Japanese / European Accord

The new Japanese / European Accord is quite handsome - more beautiful than Ford Mondeo, more elegant than Mazda 6 and nearly matches the quality feel of Volkswagen Passat. Its body profile doesn’t look as smooth as Mazda 6, but aerodynamic drag is actually class-leading (and lead by a large margin) - 0.26, partly helped by underbody panels. This not only reduce fuel consumption but also lower wind noise at cruising.  

The interior is not as stylish as exterior, nor feeling as high in quality. The diamond-shape center console mirrors the design of grille, but it looks oddly untidy. However, controls are sensibly positioned while driving position is multi-adjustable. Space isn’t a strong point of the Japanese / European Accord, because its exterior dimensions and wheelbase are smaller than rivals. This mean sitting inside the cabin you won’t feel it as big as Mondeo and Passat.  

In the mechanical side, the new Accord builds on the (not really solid) foundation of the previous generation. It is still one of the few cars in class employing double-wishbones front suspensions instead of the more common MacPherson struts. Theoretically, this should give it an edge in handling, but we shall discuss that later. At the rear, it continues to use a 5-link suspensions which is basically a double-wishbones added with a toe-control link. What Honda did this time is to revise the geometry and stiffen the subframe on which the suspensions are mounted. 

2 engines are offered. The first one is a 155hp 2.0-litre i-VTEC engine already used in various other models. The "i" in "i-VTEC" means intelligent continuously variable cam phasing at the intake camshaft. This give it much more linear power delivery. The second engine is a new 190hp 2.4-litre i-VTEC, a long-stroke four-cylinder equipped with balance shafts. What makes it producing more horsepower per litre than the smaller engine is the duplication of VTEC device at the exhaust camshaft and that it runs at higher compression ratio. 

With the 190hp engine mated with a new 5-speed automatic, this drivetrain is really a gem. The engine is powerful yet smooth and quiet (quieter than the 2.0-litre). The gearbox shift seamlessly and responsively (5-speed manual for the 2.0 is not as good). In addition to the lack of wind noise at speed and remarkable high-speed damping, the Accord 2.4 is a perfect highway transport. 

What about in twisty roads? well, decent rather than outstanding. As the European Accord was tuned in Germany, its low-speed damping on rougher surfaces cannot match French cars. On the other hand, its handling - though sharpened a lot from the previous generation - still trails the class-leading Ford Mondeo and Mazda 6. There is no special failure in any area, but it doesn’t inspire the driver much - no much steering feel, no much feedback from brake pedal. Push it harder and you will find its cornering limit is lower than the aforementioned rivals.  

Honda declares the new Accord as a BMW-style driver’s car. If so, maybe Ford and Mazda can declare their cars as Porsche-rivaling. 
 

Accord Euro R

The name "Euro R" is quite misleading. It is actually for Japanese market only. Euro R is the highest performance version of Accord. Basically, the whole drivetrain comes from Integra Type R, with a 220hp 2.0-litre engine mated with 6-speed manual gearbox and limited slip differential. Power is therefore 30hp up from the 2.4-litre Accord, but the smaller engine generates considerably less torque and it needs a lot of rev to exploit the performance. Considering the kerb weight of almost 1400kg, a normally aspirated 2.0 engine is obviously too weak. 

Predictably, Euro R gets stiffer suspension setup and wider low-profile tyres (215/45) and bigger 17-inch wheels, just like Integra Type R. Extra body kits add visual appeal. 
 

American Accord

The most obvious difference between American taste an others is size - American always ask for big cars and big engines. As you can see from the specifications table below, American Accord is one size larger than Japanese / European Accord. To save your time, here gives you the picture: it is 15cm longer, 6cm wider and the wheelbase is 7cm longer. The American Accord also get bigger engines - 2.4-litre four-cylinder and 3.0-litre V6, the latter is not available elsewhere. Choosing the V6 and you end up at 1560kg, 150kg heavier than the top Japanese Accord. 

However, compare with the previous generation American Accord, the new one gained just a little width and height while overall size remains largely unchanged. Interior space was not altered as well, but this is still a large and comfortable cabin by any standard.  

The next American taste influencing the Accord is the preference of comfort over driver appeal. Although the basic suspensions share with other Accords, the choice of springs, dampers and anti-roll bars bias towards the soft side. No wonder it rides smoothly but rolls and pitches in corner more than keen drivers like. It also understeers early and feels a bit nose heavy for the V6 version. Steering feel is again muted. Grip level is unremarkable. Some road testers talk about improvement of driver appeal, such as heavier and more accurate steering, improved power, tidier body control etc., but after waiting for 5 years we expect much more improvement than that. There are too many rivals now eclipse the Accord for driver appeal, such as Volkswagen Passat and Nissan Altima, while Mazda 6 is another league higher. Even Toyota Camry now matches the Accord, what a shame to a car once praised for fun to drive. 

