Car Test
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R0352 | |
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August 2003 |
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| First Drive | Honda Accord | |
| Printer Friendly Page | Featured model: 2.0SE Tourer | |
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Although there’s no hatchback, Honda promised five months ago that there would be an estate car version of the latest Accord. Here it is. However, unlike its forebears, it’s dubbed ‘Tourer’ rather than ‘Aerodeck’, presumably to align it with other upper-medium, up-market estates.
Sure enough, with its longer wheelbase and extra length (5cm and 8.5cm respectively, compared with the saloon) and its tapered roof and side windows, it does have a certain presence. The styling might not be to everyone’s taste, but it conceals a practical and spacious load carrier, even when all the seats are occupied. In fact, only the Mazda 6 estate can ‘out-cube’ it. There are also a couple of clever tricks up the newcomer’s sleeve. One is the ingenious ‘one-motion’ back seat, whose sections can be folded flat with a simple one-handed operation. Its other party piece is the automatic tailgate opening and closing via the key fob. One press and it rises, another and it lowers, then shuts itself silently – except for a safety beep. Useful in theory, but you still need a free hand to hold the key that works it. Two omissions are a sliding load platform and any serious form of load-locating devices, as seen on certain rivals – only lashing rings are provided. On the other hand, because there’s no spare wheel as standard, there’s a deep, lockable compartment under the easy-to-load deck, flanked by two lidded cubby holes. A wide, slim-wheelarched load area results from the revised rear suspension that has no detrimental effect on the ride. As with the saloon, this is comfortably composed on main roads and at cruising speeds, but when the car is lightly laden it suffers from fidgetiness over sharp-edged faults on pock-marked surfaces. Helped by plenty of tyre grip, the Tourer corners with poised assurance, but while the steering (hydraulically assisted on Tourers) is smooth and free-flowing, it feels lacklustre in feedback. The brakes are fine. The lusty two-litre engine isn’t entirely vibration-free below 2000rpm, but it’s smooth beyond this and revs joyously to the 6800rpm red line, taking full advantage of its 155bhp. Indeed, it feels so swift and eager – aided by an excellent light and positive ‘click-click’ gearchange – that it makes the 2.4-litre version rather an indulgence. We didn’t like the ‘suddenness’ of the clutch and accelerator, though – it takes practice to make jerk-free take-offs. The dash is high and hefty, but there are plenty of (manual) seat and steering adjustments. These enable the driver to get comfortable at the wheel, through which there’s a clear view of big, brightly backlit instruments, which are models of clarity. The controls and centre push buttons are sensibly located, as well. Reversing is made easy because you can see where the tail ends, but all the roof pillars are substantial. The big door mirrors are excellent, though. Despite the Tourer’s longer wheelbase, there’s no increase in the adequate, though unexceptional, rear leg and kneeroom – the extra length is bestowed on the load platform. Passengers sit on the low side, so headroom is achieved at the expense of thigh support for lankier types. |
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