Honda Accord - Next #1 in America? - 8thAccord

**webby** · 11-19-2007, 07:57 PM

Honda Accord: America's Next No. 1?

More powerful, roomier, and better-looking than ever, the new 2008 Honda Accord is a potent challenger to the dominant Toyota Camry

The Good: Reliability, good looks, roomier rear seats, more powerful engine options

The Bad: Not much

The Bottom Line: Likely to challenge the Toyota Camry as America's No. 1 car

Up Front
Is the new Honda (HMC) Accord poised to become the most popular car on the market (BusinessWeek.com, 8/28/07)? Archrival Toyota's (TM) Camry—America's perennial top-seller—got a lot of bad press recently when Consumer Reports magazine removed the V6-powered version of the Camry from its recommended list.

Early signs show the Accord is gaining ground. Camry sales increased 6%, to 398,868 (including the hybrid version), during the first 10 months of the year, but Camry sales were down slightly, to 33,728, in October.

Meanwhile, through October, annual U.S. sales of the Accord increased 9.7%, to 332,813 (even though the slow-selling Accord hybrid is being phased out). Honda hopes to sell more than 400,000 Accords next year, and things are going so well that the Accord has overtaken the Toyota Corolla to become the nation's No. 2-selling car so far this year. Plus, the new, '08 Accord has been giving sales a big boost since hitting showrooms in mid-September: Accord sales were up by nearly one-third, to 31,179, in October.

Obviously one month's sales don't make a trend, and the Camry's quality problems are probably overblown. But I believe the Accord will challenge the Toyota for the No. 1 spot in 2008. I recently spent a week test-driving a V6-powered 2008 Accord sedan. It's a very impressive vehicle.

Inside and out, the new Accord looks a lot more like a BMW than the economy model it started out as when it first hit the U.S. market back in 1976. It doesn't drive like a BMW, of course—it has the solid, competent driving characteristics you'd expect from an Accord. But the sedan is surprisingly quick and sporty, and there's a two-door coupe version available with a six-speed manual transmission for hard-core driving enthusiasts.

The eighth-generation Accord sedan is about 1 in. taller and wider and 3 in. longer than the previous Accord. Trim levels start with the basic LX model, and get progressively fancier and more expensive as you move up to the LX-P, EX, and EX-L versions. Even the base models come standard with keyless entry, full-power accessories, cruise control, a tilting and telescoping steering wheel, and a six-speaker CD system with an auxiliary jack. I test-drove the leather-upholstered EX-L, which was like an entry-level luxury car.

There are three choices of engine in the new Accord sedan: a gasoline-sipping 2.4-liter, 177-hp four-banger, which also comes in a 190-hp "high output" version, and a powerful 3.5-liter, 268-hp V6. With the four-cylinder engines, the Accord sedan can be had with either a five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic transmission.

The V6 version of the sedan comes only with a five-speed automatic, but it also has a more sophisticated engine system than in the previous Accord that ekes out extra mileage. The new system allows the engine to run on three, four, or six cylinders, depending on how much power is needed.

With an automatic transmission and either of the four-cylinder engines, the Accord sedan is rated to get 21 mpg in the city and 31 on the highway; with the V6, the rating drops to 19 city/29 highway. In a stretch of 193 miles of mixed driving, I got 23.3 mpg in my V6-powered test car.

A basic LX model starts at $21,000 with the smallest engine and a stick shift (add $1,000 to get the LX-P with the more powerful four-cylinder engine and some extra gear). A midrange EX with a sunroof, automatic transmission, and the more powerful of the two four-cylinder engines starts at $24,495.

A top-of-the-line EX-L with leather upholstery, premium stereo, V6 engine, navigation system, and automatic transmission goes for $30,895. Other than a navigation system on the EX-L, there are no options on any of the new Accords.

All versions of the new Accord come standard with traction and stability control, antilock brakes, and front, side, and cabin-length side-curtain air bags.

rest: Honda Accord: America's Next No. 1?

