Honda Accord 2013 Review

What we liked:?
>> Intuitive technology
?>> Premium interior
?>> Ride comfort

Not so much:
?>> Price increases?
>> Technology premium
?>> Confused positioning?

Well, maybe that's stretching it a little... The car will only steer itself for around 15 seconds before handing control back to the driver, but the new Honda Accord's integration of technology is very effective -- and more importantly easy to use. It's even got LED headlights and a blind spot camera system is a world first, says Honda.

And as production of the Honda Legend approaches its conclusion, this car will become Honda's flagship sedan.

Big shoes to fill, but the Accord is a significant step up from its predecessor -- not only in the way it drives but in the way it's presented and the way it feels. Indeed, that the new Accord is quiet, refined and generally pleasant to drive, makes the sedan a more compelling proposition.

The downside is the car's asking price has risen by between $3300 and $4610 depending on the model, which isn't chicken feed in a market that starts the bidding at under $30K and commonly features significant discounting off recommended price-tags.

The V6L is the solo six-cylinder variant, propelled by a surprisingly lively and sonorous 3.5-litre bent six. See pricing below.

All models are packaged with automatic transmissions, five-speeders for the four-cylinder models, and a six-speed for the flagship model.

Entry-level Accord VTi models get dual-zone climate control, cloth seat trim, a six-speaker stereo with Aux, USB plugs, Bluetooth phone and music streaming, a reversing camera with three modes, LED daytime running lights, tyre pressure warning system, 16-inch alloy wheels, plus electric mirrors and windows.

All models are fitted with Honda's noise reduction system -- dubbed active noise control (ANC) -- which 'listens' to ambient road and engine noise via a pair of a microphones and emits a counter-acting frequency through the car's speakers. It seems to work well, the Accord's cabin one of the quietest in this class.

You'll need to spend another $2500 to buy the mid-grade Accord VTi-S ($33,990) if you want front and rear parking sensors, but this model also adds some very cool technology that you'd be hard-pressed to find in the medium car class, such as LED (low beam) headlights and the remarkably effective Lane Watch monitoring (see SAFETY for more).

VTi-S also adds automatic windscreen wipers and headlights, a seven-speaker premium stereo with a touch-screen, front and rear parking sensors, front fog lights and 17-inch alloy wheels.

If you want leather upholstery, you'll need to step up to the Accord VTi-L ($41,490). It also brings keyless entry and engine start, electrically adjustable front seats, active cornering headlights, a sunroof, satellite navigation, auto-dimming rear view mirror and 18-inch alloy wheels.

The VTi-L is available with Honda's new ADAS system as a $3500 option, the company's new whizz-bang technology that allows the car to drive itself for short periods of time (see SAFETY for more).

At the top of the tree is the Accord V6L which gets everything mentioned above and includes the ADAS safety tech as standard, an electric rear window sunshade and cylinder deactivation that allows the beefier V6 donk to chew less fuel under light loads.

It also features slightly different 18-inch alloy wheels with dark accents, but Honda expects only a small percentage (15 per cent) of buyers will opt for the V6 model.

Pricing is detailed below?Honda Accord VTi (a) - $31,490 (up $3300)?Honda Accord VTi-S (a) - $33,990 VTi-S (new)?Honda Accord VTi-L (a) - $41,490 (up $4300)?Honda Accord V6L (a) - $51,900 (up $4610)

We had a chance to drive the previous Accord back-to-back with the new model and the difference was significant. The new model delivers slightly better ride comfort yet was far more confident when tipping into (and maintaining a flat attitude) through corners.

It should be noted that the new V6 sounds a lot meaner too, producing a sonorous warble as the revs rise. It's also a very quiet engine at lesser throttle openings.

The 3.5-litre V6 engine is certainly the pick of the powerplant, offering effortless acceleration and throttle response thanks to 206kW at 6200rpm and 339Nm at 4900rpm. Power delivery is creamy smooth too and in my opinion this is one of the best six-cylinder engines in its class. And though the Accord V6 weighs in at 1667kg, the car stopped the clocks at 7.5 seconds for the 0-100km/h -- far from pedestrian.

The six-speed automatic transmission is also a very nice piece of kit, and if you want to hustle car along (which we did, and it was enjoyable) the paddle-shift manual override mode works surprisingly well; because it holds gears it won't up-change even when you hit the rev limiter, giving the driver acute engine control.

The five-speed transmission paired with the four-cylinder models features the same steering-wheel paddle shift system that will hold gears indefinitely, and though it's not quite as snappy as six-shooter, it does an honest job and both auto transmission perform diligently when left to their own devices.

Honda's all-new 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine not the quantum leap forward we were hoping for. It is rated at 129kW/225Nm -- 7kW down and only 3Nm up on the previous generation's 136kW/222Nm. In its defence the new four-banger is a quiet and refined engine, and doesn't struggle too much overtaking uphill either.

It should be noted that both engines are now more seven per cent more efficient says Honda, with the V6's average fuel economy claimed at 9.2L/100km, while the four-cylinder models drink fuel at a rate of between 7.9L/100km and 8.1L/100km.

