Economize Accordingly: The 2017 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring

The 2017 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring.

The Honda Accord is what the late David E. Davis, Junior, the man who more than any other, made me want to write about cars, would have called "A G--damn paragon of virtue".  Few cars can equal it in terms of value, fuel economy and overall excellence.

But what if the EPA-estimated 27 miles per gallon in the city and 37 miles per gallon in the highway provided by the four-cylinder Honda Accord is just not enough?

What's In A Name? The 2016 Honda Accord Sport

The 2016 Honda Accord Sport.

You could be excused for thinking the phrase "Honda Accord Sport" is an oxymoron.  Some of you might think the words "Honda Accord" and "Sport" would act like magnets that push each other apart.

As with most things in life, and especially in automobiles, the word "Sport" here is relative.

Drawback Removed: The 2016 Honda Accord EX-L with Apple Car Play

2016 Honda Accord.

A year ago this week, I wrote about the 2015 Honda Accord EX-L, saying it was a continuation of the Accord's greatness, with one drawback...the antiquated audio and nav system. For 2016, it's been addressed.

Why Isn't This Car Crushing The Prius In Sales? The 2015 Honda Accord Hybrid

The 2015 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring.

America loves the Honda Accord.  It was the second-best selling car in the country in 2014, and has at various times in the past 39 years, been number one.  But break it down into the hybrid variant, and the numbers are far behind those of the best-selling Toyota Prius hybrid.

Part of it is Honda's choice.  They simply are not making and shipping enough Accord Hybrids to meet demand. But even if they did, hybrid history seems to show that the best-sellers are the cars that scream "I'm different" from the first look...and the Accord Hybrid looks very much like every other Accord.

The 2015 Honda Accord: Another Model Year of Greatness (with one drawback)

The 2015 Honda Accord EX-L.

It was only nine months ago that I wrote about the Honda Accord EX-L...suggesting that buyers go for the four-cylinder version of this benchmark family sedan because I honestly thought I was driving the more expensive and thirstier six-cylinder for the entire week I had it.

That was the 2014 Accord.  Now we've had a week in the '15.  What's changed?

How Many People Know About The 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid?

The 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid

A little over a year ago, Michael wrote a review of the Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid. In it, he pointed out that the key to the Toyota Prius' dominance of the hybrid market was as much about it being instantly identifiable as a "green" car as it was its fuel economy.  He noted that hybrids that look like their gasoline-powered equivalents do not sell as well.

Why The 2014 Honda Crosstour May Not Be As Wretched As I've Been Saying

The 2014 Honda Crosstour.

Last summer, I wrote an especially tough review of the Honda Crosstour.  I suggested that it was ungainly and nearly impossible to see out the rear window.  I also noted that it was based on the previous-generation Accord, the one where Honda had pretty much lost the plot.

Seeing it on the schedule, I mentioned to Navigator that it was among my least favorite cars.  When it arrived, though, she looked at me and said "This isn't all that bad."  That gave me pause, because Navigator is a woman possessed of good taste, good sense and whose opinion I have held in high regard for many, many years.

Why Two Fewer Cylinders Makes The Honda Accord EX-L A Better Buy

The 2014 Honda Accord EX-L.

Most car guys spout phrases like "There's no substitute for cubic inches".  Or "More power!" Well, that's great if you're paid to hammer cars around test tracks or back roads when the Highway Patrol (hopefully) isn't looking five days a week.

But what if you're Everyman, simply looking for the right car?  For years,  my answer to that one was "Honda Accord". That was back in the day when there was only one engine under the hood of an Accord...a four-cylinder.

As the Accord grew in weight and complexity, a six was the obvious answer.  And, as recently as last year, we found that (especially as Honda finds its way back from the wilderness with a new and improved Accord) to be a fine engine.

But you know what?  Go for the four.

New Car Review: 2013 Honda Accord Touring V6

Mojo is a horrible thing to lose. And for much of the last decade or so, it appeared Honda had lost it.  The products became too big, too plastic, too...boring.  And the Accord became all those things.  It was as though Honda decided to out-geezer the 1999 Avalon. I expected to find coupons for the Early Bird Special at Hometown Buffet in the glove box.

Well, forget all that.  The company that won Boomers over 30 years ago by showing that jewel-like quality, advanced engineering and just plain fun could co-exist in an affordable automobile (four of them, actually...Accord, Prelude, Civic and CRX) is back with the 2013 Honda Accord.

Lock Up Your 19 Year Old Accords! The Top 10 Most Stolen Cars In California

There's probably at least one of every kind of desirable vehicle on a street or in a garage somewhere in the Golden State.

But what do thieves steal most? The answers may surprise you. From The Los Angeles Times.

TireKicker Time Machine: 1980 Honda Accord LX

Say hello to the car that changed the world. It looks unassuming and frankly very small now, but from 1976 through 1981, this was the Accord that showed that Japan in general and Honda in particular was deadly serious about making very good small cars.

