Autoblog

Cars.com hosts eight-car family sedan shootout with surprising results

Steven J. Ewing — Mon, 03 May 2010 15:58:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Chevrolet, Ford, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Mazda, Nissan, Suzuki, Toyota

Midsize sedans don't have it easy anymore. In addition to packing tons of features (technology, safety, comfort) into a relatively affordable package, these vehicles have to be relatively good to drive, functional and not too bad on the eyes. We've seen all sorts of family sedan comparisons, and now Cars.com dishes up its own eight-car test, featuring the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Chevrolet Malibu, Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion, Suzuki Kizashi, Mazda6 and new Hyundai Sonata.

The eight sedans were not only tested by members of the Cars.com team, but by an actual family of four in an attempt to see what real-world drivers look for the most. The "real family" is comprised of Ben and Jill Tiernan of Los Angeles, as well as their two children, an infant and a toddler. The family drove the cars on highways and city roads, and took their time poking and prodding through the cabins of each tester. Ben and Jill's notes were also compiled and included in the end result data, with father Ben liking the Kizashi the best, while wife Jill raised her hand for the Camry.

What's more, the overall question of fuel economy was put into greater focus. Efficiency is one of the strongest selling points in this segment, and it's no secret that automakers tout the highway mileage numbers of these cars in an effort to attract buyers. Cars.com went a step above - not only noting the EPA estimated fuel economy, but recording what the cars' trip computers displayed, as well as calculating the actual at-the-pump fuel economy. The Hyundai Sonata's 35 mpg might be the highest number on monroney labels, but in the actual calculations, the Ford Fusion's 32.1 observed mpg trumps the recorded 27.8 mpg in the Sonata.

What's most interesting, though, are the end results. We won't spoil the final findings, but it's important to note that the Ford Fusion - a car which has garnered a ton of praise (Motor Trend Car of the Year, etc.) - came in dead last amongst the group, with the Chevrolet Malibu not falling very far behind. On top of that, Toyota's Camry is usually the top pick in these tests (Motor Trend would agree), but it doesn't take first place honors here. How does the well-received Honda Accord fare in all of this? What about newcomers Sonata and Kizashi? Read the full results for yourself at Cars.com.

[Source: Cars.com]

Cars.com hosts eight-car family sedan shootout with surprising results originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 May 2010 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2010 Honda Accord Coupe proves vanilla can still be sweet

Steven J. Ewing — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Honda, New Car Reviews

2010 Honda Accord Coupe - Click above for high-res image gallery

"It's the journalist special." That phrase, coined by our own senior editor, quite accurately sums up our initial impression of the Honda Accord Coupe EX-L V6 w/Navi 6MT (breathe). The Accord may be one of the best-selling cars in America, but we'll bet our bottom dollar that only a very, very small percent of the already meager coupe sales are made up of expensive EX-L Navi models fitted with the manual transmission. But give or take a few nitpicky options, this is the way we'd spec our own Accord Coupe if asked to.

Sure, it may seem that Honda outfitted this car just for us, but as we found out in our week-long test, there are plenty of reasons to like the two-door Accord. It's like vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup on top - the safe, reliable, trusty Accord underpinnings with an extra helping of sweet stuff. Honda knows it isn't going to move many two-doors equipped like this, but we think potential Accord Coupe buyers would be wise to check out the V6/manual package. Follow the jump to find out why.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Honda Accord Coupe

Continue reading Review: 2010 Honda Accord Coupe proves vanilla can still be sweet

Review: 2010 Honda Accord Coupe proves vanilla can still be sweet originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Car and Driver announces 2010 10Best Cars

Jonny Lieberman — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:29:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc.

Our pals over at Car and Driver, now helmed by our esteemable buddy Eddie Alterman, just released their 2010 10Best Cars. Quite an undertaking. As they put it, "58 contenders. $2.5 million total. 12,000 test miles logged." For those keeping track, this is the 28th time C/D has published their 10Best. Surprises this year? No not really. The BMW 3 Series continues its unabated drive of dominance to 10Best history with an impressive, will-probably-never-be-duplicated 19th straight win. Not to be too outdone, the Honda Accord also makes the cut for a 24th time, though not consecutive.

Also note that while the Audi S4 makes the grade, the run-of-the-mill (so to speak) A4 does not. We're also pleased to see the Ford Fusion Hybrid getting its just dues (again, it's interesting that the gas-only version doesn't). And of course, you've got your yearly appearance by the Mazda Miata MX-5, Porsche Boxster / Cayman and Volkswagen GTI. Falling off the list this year? The Chevrolet Corvette, Infiniti G37, and the Jaguar XF.

Would we have done things much differently? Probably not much, though we must admit we were pulling for the highly impressive Suzuki Kizashi to make its debut and we're a bit surprised to not see one of the new crop of pony cars on the list. Maybe next year. Alphabetical list of winners after the jump.

[Source: Car and Driver | Image Source: R.S. Owens]

Continue reading Car and Driver announces 2010 10Best Cars

Car and Driver announces 2010 10Best Cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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U.S. Acura TSX Sport Wagon not motivated by Honda Crosstour feedback

Chris Paukert — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:26:00 EST

2009 European Honda Accord Tourer - click above image for hi-res gallery

If you've been following the dust-up surrounding Honda's 2010 Accord Crosstour, you might therefore assume that Wednesday's announcement that the company plans to bring over its European-market Accord Tourer may have been motivated in part by early online reaction to the forthcoming five-door crossover. But as we suspected, t'aint necessarily so.

The Accord Tourer will hit U.S. shores later next year branded as the Acura TSX Sport Wagon, and as just about anyone in automotive product planning will tell you, new models aren't conceived that quickly - even if the vehicle in question is just a simple porting-over job from another market. There are emissions and crash-test certification hoops to jump through, suppliers that need to be contracted, dealers that need to be trained and marketing strategies that need to be built.

