Premium load lugging, Honda Accord style

Expert Rating:

Introduction

The Accord is something of a middleweight in the heavyweight ring. That's because its enthusiastic manager - let's call him Honda-san - has decided that the real scalps are to be found where the big boys are. So, instead of having its talented prize fighter slug it out with its proper, middle-of-the-road rivals, it has squared the Accord up to the big guns of Germany, claiming it has the measure of Europe's major contenders for refinement, space and quality. But does it really, or is it just another underweight pretender ready to get battered to a pulp?

What are its rivals?

Well, as we've just allegorised, Honda fancies the Accord as something of a premium exec, and as such has benchmarked it against the BMW 3 Series for ride and handling, and Audi for quality - while pricing it closer to a Ford Mondeo. In theory, then, the Accord should offer the best of both worlds. However, things are never that simple; the so called mainstream pack is much better than the 'pile 'em high, sell 'em cheap' mob it used to be, and at the same time, the premium estates are more affordable than ever - and the number of them we see on the road proves that.

To quantify exactly where Honda has pitched the Accord, our mouthful of a test car - an upper spec 2.2 i-DTEC ES GT Tourer - costs £24k with satnav. That money won't touch a similarly equipped German car: a BMW 320d M Sport estate is about £30k, and a Mercedes C 200 CDI Sport £28k. However, an Audi A4 Avant 2.0 TDI (120) with less power and a poverty spec costs a little less, at just over £23k. Of course, all the executive models will hold their value better, which drives down their real cost per month and means that lower-spec premium alternatives are available for similar cash. Honda hopes the Accord's performance, refinement and quality - albeit furnished with a 'lesser' badge - will be enough.

Or, of course, you could go for a top whack Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCI Titanium Estate at just under £23k - a brilliant all rounder. The Accord Tourer needs to be good...

How does it drive?

Not as well as a 3 Series, but good enough. The first thing you'll notice once you get the Accord moving is how solid the whole thing feels. Then you'll notice how comfortable and supportive the wide seats are and how easy it is to find a good driving position. The wheel is thin-rimmed and nice to hold and the gearstick is set high, like a sporty car's stick should be. It's the best version of Japan-doing-premium you could hope for this side of a Lexus.

Dynamically it's a similar story. There's no way it matches Beemer for outright handling prowess - it's hamstrung by a front-drive layout, for a start, despite a complex suspension setup - but it out-handles anything Audi puts a '4' on the back of. Most impressive, though, is its refinement and composure and that it has those qualities in abundance without throwing steering feel out of the window. It really is a fun thing to drive.

Ironically, given Honda's very loud trumpeting of it, it's the engine that really lets the side down here: it's neither as quiet nor as quick as you'd expect a 2.2-diesel with 147bhp and 258lb.ft of torque to be. It's very smooth in its power delivery and rattle free, for sure, but it has neither the drama nor shove you expect of a sporty car. The Accord deserves a stronger heart.

What's impressive?

The Accord's mix of sharp styling, sportiness behind the wheel and refinement is compelling, as is its quality. And, because it's pitched slightly above the mainstream (quite successfully, we think), it represents an interesting alternative load lugger. And a well-equipped one at that - something Japanese makers have always excelled at.

The interior, despite being a mass of buttons, is nicely laid out in a multi-tier sort of fashion, and feels absolutely bombproof, almost in an old-school Merc way. There's little flair in there, and it's all a bit dark, but you get the feeling the switches will never loosen, the gearbox will never slacken and the CD changer won't eat your copy of Lionel Ritchie's Truly: The Love Songs.

And, for us, the Tourer is a better resolved design than the saloon - and in fact one of the most handsome load-luggers you can buy, with its steeply raked and curvaceous backside.

What's not?

Well, thanks to that curvaceous backside the Accord won't hold as much junk in the trunk as other, more slab-reared rivals: its boot is 406-litres big, compared to 505-litres for the Citroen C5 Tourer, for example. It has a nice flat load bay though, which makes loading dogs and things easier.

The central disappointment here is the i-DTEC engine, really, which you just expect more from. Its 47.9mpg combined economy and 155g/km of CO₂ can't be argued with (though that latter figure is starting to look high next to diesel advances by other makers), but a near ten-second sprint to 62mph tells a tale.

Should I buy one?

If you've got £24-odd grand to spend on a cargo hauler you should certainly check the Accord out. It loses out to the Ford Mondeo for outright handling ability, and carrying stuff, for that matter, but the quality, equipment, kudos and charming aesthetics it comes packaged with are massively appealing. It's also fun behind the wheel, which is a happy bonus if you like to chuck your 9-to-5 workhorse around a bit when it's not lugging things - though don't expect BMW-esque low-end diesel urge. That said, we'd pick an Accord over a poverty spec, underpowered German every day of the week.

Mark Nichol