Station wagons have never been sexy, says traditional wisdom, but with the Accord Tourer I have to disagree. It beats the sedan by a country mile, especially if that strong butt and all the extra space it offers is your kind of sexy. The Honda towbar (now R6500 fitted) and roof bars (now R2230) add to the ‘going places’ kind of image, and even if road test engineer Peter Henkel removed them when he borrowed the car for a few days because they didn’t fit his ‘kinda cool’ definition, for me they do all the right things, visually if not for fuel economy.
The wistful stuff is all about the Honda going back to its owners, having racked up a year and just under 25000km with Topcar. It arrived expensive at R402900, though a quick comparison with the obvious rivals showed it would cost another R50 000 to get the rivals to the same specification. The Honda’s price meanwhile hasn’t changed, so the sum looks even better.
The quality of the componentry and the build quality have shone through in a year of varied commuting, usually with three to four passengers, plus a series of trips using the wagon as a mule for camping and sporting equipment. It’s not intended for a big internal load, and rides too low in protest, but that has no effect on its solid handling and performance. It also proved an excellent tow vehicle, handling the garden refuse routine hauling a small trailer and on occasion schlepping a speedboat – best achieved in Sports mode as towed weight increases.
A year down the line, it feels just as solid as the day it arrived factory fresh with 50km on the odo. The punchy and refined 2.2-litre diesel engine has been meticulously fed with a diet of 50ppm fuel, and has rewarded with initially improving and then very consistent fuel economy, hovering in the high 7 litres/100km on the open road and early 8 litres/100km in urban traffic. Not quite matching the manufacturer claim, but realistic for the typical use.
The suspension is letting through a few creaks as 25000km appears, probably easily fixed at the next service, but the interior is still rock solid and all the finishes still appear virtually new and blemish-free. The leather is excellent, switchgear easy to figure and a pleasure to use, and it all works, every time, all the time.
Any hiccups have been due to operator failure. One of the tyres suffered pinch damage when it struck a tar ridge on an early morning road trip, another tyre had a ‘mushroom’ vulcanising patch fitted after a drywall screw pierced the tread, and the low bumper has been scraped underneath when it kissed a few suburban bumps and dips. These are best crested sideways, and carefully, but mistakes happen. Inside, the driver’s side upper door cushion was gouged inadvertently during a photoshoot, and the boot sill scraped when a toolbox was lobbed into the chasm between the suspension strut towers. Otherwise, it’s pristine.
Criticisms? I still find it hard to work out which button on the remote key fob opens and which closes the doors, and the wide bonnet shimmies on occasion at speed or in high winds. It could be more stiffly braced.
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Tourer -Service Disappointing
I own a 2009 tourer ,before 1st service ,speaker malfunctioned and was replaced -cost 3 hrs of my time.Then the 2nd service -the engine pings,the drivertrain has a droning noise between 60-80km/h after deceleration from 120km/h.None of the items were attended to and a request to rotate the wheels could not be done after 2 visits to the dealer.
Brake pads was also replace both front and rear @ 21000km ?
Honda has not paid any attention to the JD Power surveys from 2008 when they performed ok - that's not the case now at all...quality/(service ) is slipping>>>
quality and durable parts
What I like with honda is when it comes to safety, they have always been at the top. Honda is branded for its research on the latest and advanced measures to perk up safety not only for the car occupants but also for those sharing the road. I also believe that honda accord parts are high grade and durable.
Honda Accord is the best
The Honda Accord is one of the best cars on the market. I traded in my problematic BMW 3 series for the 2009 Honda Accord 2.4 Executive automatic and have impressed. The BMW had numerous problematic issues to deal with, and is too cramped! The Honda has been perfect from the start, nothing has ever gone wrong.
Dealer service from Honda has been superb and prompt, whereas BMW used to be arrogant and rude and they took forever to sort out minor problems. The ride quality of the Acccord is smooth and comfortable unlike the harsh and terrible ride of the BMW mainly due to run flats.
I will definitely consider buying another Accord in the future. Its easy to see why it won the car of the year contest in South Africa. Its a pity that we dont see more of these cars on our roads, mainly due to the fact that many South Africans are brand snobbish to the point of their own detriment!
Not great at all
Honda cars are all gutless and you have to rev the crap out of them
IRRITATING
I have had my 2009 Accord Diesel Executive Automatic for a year. It's only done 20,000km. The steering rack had to be replaced, spacers had to be inserted in the bodywork to stop the creaking noises due to body flex and now "bushes" have to be replaced on the rear chassis to get rid of the other creaking noises. The bonnet exhibits tremendous movement or flex which is aggrevated when travelling over uneven surfaces and high winds. Interior plastic trim on the drivers door grab handle is showing marks (ie: inferior plastic used) while the audio system is suffering from a rattling speaker. Fuel economy is well above the manufacturer's claim - it hovers in the region of 9 l/100km. Most definitely not worth R380,000.
This Station Wagon is much
This Station Wagon is much better than the Sedan.
I own the previous 2.4 and it has never let me down. Yes, the fuel consumption is a bit high if you are heavy on the pedal. I have driven several vehicles in this segment and the average consumption of the Honda is on par with others, if not better.
@@@Best and worst
I own the new Accord 2.4. I have done about 26000km and I am still in love with my car. No problems, excellent fuel efficiency, and overall satisfaction. What exactly went wrong with your car?
Best and worst
I had two Accord 2.4 Execs, the old one, which was by far the best sedan I've ever owned, and this new one, which was by far the worst car I ever owned (quality issues and high fuel consumption, got rid of it on 8900km).
It also exposed Honda SA to not having a proper Customer Service department at the time, which they are now busy setting up.
Best car manufacturer ever!!!
I changed to Honda after driving products from two famous German Brands for a while. Never looked back,for me the best cars on the road today. I would like to see the Honda Odyssey here in SA though,my friend drives one in Canada in the V6 auto configuration. His vehicle has now just clocked 150 000 km with not one single problem. Only regular services. My two vehicles have less milage but still as good as new. (CRV and Accord) You get what you pay for. Thank you Honda!!!!
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