                          

Five years after exploding Ford Pintos and imploding Chevy Vegas, the idea of a small car built to a standard and not to a price was an appealing one to American drivers. The first-gen Accord was jewel-like. And the demand was huge. Dealers were charging $1,000 over sticker price...and getting it.

Honda Settles Class Action Suit Over Accord, Acura TSX Brake Wear

Honda has settled a class-action lawsuit claiming that the rear brakes on a quarter-million Accords and Acura TSXs wear out more than three times more quickly than they should.

Drivers complained their vehicles needed rear brakes at between 15,000 and 20,000 miles...instead of the typical 70,000....and that Honda refused to make repairs under warranty.

But don't think the drivers are getting rich from this. Details of the settlement, which still leaves the drivers out some money, via the New York Times Wheels Blog. (hat tip to K George).

2013 BMW 3-Series To Include Blind-Spot Special

If you're among those who find the recent outbreak of four-door fastbacks (BMW X6, Honda Accord Crosstour, Acura ZDX) disconcerting from an aesthetic and practical point of view, get set for a long ride.

Automobile reports that BMW's next-gen 3 series, due for 2013, will have just such a model, the GT.

Honda Accord LX Review

After absolutely loving the loaded V6 Honda Accord Coupe, I was wondering if there'd be some letdown in driving the 4-door, 4-cylinder LX Premium sedan.

What was I thinking?

If you've looked at the sales charts and wondered why, with a relatively economical V6 available, most Accords sold are 4-cylinders, this car answers the question. The six is fun, but the four is fine (172 horsepower is more than adequate for this car's weight)...and the mileage skyrockets!

Honda delivered the tester absolutely box stock...no options. And though at one time, LX was the top of the line (okay, I'm showing my age), it's now the base model, with LX Premium one notch above and EX and EX-L above that.

Now, "base" is a relative term here. The LX comes with air conditioning, steering wheel audio and cruise controls, anti-lock brakes a 160-watt audio system and a bunch more. LX Premium swaps the 16 inch steel wheels for alloys of the same size, adds a security system, chrome exhaust finisher, automatic front passenger and driver's windows, illuminated window switches and an 8-way power adjustment for the driver's seat...kicking the price tag up by $1,000.

Bottom line, with automatic transmission: $22,555 plus delivery. Honda's manuals are so silky smooth, you could knock $800 off the price by going with a stick and never regret it.

Oh, yes...the mileage. EPA says 21 city, 31 highway. I have a friend who bought one about three months ago. He says the EPA's being conservative.

In 11 years as a professional TireKicker, the Honda Accord is the one car I've never second-guessed as a recommendation. Take even a modicum of care of it and it'll run for 200,000 miles. And you'll have a very well-equipped family sedan with good power and great mileage for the low 20's. You can't go wrong.

Honda Accord Coupe Review

I've got a friend I've known for 21 years. We've always talked cars, as most guys do (especially, I guess, when one of the guys writes about them). He's owned classic Chevys from the 1940s, a couple of 70s and 80s Mazda RX-7s and most recently has been the owner (along with his wife) of his-n-hers Lexuses.

So imagine my surprise when he said "You know what I really want? The new Accord." I must've looked stunned, because he quickly added "The coupe. It's really hot-looking."

Now understand: I've been recommending Hondas in general and Accords in particular to friends for about 25 years now. It's my standard "you can't go wrong" recommendation. It's the car I recommended to my own mother. She took my advice and owned the same one for the final 17 years of her life. It's now in the posession of some of our dearest friends, whose teenage son and daughter are driving it. It shares the driveway with two Honda Odysseys, both the end result of conversations that began with "Mike, what kind of car should we buy?"

But this guy doesn't fit the profile at all. Or so I thought. Turns out he had seen the new Accord Coupe in person while I'd only seen photos. And the photos don't do it justice. This is way more than just a two-door version of the Accord sedan. It has a stunning visual presence...and the performance and features to back it up.

Performance first: A 3.5 liter SOHC 24-Valve VTEC V6 makes 268 horsepower. The EXL we tested comes with a 6-speed manual transmission standard, and Honda had the good sense not to check the automatic option box for this particular press fleet car. Honda has long made wonderful, precise stick shifts (some automakers' units still suffer in comparison to the four-speed in the '84 Civic that I put 144,000 miles on over 14 years before handing it off to the same friends who have Mom's old Accord). If anything, it's silkier than ever.

Features? Well, the EXL V6's $28,310 base price buys leather, a 270-watt AM/FM/mp3-capable 6-CD changer and a premium audio system with 7 speakers. Oh, yeah...XM Satellite Radio, too. Plus 18" alloy wheels, power everything and a moonroof. All standard. In fact, our tester had no options...add in $635 for destination and handling and the bottom line for this killer package was $28,945.

My friend was right. Line the new Accord Coupe up against anything else with this kind of performance and content, and the Accord looks better and better.