I’ve grown to expect from Honda these days. Again, it all works well and frames the nice, metal rimmed gauges nicely.

That fancy wheel isn’t standard, mind you, but redundant steering wheel-mounted cruise and audio controls are, and a lot more including a six-speaker, 160-watt CD/MP3/WMA compatible audio system with an auxiliary jack located in the center console, speed-sensitive volume control and Radio Data System (RDS), plus an attractive cloth interior featuring moquette seat inserts and tricot side bolsters complemented by gunmetal and silver-tone accents.

Moving up from the LX, the EX adds silver-tone trim on black and gray interiors or woodgrain with the ivory cabin, an interface dial featuring a three-line audio display with a six-disc in-dash CD player, an eight-way power driver’s seat with power lumbar support (a must-have in my books), cool ambient lighting, auto up-down front passenger-side power windows, and Active Noise Control (ANC) to shut out the world.

The EX with Leather (EX-L) boasts leather seating surfaces, of course, plus a leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, a four-way power front passenger seat (V6 only), a crystal clear sounding 270-watt audio system with XM satellite radio (Fred and Ethel are hot but I’m going with Lucy), automatic headlights, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a compass, exterior temperature gauge, and HomeLink (V6 only).

Not good enough? Nudging up against the Acura TL for luxury features is the top-line EX with Leather (EX-L) with Navi (nothing like being descriptive when choosing a name), that gets a navigation system, obviously (which replaces the compass on the regular EX-L), and a very, very good one at that, with improved voice recognition and a larger eight-inch screen, plus Bluetooth hands-free, so you can connect up all your peripherals sans wires.

All of these goodies get stuffed into the largest Accord in history, and for that matter the largest car in the “midsize” class. The Accord is so large, in fact, that it’s no longer designated a midsize model, but rather a large car. The same thing happened to Hyundai’s Sonata when it changed body styles two years ago, giving it the most passenger volume in the class until now. To be fair to the Korean company, Honda has only beaten it by a small margin, but in doing so managed to edge (and I mean a razor’s edge) the new Accord over the 100 cubic feet barrier to 101 cubic feet (LX with 106 cubic feet), a 3.3-percent increase over the 2007 Accord four-door. Heck, it’s even larger than Nissan’s largest car, the Maxima, although rivals Hyundai and Toyota still make models with greater interior room if size matters to you. To Honda, however, which doesn’t offer a larger model until you get into its Acura brand, the added interior room is exactly what customers said they wanted, with much of it going into a more accommodating rear passenger compartment.

The new front seats make use of their extra space with greater width, important for making larger occupants feel more at home. I didn’t notice any greater tendency to flop around between the more pronounced side bolsters, so I don’t think this will be a negative for smaller people, and the seats are said to be more comfortable than their predecessors, although I never had a problem with the old car’s seats so I found it hard to tell. I’ll take Honda’s word for it.

Oh, and the biggest news yet, the optional power glass sunroof, which is wider than before, now gets a one-touch open and close switch up above in the overhead console! Yes, no more fiddling around on the left-side of the dash behind the steering wheel when you want a little fresh air. Now that’s a major breakthrough!

In another gesture towards greater convenience, Honda has relocated the power lock buttons next to the door handles and away from the back end of the front door beside the B-pillar. This is much better.

Finally, the Accord gets all of the usual nooks and crannies expected in a family sedan, including two cupholders in the center console, two in the rear armrest, a center armrest bin, side pockets in the doors, seatback pockets, and a ski-pass through integrated into the folding rear seatback.

From a safety perspective, the new Accord incorporates Honda’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure, for optimal crash energy management at the time of impact, complemented with dual-stage, dual-threshold front airbags, a set of front dual-chamber side airbags, plus side curtain airbags for all outside occupants. Additionally, all Accords get four-wheel disc brakes with four-channel ABS and Brake Assist (BA), plus active front head restraints, front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters, as well as a front grille and hood design that minimizes impact to a pedestrian or cyclist if struck. Finally, a tire pressure monitoring system will let you know if your tires are overfilled or need air.

If you’re an Accord fan, you’re going to love the new 2008 model, and if you’ve never driven an Accord because exclusivity matters more than quality, performance, comfort and dependability, well, you’re missing out. This is the best Accord ever, and will keep Honda amongst the leaders of the midsize sedan segment.