Accord Crosstour an eye-pleasing sedan
Overall: New big brother to the Honda Accord sedan arrives with added flexible storage space; standard content leans toward the premium end of the Honda scale.
Drivetrain: The Crosstour borrows its 3.5-liter V6 from the Accord sedan's option playbook
The new Crosstour is altogether pleasing to the eye in a rugged sort of way, provides plenty of space for people and especially their belongings, offers decent performance and can handle most weather-influenced road conditions when the optional four-wheel-drive system has been added to the mix.
Since Honda's upscale Acura division will introduce a wagon version of its TSX sedan to North America next fall, Honda's body shapers were free to sculpt something other a traditional wagon variant as they had done with previous Accords. Raising the hatch reveals a cargo hold that's nearly double that of an Accord sedan. Additional stowage room can be realized by flipping the twin levers positioned next to the inside fender wells. Another neat feature is the cover that conceals a brief-case-sized rear storage bin. Turn the carpeted side over and you have a hard plastic shell for placing muddy boots, wet clothing, towels, etc. Honda is positioning the Crosstour at the premium end of the Accord scale and as such only offers the sedan's optional - and very lively - 271-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 connected to a five-speed automatic transmission.
The V6 utilizes a deactivation program that shuts down two or three cylinders, depending on the engine load, in order to reduce fuel consumption. Honda's "Real Time four-wheel-drive system, a $1,450 option on the Crosstour EX-L, redirects power to the rear wheels when front-wheel slippage is detected. Adding the four-wheel-drive option increases the curb weight by a modest 185 pounds while reducing city/highway mpg fuel economy to 17/25 from 18/27 on front-wheel-drive versions. The base Crosstour EX includes dual-zone climate control, power moonroof, tilt and telescopic steering column, power-adjustable front seats and a 300-watt audio system with speed-sensitive volume control.
The EX-L adds leather-covered seats (heated in front), auto-dimming rearview mirror, Bluetooth hands-free communications link and 18-inch wheels (17s are on the EX). Ordering the available navigation system, one of the few extras you can add to the EX-L also gets you redundant controls on the steering wheel.
Base price (incl. destination): $30,400
Type: Four-door hatchback
Base engine (hp): 3.5-liter SOHC V6 (271)
Optional engine (hp): None
Layout: Front- /four-wheel-drive
Transmission: Five-speed hatchback
Mileage (city/hwy): 18/27 (FWD)
Safety: Front airbags; side-impact airbags; side-curtain airbags; anti-lock brakes; traction control; stability control
Weight (lb.): 3,850