Road Test: 2013 Honda Accord Sedan Sport CVT

Story and photos by John LeBlanc Between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s — when Ayrton Senna was winning driver’s championships in Honda-powered Formula One cars, and each new production model was not only sucked up by young, import-loving Boomers and critically acclaimed in the motoring press, and also being picked apart by American and German rivals, wondering, How’d they do that? — Japan’s Honda was arguably the most influential automaker on the planet. Yet after recent duds like the Honda Insight hybrid, Accord Crosstour, Acura ZDX and last year’s 2012 Civic (which was so poorly received, the company ended up performing an “emergency refresh” for 2013) fans of the automaker have been left wanting. But optimism that Honda may be returning to its once-conquering ways comes in the form of the new 2013 Accord. The ninth-generation 2013 Accord four-door sedan and two-door coupe is at Honda dealers now. The sedan is just as roomy (or roomier in some dimensions) on the inside. It’s also lighter for better driving dynamics, offers a more modern four-cylinder engine and a new automatic transmission for better fuel economy. With its new four-cylinder engine and continuously variable transmission, my 2013 Accord Sedan Sport CVT tester is an excellent showcase of how Honda wants to win back or keep fans. With a $25,490 starting price for the six-speed manual transmission model (the Continuously Variable Transmiion adds $1,200), the Accord Sport (which adds larger, 18-inch alloys, fog lights, dual-tip exhaust and a rear spoiler) sits in the middle of the lineup, and competes well with rival under-$27,000 fun-to-drive family sedans like the Ford Fusion SE 1.6 EcoBoost, Kia Optima EX, Nissan Altima 2.5 SV and Volkswagen Passat 2.5 Comfortline. Playing catch-up, the Accord’s new 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine becomes Honda’s first North American mill with direct-injection. Only the Kia’s 200 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque better the Honda’s 189 hp and 182 ratings. Not only does the Accord’s direct-injected four sound quieter than rivals, its delivers a nice growl as it reaches its 6,400 r.p.m. limit. And Honda’s done a great job disguising there’s a CVT at the other end. Unlike others (Hello, Altima!), the Accord’s CVT responds crisply, without the typical high-rev whine. Enthusiasts will still prefer the control of the six-speed stick, but CVT-haters may be assuaged by the Accord’s auto. From rest, the front-wheel-drive Accord Sport CVT scoots to 100 km/h in 7.7 seconds; over a full second quicker than the Passat and only 0.1 seconds slower than the Altima. And despite its healthy power ratings, the Honda scores 7.8 L/100 km in the city and 5.5 L on the highway. At 7.4 and 5.0, respectively, only the Altima is more miserly. So far, the new Accord is checking off all the traditional Honda boxes. But as any former Honda CR-X or Acura Integra owner knows, the Japanese automaker always had respect for those who liked to drive. And after a week behind its leather-wrapped steering wheel, the Accord Sedan Sport CVT delivers on that old school Honda quality. Refinement and harmony are the two best words to describe how the new Accord goes down the road. At 1,496 kilograms, the Honda isn’t the lightest sedan in the segment. But the way the steering works with the suspension makes it feel like it is. Ride quality in the Sport model is never punishing. Like the Fusion, the Honda has the European-sports sedan quality of absorbing bad pavement without any wallow. The Accord’s agile moves makes it feels like it’s always on its toes, plus its steering offers plenty of feedback and weighs up nicely when you turn into corners. The new Accord’s interior is easily the most upscale amongst its aforementioned rivals. Honda has finally ditched its “wall of buttons” centre console design with a new arrangement that segregates climate and audio controls. Build quality was never an issue with the old Accord’s interior. But the new one adds cohesion and style previously lacking. As usual, all the Honda’s driver instrumentation is clear, and easy to read. And despite a decrease in overall length and wheelbase, the interior remains one of the roomiest. Only the Ford offers more room up front, while the VW offers more for rear passengers. For hauling your family’s stuff, Honda’s family sedan offers a larger trunk, now up to 447 litres. Only the Ford, with 453, is bigger. Roomy and refined, fast yet frugal, and not afraid to storm a country road on a Sunday morning, the 2013 Accord Sedan Sport will remind you of Honda’s good ol’ days. It’s one of the reasons why it was chosen as a Canadian Automotive Jury Best of the Best finalist this year. And, at least with this car, it looks like Honda is back. THE SPECS Type of vehicle Front-wheel-drive mid-size sedan Engine 2.4L DOHC four-cylinder gas engine Power 189 hp Torque 182 lb-ft Transmission Continuously variable automatic transmission Brakes Four-wheel disc with ABS Tires 235/45R18 Price: base/as tested: $25,490/$26,690 Destination charge $1,640 Transport Canada fuel economy L/100 km 7.8 city, 5.5 hwy, 8.5 as-tested Standard features: air conditioning; cruise control; remote keyless entry; rear window defroster; tilt/telescope, leather-wrapped steering wheel; leather-wrapped shift knob; power windows with one-touch up-and-down; Bluetooth, USB/iPod integration; rearview camera; 18-inch alloy wheels; four-wheel disc brakes; electronic brake distribution; brake assist; four-channel anti-lock braking system; vehicle stability assist; traction control; tire pressure monitoring system; hill start assist; six airbags, including dual-stage, multiple-threshold front airbags, front side airbags, and side curtain airbags; fog lights; dual-tip exhaust; rear spoiler.

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