THE 2011 Accord’s external modifications include a new front grille and bumper.
Honda Motor Co.’s flagship executive sedan, the Accord, has grown in value in more ways than one. In 2008, when the Accord was so completely restyled that it abandoned its long-established design theme, Honda Cars Philippines Inc. (HCPI) priced the top-of-the-line 3.5 liter V6 variant at P1.995 million. Today, the 2011 3.5 Accord AT V6, which is basically the same as the 2008 model except for minor tweaks here and there, costs P2.050 million.
But aside from retail price, the Accord has gained in other forms of value. Since its debut in 1976, over 18 million units of the Accord have been sold in 160 countries. Over the years, the Accord has earned many honors, among them: Japan’s Car of the Year award three times, 25 times in Car and Driver Magazine’s 10 Best Cars list, a Recommended rating from Consumer Reports in 2009, 2010 and 2011 and a 2011 Top Recommended Vehicle rating from Edmunds.com. In 2004, the Accord won the Car of the Year Philippines award and in 2009, the Executive Sedan award of C! Magazine.
Back when I was working for a big corporation in Makati, my first executive car was an Accord with a 2.4 liter VTEC engine and leather seats. It was the roomiest, most comfortable and most reliable sedan I ever owned. The very same values—spaciousness, riding comfort and reliability—have been carried over and increased in the latest iteration of the Accord. And other values—safety and fuel efficiency—have been enhanced.
What’s new
For the 2011 model year, the Accord has undergone a few external modifications. It has a new front grille and bumper plus chrome garnishing on the trunk. Although Honda classifies the 2011 Accord as a midsize sedan, in the United States the government categorizes it as a large car. That’s how big the interior space is, with more head, leg and hip room in both the front and back than other cars in its class. The cabin looks essentially as elegant as that of the 2008 model, which I test-drove on Manila-Baguio-Manila route along with other motoring media in May 2008. What’s new inside the 2011 Accord is the Bluetooth hands-free telephone connectivity that is mounted on the driver’s side pillar.
The cabin materials are of high quality with rich leather, wood grain panels, swaths of metallic trim on the steering wheel, dash and gear shifter—all put together with excellent craftsmanship. Paddle shifters, a luxurious center console/armrest and a 6-CD changer audio system with six speakers and a subwoofer complete the inside story.
THE ACCORD’S high resale value is proof of its long-term reliability and quality.
Riding comfort is provided by wide, well-bolstered leather seats and an independent double wishbone coil spring front suspension plus an independent multi-link suspension with coil spring at the rear, both supplemented by stabilizers fore and aft. For a quiet cabin environment, Honda installed a rear floating subframe and thicker front side window glass to shut out road noise.
The VCM
But what really makes the new 3.5 liter Accord stand out is its V6 i-VTEC engine with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) that has been carried over from the 2008 model. The VCM activates and deactivates cylinders from 6 to either 4 or 3 cylinders, depending on your driving style, in the process maximizing fuel efficiency and reducing harmful emissions. When the Accord is running on only 4 or 3 cylinders, an ECO light appears on the instrument panel. Running on full 6-cylinder capacity, the 3.5 liter, 24-valve engine delivers 275 ps at 6200 rpm and 34.6 kg/m max torque at 5000 rpm. That’s more than adequate power for a big sedan like the 2011 Accord, as I verified by driving it on the Skyway.
While the Accord’s V6 i-VTEC VCM engine and gear shift hold control show how far ahead Honda has advanced in automotive technology, the manufacturer’s continued use of a 5-speed automatic transmission (AT) does not. These days, the 5-speed tranny is considered primitive as the 6-speed AT is seen even in cars that are smaller and much less expensive than the Accord.
A 6-speed AT contributes to fuel economy; on the other hand, the VCM does practically the same thing as proven by the overnight October 23-24, 2008 Department of Energy (DoE) Economy Run when the 3.5 Accord V6 averaged 17.82 km per liter covering 333 kilometers of the DoE-NLEX- SCTEX (Clark-Subic)-NLEX-DoE route.
Six airbags
Another value that the Accord aces is safety. The 2011 Accord 3.5 is equipped with six airbags, an Occupant Position Detection System, ABS with EBD, Vehicle Stability Control, front and rear parking sensors. It earned a 5-star overall vehicle score from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the highest safety rating possible. As for reliability, the new Accord scored 9 out of 10 in the Predicted Reliability Rating of J. D. Power and Associates. The Accord’s high resale value is proof enough of its long-term reliability and quality.
Summing up, although the ho-hum exterior styling and 5-speed gearbox of the Accord indicate Honda has some catching up to do as the entry of fresher, high-tech rivals intensifies competition, the Accord’s core values of spaciousness, riding comfort, safety and time-tested reliability can still make it a winner.