11-19-2007, 07:57 PM	#1 (permalink)
webby Acorns! Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 1,736 iTrader: (0)	Honda Accord - Next #1 in America? Honda Accord: America's Next No. 1? More powerful, roomier, and better-looking than ever, the new 2008 Honda Accord is a potent challenger to the dominant Toyota Camry The Good: Reliability, good looks, roomier rear seats, more powerful engine options The Bad: Not much The Bottom Line: Likely to challenge the Toyota Camry as America's No. 1 car Up Front Is the new Honda (HMC) Accord poised to become the most popular car on the market (BusinessWeek.com, 8/28/07)? Archrival Toyota's (TM) Camry—America's perennial top-seller—got a lot of bad press recently when Consumer Reports magazine removed the V6-powered version of the Camry from its recommended list. Early signs show the Accord is gaining ground. Camry sales increased 6%, to 398,868 (including the hybrid version), during the first 10 months of the year, but Camry sales were down slightly, to 33,728, in October. Meanwhile, through October, annual U.S. sales of the Accord increased 9.7%, to 332,813 (even though the slow-selling Accord hybrid is being phased out). Honda hopes to sell more than 400,000 Accords next year, and things are going so well that the Accord has overtaken the Toyota Corolla to become the nation's No. 2-selling car so far this year. Plus, the new, '08 Accord has been giving sales a big boost since hitting showrooms in mid-September: Accord sales were up by nearly one-third, to 31,179, in October. Obviously one month's sales don't make a trend, and the Camry's quality problems are probably overblown. But I believe the Accord will challenge the Toyota for the No. 1 spot in 2008. I recently spent a week test-driving a V6-powered 2008 Accord sedan. It's a very impressive vehicle. Inside and out, the new Accord looks a lot more like a BMW than the economy model it started out as when it first hit the U.S. market back in 1976. It doesn't drive like a BMW, of course—it has the solid, competent driving characteristics you'd expect from an Accord. But the sedan is surprisingly quick and sporty, and there's a two-door coupe version available with a six-speed manual transmission for hard-core driving enthusiasts. The eighth-generation Accord sedan is about 1 in. taller and wider and 3 in. longer than the previous Accord. Trim levels start with the basic LX model, and get progressively fancier and more expensive as you move up to the LX-P, EX, and EX-L versions. Even the base models come standard with keyless entry, full-power accessories, cruise control, a tilting and telescoping steering wheel, and a six-speaker CD system with an auxiliary jack. I test-drove the leather-upholstered EX-L, which was like an entry-level luxury car. There are three choices of engine in the new Accord sedan: a gasoline-sipping 2.4-liter, 177-hp four-banger, which also comes in a 190-hp "high output" version, and a powerful 3.5-liter, 268-hp V6. With the four-cylinder engines, the Accord sedan can be had with either a five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic transmission. The V6 version of the sedan comes only with a five-speed automatic, but it also has a more sophisticated engine system than in the previous Accord that ekes out extra mileage. The new system allows the engine to run on three, four, or six cylinders, depending on how much power is needed. With an automatic transmission and either of the four-cylinder engines, the Accord sedan is rated to get 21 mpg in the city and 31 on the highway; with the V6, the rating drops to 19 city/29 highway. In a stretch of 193 miles of mixed driving, I got 23.3 mpg in my V6-powered test car. A basic LX model starts at $21,000 with the smallest engine and a stick shift (add $1,000 to get the LX-P with the more powerful four-cylinder engine and some extra gear). A midrange EX with a sunroof, automatic transmission, and the more powerful of the two four-cylinder engines starts at $24,495. A top-of-the-line EX-L with leather upholstery, premium stereo, V6 engine, navigation system, and automatic transmission goes for $30,895. Other than a navigation system on the EX-L, there are no options on any of the new Accords. All versions of the new Accord come standard with traction and stability control, antilock brakes, and front, side, and cabin-length side-curtain air bags. rest: Honda Accord: America's Next No. 1?
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