HONDA Accord · photos, packages and modifications

The Honda Accord can challenge established German competitors such as the Audi A4 and BMW 3 series in premium executive class due to the excellent build quality and an amazing interior design. The Honda Accord has a much more subtle exterior and is more comfortable now and can be termed as an excellent cruiser. The accord has very high running costs as compared to its competitors and whether the Saloon or the estate model is taken, it is not the most practical car.

Although the Honda Accord is very smartly styled, it does not stand out like the Honda Civic which looks radical. It looks better than competitors such as Vauxhall Insignia and Ford Mondeo but it is unable to match the appeal of BMW or Audi. The interior is however amazing and has attractive soft touch plastics throughout the car and very high build quality.

There is only one diesel and two petrol engines to choose from making the choice very limited. However, they provide very good and strong performance. The 2.0-litre VTEC petrol has a 154 bhp which is very smooth and the 2.4-litre engine has a 198 bhp which feels very quick. The best option however is the 2.2-litre 148bhp diesel as it is very quiet and the overtaking is easy due to the torque. It is much more competent than being thrilling and has precise steering and slick gear change although the BMW 3 Series is much better and engaging to drive.

As far as the safety is concerned, it was given a maximum rating of 5 stars by the Euro NCAP. It is also very safe due to the brand having its own testing facility and has an anti-whiplash headrest along with six airbags and ESP. The Honda Accord came 38^th in 2012 Driver Power Survey while Honda came on a remarkable sixth.

The car however is not very practical as it does not have a hatchback like the competitors. The opening of the boot is very narrow so the transfer of luggage into and out of the boot can become very difficult and the car also has an awkward shape which is due to the rear suspension setup sticking out in the loading area. The boot space of 467-litres make it smaller than the competitors although the rear seats can split and fold to give space for longer items. The foot space is very tight in the back although there is plenty of headroom making it less roomy than the Skoda Superb or Toyota Avensis.