As spokesman Chuck Schifsky tells Autoblog, "Honda, as you know, is about as fast a reacting a product planning company as there is, but we don't react that quickly!... If our past is any indication, then us announcing the TSX wagon at this point shouldn't have been a surprise - we're notoriously known for bringing out a car and having it arrive in showrooms not long afterwards." Indeed, Schifsky is right - vehicles like the third-generation CR-V were seemingly in dealers within weeks of the public announcement and press launch. That said, Schifsky did admit that the timing of the announcement was moved up slightly for "strategic reasons," but he also said that those reasons had nothing to do with the Crosstour.

We asked Schifsky what the TSX Sport Wagon will look like when it arrives, and he told us that the car will not simply be the same as the European car. He admits he hasn't seen the finished product for himself yet, but he acknowledges that changes will be made to bring the design in-line with Acura's current styling language (read: it will receive a variation of the love/loath shield grille), and equipment levels will change to meet U.S. expectations. Given how much effort and money has been expended developing Acura's new corporate face, he believes it would be "foolish" to bring the Accord Tourer as-is, simply swapping the Honda badge for its Acura counterpart. Says Schifsky, "I would look to the U.S. TSX as an indicator as to what kind of equipment the car will have." Further, he advised us to examine the differences between the European-market Accord sedan and the Tourer bodystyle to look for indicators of what sort of changes the American market wagon will likely receive.

It's too early for Honda to reveal pricing for the 2011 model, but as the current TSX sedan starts at $29,310 and the 2010 Crosstour's price figures to be above a Accord V6 sedan (base price: $26,805), it's likely that there will be significant pricing overlap between the two models. Will there be any cannibalization? The Crosstour should lay claim to superior space and foul-weather capability thanks to its all-wheel drive model, but if the TSX sedan is anything to go on, the Acura will have superior driving dynamics, closer-to mainstream looks and a more desirable badge.

Either way, this one will be fun to watch play out...

Gallery: Honda Accord Tourer

Gallery: 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour

U.S. Acura TSX Sport Wagon not motivated by Honda Crosstour feedback originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda Accord Crosstour to be built at East Liberty, Ohio plant

Sam Abuelsamid — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Crossover, Honda

2010 Honda Accord Crosstour - Click above for image gallery

This week, Honda marked the thirtieth anniversary of the start of motorcycle production in the United States with a tree planting ceremony and a new production announcement. Legions of Facebook "fans" of the new Honda Accord Crosstour will surely be thrilled to learn that the company's new lifted hatchback thingy will be built at the East Liberty, OH assembly plant. East Liberty already builds Accord sedans and coupes, making it a natural to build the new bodystyle. As with other American-built Hondas, most of the major components are also locally sourced. Honda's nearby Anna, OH engine plant will ship over the V6 engines while the Russells Point facility will build the transmissions.

The Marysville plant that got motorcycle production started three decades ago is now being transformed into a consolidation center to feed parts and systems to the other nearby assembly plants. Honda has decided that it makes more sense for them to focus on building cars in America than bikes. Whether it makes sense to build this particular car anywhere, however, will be determined not on Facebook, but on dealer forecourts.

Gallery: 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour

[Source: Facebook]

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Honda Accord Crosstour to be built at East Liberty, Ohio plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda teases new Crosstour on Facebook

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:20:00 EST

Filed under: Wagon, Crossover, Hatchback, Honda

2010 Honda Accord Crosstour -- Click above for image gallery

The Honda Accord Crosstour has been essentially seen in several spy shots, but its front end remains something of a mystery. Honda has dispelled a bit of that with the release of two frontal pics, and it looks like the front could match the back for curves versus its Accord sedan stablemate.

The grille takes an Accord shape, albeit with a different application pattern for the chrome trim. Although having a slightly different layout, the headlights look to have the sleekness of the Accord Coupe's lamps matched to a more stylized version of the Accord sedan's fog lamps. If you want more of the piecemeal reveal routine, you could always join Honda's Facebook page... or you could just wait for the full reveal, happening in a couple of days.

The Accord Crosstour goes on sale later this year as a 2010 model.

Gallery: Honda Crosstour teaser crops

[Source: Honda]

Honda teases new Crosstour on Facebook originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Inside Line pits Ford Taurus against Honda Accord. Who wins?

Chris Shunk — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:28:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Ford, Honda

When Honda decided to grow its bread-and-butter Accord sedan in every dimension, it entered into the large car segment. The press has been pretty well split on whether or not that was a good idea, but the car buying public continues to vote favorably with its pocket books.

Ford has had a large car entry since the 2005 model year when it unleashed the Five Hundred to the surprise and delight of just of... well... someone, presumably. After lackluster sales, Ford changed the name of its full-sized sedan to Taurus for 2008, but the end result remained the apathy of car buyers. Ford appears to have finally stepped up its game with the 2010 Taurus, however, as the Blue Oval has decided to take its super sized sedan upmarket, with an elegant interior and an exterior that people will actually notice.

Our friends over at Inside Line have brought the Accord and Taurus together in an epic battle of the big rigs. The Accord has a quality pedigree and the love of the car-buying public, while Ford counters with an upstart Taurus that has become the flagship of a vastly improved lineup. The battle was close, but only one large sedan could end up on top of this comparison. Hit the link below to head over to Inside Line to read the comparison for yourself.

Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Ford Taurus

Gallery: First Drive: 2008 Honda Accord

Photos copyright (C)2008 Jonathon Ramsey/ Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Inside Line | Image: Scott Jacobs]

Inside Line pits Ford Taurus against Honda Accord. Who wins? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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