Never owned a Honda product before, but after my last experience decided I needed something with a better reliability record. My last car was a 2015 Mercedes C300 Sport which was a really good vehicle which I enjoyed driving ... when it wasn’t at the dealer for some sort of repair. My other current vehicle is a 2013 Porsche Boxster S, and I've previously owned BMW's, Audi's, and Volvo's. I have tracked my Porsche, and taken rally driving and high performance driving classes. I am a “car guy”, and have been since I was a kid .... which was many, many years ago.
So, after all that great metal, I now own a new Honda Accord. I liked the style, the new 2.0T engine looked really good on paper, and the reviews have been glowing. A few weeks ago I drove over to my local Honda dealer, traded in the C300, and drove off with the Accord EX-L. I was tempted by the Touring, but had no use for the navigation, I prefer maps with CarPlay, and also did not want the 19” tires given the often rough road conditions near my home. I did test drive the new Camry, which I found pleasant enough, but totally bland and uninspiring in its demeanor. It also had a very high level of tire noise, which bothered me.
The Accord has surprised me with its basic goodness. This is a very well thought out vehicle, which seems to do everything really well. That 2.0 T engine is everything I hoped it would be ... quick revving with lots of low end torque. It even provides very acceptable fuel economy, with numbers over 30mpg in mixed and hilly driving. I like the heavy weighting of the steering, although wish there was more feedback coming through the wheel. The ten speed auto is smooth and effective in normal mode, although it does a get somewhat coarser in Economy mode. I did find it odd that there is no pull down handle on the trunk lid, but can manage to live without that minor convenience. I was also surprised to see intrusive hinges on the trunk, rather than struts. It's also been years since I had a hood with a manual hold open rod ... no support struts there either.
The interior is very well done ... simple and attractive. No complaints at all, although it would have been nice if the faux wood had some grain molded into the smooth plastic surfaces. The upgraded sound system is okay, and much better than a 1960's vintage transistor radio. After playing with it for several days, I concluded that the surround sound option has to stay off in order to preserve any bass response. With it off, I am able to dial in a reasonable frequency response. I did remove the rear seat head rests to improve rear visibility. In general, the electronic interfaces are almost intuitive and easy to figure out. Seating is comfortable for me .... 6’3” and 215 pounds ... with ample leg and head room. No height adjustment or memory for the passenger's seat though.
Handling is pretty good, with very controlled body lean, and almost no dive or squat. The 17” tires do well, and the ride feels solid and well damped. Interior noise is generally well controlled, with no wind noise, no rattles, and only moderate tire and road noise seeping through. Just a very solid and well planted feel in all driving situations.
Perfection? No. The windshield on my car reflects direct sunlight badly, and looks like it’s covered with countless micro chips when hit with direct sun. I picked it up with less than 20 miles on it, so these aren’t chips but likely in the glass itself. The body panel fit is not what I expected, and certainly not comparable to the German cars I've owned. Large and uneven seams are the norm. I also had my dealer adjust both rear doors before I took the car, since neither door lined up well along the upper crease line. The paint, on the other hand, is excellent with only minor orange peel. I got the Champagne Frost Pearl, and it really looks good.
So, after 1,000 miles, I am getting used to the car and all it’s electronic nannies. I hate LKAS and keep it off, but all else seems to work well and isn’t too tough to live with. In most ways, it's certainly as good as some of my past high end cars. I just wish Honda would pay more attention to the final fit of the panels and give us a body that looks like someone actually looked at the final product before shipping it.
So, after all that great metal, I now own a new Honda Accord. I liked the style, the new 2.0T engine looked really good on paper, and the reviews have been glowing. A few weeks ago I drove over to my local Honda dealer, traded in the C300, and drove off with the Accord EX-L. I was tempted by the Touring, but had no use for the navigation, I prefer maps with CarPlay, and also did not want the 19” tires given the often rough road conditions near my home. I did test drive the new Camry, which I found pleasant enough, but totally bland and uninspiring in its demeanor. It also had a very high level of tire noise, which bothered me.
The Accord has surprised me with its basic goodness. This is a very well thought out vehicle, which seems to do everything really well. That 2.0 T engine is everything I hoped it would be ... quick revving with lots of low end torque. It even provides very acceptable fuel economy, with numbers over 30mpg in mixed and hilly driving. I like the heavy weighting of the steering, although wish there was more feedback coming through the wheel. The ten speed auto is smooth and effective in normal mode, although it does a get somewhat coarser in Economy mode. I did find it odd that there is no pull down handle on the trunk lid, but can manage to live without that minor convenience. I was also surprised to see intrusive hinges on the trunk, rather than struts. It's also been years since I had a hood with a manual hold open rod ... no support struts there either.
The interior is very well done ... simple and attractive. No complaints at all, although it would have been nice if the faux wood had some grain molded into the smooth plastic surfaces. The upgraded sound system is okay, and much better than a 1960's vintage transistor radio. After playing with it for several days, I concluded that the surround sound option has to stay off in order to preserve any bass response. With it off, I am able to dial in a reasonable frequency response. I did remove the rear seat head rests to improve rear visibility. In general, the electronic interfaces are almost intuitive and easy to figure out. Seating is comfortable for me .... 6’3” and 215 pounds ... with ample leg and head room. No height adjustment or memory for the passenger's seat though.
Handling is pretty good, with very controlled body lean, and almost no dive or squat. The 17” tires do well, and the ride feels solid and well damped. Interior noise is generally well controlled, with no wind noise, no rattles, and only moderate tire and road noise seeping through. Just a very solid and well planted feel in all driving situations.
Perfection? No. The windshield on my car reflects direct sunlight badly, and looks like it’s covered with countless micro chips when hit with direct sun. I picked it up with less than 20 miles on it, so these aren’t chips but likely in the glass itself. The body panel fit is not what I expected, and certainly not comparable to the German cars I've owned. Large and uneven seams are the norm. I also had my dealer adjust both rear doors before I took the car, since neither door lined up well along the upper crease line. The paint, on the other hand, is excellent with only minor orange peel. I got the Champagne Frost Pearl, and it really looks good.
So, after 1,000 miles, I am getting used to the car and all it’s electronic nannies. I hate LKAS and keep it off, but all else seems to work well and isn’t too tough to live with. In most ways, it's certainly as good as some of my past high end cars. I just wish Honda would pay more attention to the final fit of the panels and give us a body that looks like someone actually looked at the final product before shipping it.
