FIRST LOOK: 2008 Honda Accord

Honda's way has always been to produce low-key cars that spoke to buyers in terms of value and performance while not necessarily wowing them in the looks department.For the 2008 redesign of the Accord, however, the "wow" is now.The car has grown up in terms of its size, shape and substance, thereby ensuring this flagship model continues to be a highly desired passenger car.Since its 1976 arrival, the Accord brand has made its mark as a high-quality and well-equipped vehicle that keeps boredom at bay by delivering plenty of driver enjoyment. The '08 version is as entertaining as ever, as our recent pre-launch drive around the Cape Cod area near Boston, Mass., confirmed.The fun - or the "wow", as it were - actually begins before you even unlock the door. Honda has sharpened the sedan's looks with creases and accent lines that carve out a visually striking package. And don't get us started on the two-door model. Previous Accord coupes were a bit inconspicuous, a fact that Honda readily acknowledges has hurt sales. The company anticipates coupe sales to increase in a big way for '08, hardly an earth-shattering revelation given the new version.More room will also help the brand appeal to a broader audience. The four-door has been enlarged in most key areas to the extent that it's now classified as a "large" sedan, based on interior volume. There's additional distance between the front seats and three extra inches of leg room for rear-seat passengers. It now almost seems limo-like back there.Honda has a knack for taking gauges and switchgear and making them part of a high-tech-looking control center. The Accord's refined dash provides a proper sense of proportion and harmony with the rest of the interior.The platform is highlighted by new suspension components and a revised engine mounting system designed to improve the ride and reduce vibration, respectively. The floor has been lowered, which lowers the center of gravity for greater stability and less body lean while turning. Four-wheel disc brakes are standard across the line.The base LX sedan gets a 177-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder (up 11 over the '07 model), while the LX-S coupe and all EX and EX-L models feature a 190-horsepower version of the 2.4. To stay competitive with vehicles such as the Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry, an optional 268-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 replaces last year's 244-horse 3.0. Perhaps oddly, the gas/electric hybrid model has been discontinued, but it should reappear on a dedicated platform for 2009.A five-speed manual transmission or extra-cost five-speed automatic are available on all four-cylinder models, while the five-speed automatic is standard on the V6 coupe. A six-speed manual gearbox is part of a special V6-coupe-only performance package that also enhances low- and mid-range engine torque.Honda's advanced Variable Cylinder Management (V6, automatic-transmission models) allows the engine to function using three, four or all six cylinders depending on load and throttle position, with the intention of maximizing fuel economy while cruising around, coasting and decelerating.Honda claims that the four- and six-cylinder motors deliver improved fuel economy, despite the fact that the now full-size Accord is as much as 130 pounds heavier than its '07 counterpart.Based on our brief driving experience, both body styles are comfortable, quiet, smooth and eager to please when the throttle is punched and the manual transmissions continue to be among the best (smoothest shifting) in the business, at any price.All LX-level Accords arrive with the expected air/tilt/cruise/power-operated content, with the EX adding a power moonroof and power driver's seat, up-level sound system and heated outside mirrors. The EX-L V6 piles on the climate control, leather interior, heated front seats, four-way adjustable passenger seat, 270-watt audio package and 18-inch wheels for coupe models.How can you not be impressed with the new Accord? It's more comfortable, spacious and powerful and the say-something styling, especially in coupe form, provides welcome "wow" for the line. But perhaps best of all, overall high-value goodness remains an Accord virtue.


Source: http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070825/WHEELS/70824002/-1/RSS01