An ECON mode changes throttle mapping and reduces drain on the engine via aircon but no idle stop start features are fitted. The V6 still features cylinder deactivation – a single step (six to three cylinders) in lieu of the old models six-four-three function. The system seems quite seamless.

Servicing intervals are six months/10,000km, which is lags behind class-leaders requiring 12 month/15,000km services.

Thanks to the active noise control system both four- and six-cylinder Accords were whisper quiet in operation, which establishes a sense of luxury. When backed up with soft-touch dash material, high quality plastics and above average fit and finish throughout the Accord's interior, the result raises eyebrows.

By way of comparison, we stepped back into motoring.com.au's Hyundai i40 long-term test car a few hours after the Accord launch drive, and while the Hyundai is a good medium car, it couldn't hold a candle to the Honda, which was quieter, more refined, and roomier.

Like most of the big H's vehicles, the instrument panel is well laid out and the placement of controls (even of the new high tech systems) is about as ergonomic and intuitive as you can get. Everything is clearly labelled so just one glance is needed to make an adjustment, and even the steering wheel buttons are intelligently organised, making the radar-based cruise and audio controls a doddle.

There's a pair of colour screens centrally mounted in the instrument panel, the lower one a touch-screen, the upper eight-inch screen used for the car's various camera feeds and sat nav. The trip computer is also impressively detailed and easy to use. Pairing a Bluetooth iPhone was a hassle-free affair too.

Despite slicing 75mm of length from the car, from a Commodore-like 4960mm to 4885mm (which is just 20mm more than the Mazda6), Honda reckons interior room hasn't suffered. Rear leg room has apparently increased by 33mm while front shoulder has expanded by 10mm thanks to the car's increased width, now 1850mm from 1845mm.

The claims don't appear to be fluff either: the car is cavernous. It has loads of front and rear seat room and with its upright glasshouse headroom is better than most. A 457-litre boot isn't too shabby either, and all models get full-sized alloy spare wheels.

But the really interesting stuff will cost a bit more, with mid-grade VTi-S ($33,990) models adding LED headlights and Lane Watch, the latter seamlessly eliminating the left-side blind spot via camera video feed, every time you flick the indicator on.

It is a world-first system says Honda's chief engineer for Accord, Masao Nakano, and it's the system's simplicity that makes it so effective.

Until now, lane departure/blind spot systems have merely warned drivers of impending obstacles or lane departure, while Honda's approach shows you exactly what's there on a large eight-inch colour screen, expanding the driver's view from 20 to 80 degrees. It virtually negates the need for a head check, and the camera can be toggled on full-time via a button push if desired.

Want more safety tech? You'll have to spend more money, with the range-topping V6L ($51,990) and VTi-L ($44,990) with ADAS, or advanced driver assist system, putting auto-braking, auto-steering and auto cruise control on the table.

The radar-based adaptive cruise control is fairly common these days, and the system works well, accelerating and braking the car to match the traffic flow, with four different distance settings. Unlike some systems it can't bring the car to a complete stop. Next is the collision mitigation braking system which works above 30km/h and can brake the car automatically if it detects a collision is imminent.

The final part ADAS is the lane keep assist system, which will gently steer the car back into its lane without the driver's input. It's one of the best systems we've used, as it doesn't wait until the car is almost completely on the road markings before intervening. It even adds a little input when driving along curvy stretches of road, but can be switched off.

Honda claims the ADAS underwent 20,000km of testing in Australia (in an Accord Euro wagon) and it shows - the system remarkably effective but easy to use -- just push a button -- and the driving aids are appreciably subtle in operation.

While Honda is re-tagging the car 'medium' it still feels like a large car. Sure, it's a bit shorter and medium cars have stretched to catch up, but this is one much wider than most medium cars. Still, Honda insists it's a Toyota Camry, Mazda6 and Volkswagen Passat rival, rather than a match for the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon - despite the previous model being categorised by VFACTS a large car.

Honda Australia director Stephen Collins put it this way: "[Large car classification] doesn’t change anything. We'll push this as a medium car. VFACTS is industry reporting and it's important, but at the end of the day we'll still position the car as we need to position it, and that's more towards the medium than the large segment.

"I don’t think customers necessarily distinguish between different segments so much," opined Collins.

We were expecting a soft and soggy vehicle that got a little floppy if pressed into a corner, but the car's handling dynamics have improved. Driven at a fast pace along winding coastal Kiwi roads, the Accord hooked into corners willingly without too much understeer.

It retained a flat attitude while turning that made it easy to guide through twists and turns and there's more than enough tyre grip for enthusiastic outings. We even bombed along a few gravel roads, and in a straight line and when leaning into corners the car felt predictable and planted. The brakes were also surprisingly strong.

The steering was very light and didn't provide much feel when at high speed but is well suited to cruising and urban/city driving.

As mentioned earlier, the V6 is an absolute pearler, strong, sonorous, but buttery smooth too and paired up the six-speed auto it's a capable mover. The four-cylinder engine can't quite match the refinement of the six, but it's still an eager performer and just as quiet.

The new Honda Accord is not as dynamic as a Mazda6 or a Ford Falcon for that matter, but it has made improvements. However the car's sophistication, refinement and comfort levels are the real drawcards here, and though the price increases are significant, so are the advancements.

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