Background: The Honda Accord, which debuted in 1975 as a hatchback offering, has been a huge hit with the American motoring public. From 1989 to 1991, the mid-size Accord was the best-selling car in the United States. Ford Taurus eclipsed Accord as the best-selling car from 1992 through 1996, but Accord finished in second place during that five-year span. Most Accords now sold in the United States are manufactured at Honda's Marysville, Ohio assembly plant.
New for '97: Major improvements this model year include an improved air conditioning system with faster cool-down performance, better insulating materials for a quieter ride and redesigned automatic transmission for smoother shifting.
Trim levels and engines: The front-wheel-drive Accord is available in a dizzying array of sedans, coupes and wagons. Drivers get to choose from two four-cylinder engines and one six-cylinder powertrain. However, only four-door sedans are available with six-cylinder engines. Coupe and wagon shoppers must opt for the four-cylinder powertrain. Sedans come in three, four-cylinder trim levels and two, six-cylinder offerings. Four-cylinder sedans include entry-level DX, mid level LX; both featuring a 2.2-liter, 130 horsepower engine and EX, with a larger 2.2-liter, 145 horsepower, four-cylinder engine. The two six-cylinder, 2.7 liter, 170 horsepower sedans are the LX V-6 and EX V-6. Coupes and wagons are both available in two trim levels: LX, with the 130 horsepower, four-cylinder engine and EX with the 145 horsepower four-cylinder engine. Adding to the fray is a "Special Edition" package based, on the LX trim level. The "Special Edition" package is available in sedan and coupes only. Special edition equipment includes power moon roof, compact disc player, remote keyless entry and leather-wrapped steering wheel standard. We test drove a "Special Edition" LX. The LX trim level accounts for more than half of all Accord sales.
Price: The lowest priced Accord is the DX sedan, which has a suggested retail price of $15,100. An EX sedan with V-6 engine starts $10,000 higher at $25,100. Our test drive model, a nicely equipped LX "Special Edition' sedan started at $21,440. Adding in a $395 destination charge and $90 for floor mats, the bottom line reached $21,925.
Interior highlights: Nothing fancy, yet controls are all within easy reach. Fan speed and temperature settings operate from a series of buttons and dials positioned above the stereo. Preset radio buttons are small. Dual cup holders are found below a flip-top lid, sandwiched conveniently between the front bucket seats. The top of the center storage bin also serves as an elbow rest. Fuel door and trunk levers are found on the floor, left of the driver's front bucket seat. Lights activate from the turn signal stalk. Windshield wipers monitor from a right-hand side steering column stalk. Our four-door sedan provided good road visibility with no interfering blind spots.
Seating comfort: Our front cloth bucket seats were comfortable and supportive. Two adults fit comfortably in back, while three is a bit of a stretch. Headroom is plentiful both in front and back, as is legroom.
Safety features: Dual air bags are standard. Anti-lock brakes are not available in DX sedans, LX coupes or LX wagons. Anti-lock brakes come standard in LX V-6 sedans, EX V-6 sedans, EX 4-cylinder sedans and coupes and EX wagons. Anti-lock brakes are available in LX sedans with automatic transmission. Childproof rear door locks
Trunk: The low-liftover truck lid makes moving items in and out the trunk easy. The trunk floor is flat and long, capable of handling 13 cubic feet of cargo volume. The smartly designed rear seat back includes two ways to gain access into the trunk. The entire seat back can be folded forward for carrying big, wide items, or the center arm rest folds forward, revealing a pass-through window which when opened, can accommodate long items such as skis. Both the arm rest window and rear seat back must be first unlocked with a key before being be folded forward.
Notable standard equipment: All trim levels include rear widow defoggers, digital clock, intermittent wipers and dual remote outside mirrors. Power windows, power door locks, cruise control and air conditioning are standard in all trim levels except for the entry-level DX sedan. Five-speed manual transmission comes standard on all models except the LX and EX V-6 sedans and EX wagon, which feature a four-speed, electronically controlled automatic transmission standard.
LX trim level dimensions: Length: 185.6 inches Width: 70.1 inches Height: 55.1 inches Wheelbase (distance between front and rear axle): 106.9 inches Front headroom: 39.4 inches Front legroom 42.7 inches Curb weight: 2,998 lbs.
Exterior: Accords feature a high trunk and relatively thin roof pillars providing a downward slopping feel. Fifteen-inch tires are featured on all editions except entry-level DX models, which have 14-inch tires. Color choices include: white, red, gray, blue, two shades of green and metallic.
Fuel economy: Fuel economy for our 4-cylinder, 130 horsepower engine is estimated at 23 miles per gallon, city and 30 mpg highway. All Accord fuel tanks hold 17 gallons of unleaded fuel. With 10,000 odometer miles, our four-cylinder Accord registered 25 mpg in combined driving. Six-cylinder engines check in at 19 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.
Final thoughts: Accord's handling is sporty and excellent, taking turns well with little body lean. The ride is smooth, but the four-cylinder engine hesitates slightly when pushed hard. Accord's main competitors include the Ford Taurus and Toyota Camry. Taurus received a radical exterior redesign in the 1996 model year while Camry enjoyed a complete revamp in the 1997 model year. The current fifth-generation Accord, which still stands up well against its two main rivals, was introduced in 1994. The remodeled sixth-generation Accord goes into production this summer for sale sometime in the fall. |