Space and ride comfort aside, the American Accord seems unable to match the Japanese version in many ways. Its exterior design has been criticized by many journalists and can only be described as "dull". Its drag coefficient, at 0.30, is much worse than Japanese Accord’s 0.26. Its 2.4-litre i-VTEC engine generates 30 less horsepower than the Japanese equivalent.  

The 3.0 V6 evolves from the previous generation. Still employs a VTEC head instead of the more sophisticated i-VTEC of the four-cylinder engine, and still a sohc design, it is amazing that Honda can push maximum power to 240hp, 40 more than before. This is done by merely smoothing intake and exhaust breathing and using larger valves. It can propel the car from rest to 60mph in 7 seconds flat, very quick for a family car. Both V6 and the balance-shaft-incorporated four-cylinder are smooth and refined. 

The highlight of American Accord is still the way it rides and travels with minimum noise and vibration. The smooth-shifting new 5-speed automatic is another good point, just like the refined power plant. These are most buyers concern, but are they enough to distinguish the new Accord from competitors? this year’s sales figure will tell, but it already lost support from the car enthusiasts here in AutoZine. 
 

Acura TSX

Inspire

1. The 3.0 V6 produces slightly more power in Japanese tune (250hp, 218lbft). Besides, it has cylinder cut-off function to save fuel, similar to Mercedes' V8 and V12. When the car is cruising at leisure pace, the i-VTEC mechanism of one cylinder bank disconnects the rocker arms from cam lobes thus shuts off the valves. In this way, the V6 becomes effectively an inline-3-cylinder engine. This reduce pumping loss (the energy wasted to pump air into and out of the combustion chambers) and therefore save fuel. When the engine needs power, it will be reverted to 6-cylinder mode. The transition between 3 and 6 cylinders is so smooth that the driver will not aware. 

2. To deal with the engine vibration generated in the 3-cylinder mode, the Inspire employs an active engine mount to compress and extend in sync to the vibration frequency.  

3. To deal with the unrefined noise in 3-cylinder mode, Honda Inspire is the first production car employing active anti-noise control invented by Lotus in the 80s. The system uses microphones in the cabin to measure the engine noise and then reproduces an out-of-phase noise from loudspeakers to cancel the engine noise. 
 

Accord Hybrid

The theory of its IMA powertrain is the same as that used in Insight and Civic. An electric motor / generator / starter-alternator measuring only 70mm in thickness is laminated between the 3-litre V6 and the 5-speed automatic transmission. To accommodate it, the transmission is shortened by a similar length. The electric motor alone can produce 16hp and 100lbft of torque at very low rpm. At deceleration, it acts as generator, helps the car killing speed while recharging the NiMH batteries. At hard acceleration, the electric motor joins the V6 to provide maximum power. The combined result is 255hp at 6000rpm and 232lbft at 5000rpm.  

In reality, the benefit is more than the torque figure suggests, because electric motor provides maximum torque right from start up. This match perfectly with petrol engine, which delivers its maximum torque at high rpm. In the city, where cars start and stop frequently, the benefit of IMA is even more apparent. In contrast, on smooth highway the IMA is least likely to deliver its advantage.  

Nevertheless, Honda still improved highway efficiency by introducing cylinder cut-off technology. This is exactly the same hardware used in the Japanese version Inspire. When the engine is cruising below 3500rpm, 3 of the 6 cylinders will be de-activated by closing the valves and cutting fuel supply. This turn the V6 into an inline-3. To deal with the vibration from the inline-3, an active engine mount is used, which is electrically powered to counteract the vibration. Besides, the Inspire's active anti-noise control is also adopted to eliminate the rough engine noise from the cabin. 

The IMA powertrain and batteries inevitably add weight. This is partly offset by using aluminum bonnet and bumper beams, magnesium cam cover and intake manifolds and the elimination of spare tire. The result is just 64kg in excess of the Accord V6.  

The Accord Hybrid is an engineering achievement. Apart from a little bit loss of steering feel and a little bit torque steering at hard acceleration out of corners, it drives the same as the regular Accord, albeit with more performance at less fuel cost. It provides the same smoothness, comfort and quality of the Accord, so you don't need to sacrifice anything to be a friend of earth. It shows the way for future family sedans.