Autos.ca Test Drivest the 2014 Honda Accord Touring V6 Sedan AT

by Leslie Wimbush of www.autos.ca

Of course, the sexier Honda Accord coupe with a stick shift would have been my hands-down first choice, but honestly, with the Accord’s revised styling, even the four-door sedan isn’t that much of a letdown. With its crisp black sheet metal and twin chrome tail pipes, the Accord cuts a pretty handsome figure that’s a long way from the frumpy commuter upon which its success was founded.

Honda’s had 38 years to get the mid-size sedan formula right, and they seem to have got it down pat with this generation Accord.

But in one of the most crowded – and the most cut-throat – segments in the industry, no one, not even the heavyweights can afford to rest on their laurels. While the Toyota Camry has long been the Accord’s nemesis, the Ford Fusion and Nissan Altima are also jostling for the top spot – and then there’s the more recent onslaught from the Koreans: Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima.

And while cutting-edge technology used to be enough to draw ahead of the pack, it’s now an expected part of any mainstream vehicle, and should not only be extensive but ergonomically friendly as well.

This segment used to be desperately ho-hum, populated mainly by what were clearly commuter appliances. But there’s been a welcome injection of genuine style in this class, most notably from the Mazda6, Nissan Altima and Aston Martin-esque Ford Fusion.

Now in its ninth generation, Honda’s perennial bestseller has been massaged into a much more sculpted and stylish shape, yet it’s still instantly recognizable as an Accord. While it’s still the sedan of choice for the mature and respectable, the new Accord has traded up its frumpiness for a fresher look. A newly wider stance and sharply creased front fascia give it a more aggressive and sporty air, and LED driving lights add a touch of sophistication. If the Accord was a movie star, it would be the Cary Grant or Rock Hudson of the auto world: respectable, a little old-fashioned, yet square-jawed and handsome with an engaging twinkle.
My tester is the top-spec Accord V6 Touring. At this trim level, the cabin features premium soft touch materials, leather upholstery and a full roster of technology.

Although its wheelbase has shrunk by 90 mm compared to its predecessor, interior space has increased. Overall cargo volume increases by 36 litres, while rear passengers gain 33 mm of legroom. The trunk, at 447 litres, is on par with its competitors.

The interior is attractive and sophisticated, although what initially appeared to be “piano black” trim had a weird sparkling sort of metal flake look to it in the right light.

There’s a large 8-inch colour display at the top of the centre stack, under which a secondary screen provides touch sensitive control over all the resident functions, from infotainment to navigation and climate.

2014 Honda Accord V6 Touring badge, cabin, trunk.

It’s a fiddly process, as all functions are also accessed via a rotary knob on the centre console and require several screens worth of shuffling to perform even simple functions such as smartphone pairing. I must admit, I’m no whiz when it comes to in-car tech and have only in the past couple of years bothered pairing my phone – since it’s become such a necessary part of a fully comprehensive review. But when my 18-year-old, self-proclaimed “science-nerd” nephew, who’s been writing code since before he hit puberty – spends fifteen minutes shaking his head in puzzlement over the convoluted process of linking his iPhone, well, clearly the connectivity’s interface could use an overhaul.

Cloud-based HondaLink connects the driver to a variety of services – but using their own cell phone data. Thousands of music stations and even audio books can be accessed using steering wheel or voice-activated controls. Unfortunately, this means that Facebook and Twitter are also available. If only they were accompanied by a punishing “zap” to remind drivers that their primary focus should be on actually driving.

There’s a full roster of all the requisite safety features, including Forward Collision Warning (FCW) and Lane Departure Warning (LDW), which I found irritatingly sensitive, and eventually switched off. Impressive though, is the new LaneWatch system, which, when the right turn signal is activated, uses a passenger-mirror-mounted camera to reveal blind spots in the inside lane – and projects them onto the car’s display screen. It’s perfect for spotting cyclists and late-merging vehicles, and can also be switched on by pressing the button on the left-hand steering-wheel stalk.

In addition to the various technology aids, the lower belt line and narrower, high-tensile-steel A-pillars have also helped improve the Accord’s overall visibility and safety. Top-trim Accords with frontal collision warning system (whether coupe or sedan) earn the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ and NHTSA Five Star ratings.

2014 Honda Accord V6 Touring.

During a week spent roaming the countryside with a couple of highway trips to the big city, the Accord was surprisingly more engaging than I’d anticipated. Electrically assisted steering is on the light side, but sharp and accurate – if a little lacking in feedback. Sure, paddle shifters would have made it even more fun to drive, but in this segment, their absence isn’t really an oversight.

2014 Honda Accord V6 Touring front seats.

Swapping the old double wishbone front suspension setup for MacPherson struts reduced noise and vibration and, combined with a stiff unibody platform, provide the Accord with one of the liveliest characters in its segment. It’s certainly firmer and more responsive than the Camry.

The harsh winter left many of the back roads buckled and marked with potholes, but the Accord handled them with fairly admirable composure, with very little noise or bumps finding their way into the cabin.

Overall

4

Comfort

     

4/5

Performance

     

3.5/5

Fuel Economy

     

4/5

Interior

     

3.5/5

Exterior Styling

     

3.5/5

While most customers will probably find the 2.4L four-cylinder with 185 horsepower more than adequate, the optional 278-hp, 3.5L V6 in my Touring is a surprisingly smooth performer, and powerful enough for an embarrassing front-wheel spin on take-off. Matched to a conventional six-speed automatic transmission, this powertrain was more frugal than I’d anticipated, delivering 8.1 L/100 km overall. This is largely due to the engine’s Variable Cylinder Management – the ability to shut down three of its six cylinders whenever possible, and with greater frequency under “Econ” mode. In the all-important realm of fuel-consumption numbers, this moves the Accord ahead of all its competitor’s top trim models. Its official EPA ratings are 11.2 L/100 km city, and 6.9 highway.

The downside is that the engine runs slightly rougher during the transition. Like other manufacturers, Honda uses Active Noise Cancellation in order to mitigate any harshness – but it doesn’t approach the vault-like silence with which General Motors has implemented the same technology in their Impala, Buick and even the new turbocharged Malibu.

There are certainly sportier vehicles in this segment – the Mazda6 and Ford Fusion come to mind, and both the Mazda and the Kia Optima are arguably prettier, and there is no denying the technology interface could use some tweaks. But there are few vehicles that have resonated with buyers the way the Accord has in terms of all-around frugality and reliability.

Pricing: 2014 Honda Accord V6
Base Price: $33,455
Options: Accord Fundamental Package $161; Prostyle Package $961.30; Protection Package $379.15
Freight & PDI: $1,829
Price as tested: $36,786

Competitors:
Chevrolet Malibu
Ford Fusion
Hyundai Sonata
Kia Optima
Mazda6
Nissan Altima
Toyota Camry
Volkswagen Passat

Source;
http://www.autos.ca/car-test-drives/test-drive-2014-honda-accord-sedan-v6-touring/?all=1