2009 Honda Accord Review

Specifications

When the team at Honda says the release of the 2009 Accord is big, they just aren’t referring to the announcement. The new version is the largest version of the model ever. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency has listed the car in its “large car” category.

The Accord’s size is apparent when anyone sits in its passenger cabin. Three adults can easily fit into the rear compartment. The trunk space varies depending on whether the sedan or coupe version is selected. In the sedan there is 14 cubic feet in the trunk while the coupe offers 11.9 square feet. Need more than that? The entire rear seat unit folds down.

This Honda’s interior is tightly crafted from materials that are high quality. All seats offer firm support, with leather available as an option. Front and center is a control panel to adjust the climate controls as well as the entertainment and optional navigation systems.

To help keep everyone onboard safe, standard features on the 2009 Accord include antilock disc brakes, front side and full-length side curtain airbags, and stability and traction controls. In government crash tests, the sedan earned a perfect five stars for front passenger protection in front and side impacts. The coupe was perfect in front-impact protection.

From there, any common ground all but disappears because of the number of trim choices among the Accords. The coupe is available as the LX-S, EX and EX-L while the sedan offers LX, LX-P, EX and EX-L.

There are three choices for 2009 Accord engines. The LX and LX-P sedans have 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engines that pump out 177 horsepower and 161 pound-feet of torque. The EX sedan and all coupes get 190 horsepower from the engine. A five-speed, manual transmission is standard while a five-speed automatic is optional. In the EX, an optional 3.5-liter, V6 engine produces 271 horsepower and 254 pound-feet of torque (251 pound-feet on manual-shift V6 coupes). Sedans with a V6 only come with a five-speed automatic while the V6 coupes have a six-speed manual at no extra cost.

The resulting mileage also varies. Honda Accords with automatic transmissions get 21 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway, with 24 mpg combined. Manual transmissions get slightly better mileage with 1 mpg more in each of the same three categories. The six-cylinder engines with automatic transmissions get 19 mpg around town, 29 mpg on the open road (28 in automatic coupes) and 22 mpg combined. The manual-shift V6 coupe does not feature the cylinder-deactivation technology as the automatic does so the mileage drops to 17 mpg for the city, 25 mpg for the highway, and 20 mpg combined.

Prices of the 2009 Honda Accords start at a $20,905 manufacturer’s suggested retail price and go higher depending on the trim and options selected. With its long-time reputation for reliability, the money is well spent because it also has one of the best resale values of any car.