Just because everyone’s doing the same thing, doesn’t mean it’s the clever thing to do. Take the latest craze of men wearing white leather shoes and pink golf shirts. Yes, I know it’s fashion, but they said the same thing about permed peroxide mullets and stonewashed jeans not so long ago. The moral of the story? Following the herd will make you look stupid and you’ll have to learn the lyrics to all Abba’s greatest hits.

So it might be far better charting your own course by eschewing dime-a-dozen sedans and opting for a station wagon like Honda’s brand new Accord Tourer. It might still be a niche market in our bovine loving country, but that doesn’t mean there’s no competition for the Tourer. The Teutonic Three – Audi, BMW and Mercedes – all have good D-segment estates on the road. So does Volvo with its V50. Honda believes its car is not only good enough to challenge the premium brands, but that by adding a wagon load of options at no additional cost it can attract the anti-fashionistas. Let’s see if Honda’s right.

DOES MY BUTT LOOK BIG IN THIS?
The Tourer continues the tradition started by the Audi A4 and 3 Series BMW where the estate looks a lot better than its sedan sibling. It’s the first time Honda’s brought the Tourer to South Africa, so it still has a ‘what the hell was that?’ ability to turn heads. We’d not recommend it in black though, since black & wagon go together like Goodall & Williams. Our test unit came in silver, which accentuated its uniquely Japanese styling. Think sharp, sleek lines with a sloping rear roofline, pronounced wheel arches filled by 18 inch alloy wheels, chrome surrounded windows and silver roof rails. Since it shares a platform with the Accord sedan, it has the same low, wide stance. It’s a good looking butt, honey. Seriously.

IT’S WHAT’S ON THE INSIDE THAT COUNTS
The cabin is a decent blend of premium materials, comfort and practicality. And with the exception of satnav, you get a full house of kit thrown in without having to tick expensive options boxes. Features like electric heated leather seats with a memory function, a front loading six-CD sound system with an iPod connection in the centre console box, multi-function steering wheel, dual zone climate control, electric glass sunroof, xenon headlights, integrated hands-free telephone connectivity via Bluetooth, rain sensing windscreen wipers, cruise control and an electronically operated tailgate all come as standard.

There are a lot of buttons on the steering wheel and the centre console, but they are intuitive to use. After ten minutes of playing around you should have it figured out without having to consult the manual.

Luggage space with all the seats up is a generous 406 litres – enough for four large suitcases. You can collapse the rears seats with a single tug of the release mechanism on the top of the back seats without having to remove the headrests – very useful when you’re in a hurry.

With the seats down you should be able to fit your mountain bike without removing a wheel. Talking about wheels, there is a full-size spare in the back if you stick with the standard 17-inch wheels. Choosing the flashier 18-inch options leaves you with a space saver. Passive safety systems include six airbags (dual front, dual side and dual curtain).