2008 Honda Accord

It was 1976 when the first Honda Accord made its way to America, and upon its arrival no one could envision the success it would enjoy. But, with sales topping ten million, and the eighth generation ready to hit dealers’ lots, you can’t deny its fame and fortune as a clear benchmark of the American mid-size family car.  It seems the Accord has no place to go but up in popularity. So, will the past speak for Accord’s future once again?

For Honda, reworking their flagship Accord is serious business.  Accord is, after all, their highest volume vehicle. So Honda’s goal was to make their timeless front-wheel drive car line fresher and better without upsetting its core family values.

Both the two- and four-door Accords grow in size, and for the first time use Honda’s super rigid and safe ACE body structure. 

The sedan, now classified as a “large” car, wears a 110.2-inch wheelbase, a 2.3 inch jump. Overall length is up 3 to 194.1 inches. 

The coupe has also expanded, but it still has a shorter wheelbase and smaller footprint than the sedan. From unique styling to suspension tuning, the new coupe pushes the “Accord” name further into a sporty direction.

But, during the Accord’s Boston-based press intro, we spent most of our time with the bread-and-butter sedan.

Though completely restyled, with a more sophisticated theme, it’s not as edgy as the Accord Coupe auto show concept, but the essence is there.

The front fascia makes an upscale Acura-like impression with lower profile wrapped headlamps, a smart-looking 6-point grille, and deep channels for fog lamps.

The Accord’s body side has a strong, upward character groove and BMW-cut rear side glass.  The rear also shows European influence with less wedgy tail lamps and a raised trunk lid that hints at a spoiler.

The sophistication under the hood, however, is pure Honda, with four high-tech engine variations.  In the base LX sedan, a more powerful 2.4-liter twin-cam I-VTEC inline-4 puts out 177 horsepower – 11 more than before – and 161 pound-feet of torque.  Uplevel sedans and the coupe gain an even higher rated four with 190 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. 4-cylinder manual and automatic transmissions are both 5-speeds.  A pair of single cam variable timing V6s are available, both with 3.5-liters of displacement and 268-horsepower, that’s up 24 from last year’s 3.0-liter, and 248 pound-feet of torque.

As to fuel economy, the new Accord may be larger and more powerful, but it’s still pretty efficient. The base 4-cylinder with an automatic has government fuel economy ratings of 21 city/30 highway on regular, with the later number down only one.

While the Accord Hybrid is no more, a clean turbo-diesel Accord is waiting in the wings.

Accord sedans have always handled better than most rivals, even if they put a smooth ride well above cornering prowess. The new car follows that rule, although with a double-wishbone front suspension, and a new multi-link rear design, an Accord never felt more competent. Just in case, VSA electronic stability and traction control are now standard.

Brakes also are upgraded. Gone are rear drums as all models wear 4-wheel discs with ABS and Brake Assist.

The Accord’s large car interior gains in virtually every dimension. It’s very spacious 106 cubic feet of cabin space is 3.3 more than last year, and 4.6 more than the Toyota Camry.  Visibility is up, too, thanks to slimmer A-pillars. 

Interior styling is clearly an evolution, but with far more flair. The dash sweeps up and away for an expansive feel. Trim is bolder and brighter, dipping for an artistic center stack that still features large controls and a display screen. EX trim includes Honda’s first dial controller that ties multiple functions to the display. Now that’s one Euro-trait we could do without.

A 160-watt stereo is standard with upgrades, including a 270-watt unit and voice-prompted navigation with Bluetooth.

Front seats are more supportive, with height adjustment standard. Power, heat, and leather come with higher trim levels.

All Accords now have steering wheel audio controls, while the deep hooded gauges are less prone to glare, and safety features include Honda’s first dual-chamber front side airbags.

The rear seat is roomy even for three adults. But unlike rivals, the folding seat is not split for versatility. There is a ski-style pass-through to the 14 cubic-foot trunk that is one of the smallest in its class.

As of our taping, Honda had not released pricing for the 2008 Accord but we expect little change, ranging from about $20,000 for LX trim, to just over $30,000 for a fully loaded V6 EX-L.

With so many high-end attributes showing up on new mid-size cars, it’s easy to see why they represent the best car buying values. The 2008 Honda Accord clearly accelerates that trend, all while continually improving upon itself. It is more “Accord” than ever before, the quintessential family car.

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