24/07/09

• Price25,745
• We like...Engine, auto transmission
• We don't...Susupension makes load bay narrow

The estate version of the Accord is, as you'd expect, dearer than the saloon. Even so, for us it's the one to haveIs £1300 is a fair lump of cash to give for the extra usefulness that an estate car offers over a saloon? Here, the answer should be a big, fat ‘yes’. Because not only is the Accord Tourer a really handy thing it is, to our eyes, far better looking than the saloon.

And ours here is something special, because it packs a new five-speed auto gearbox, designed by Honda. It’s also the first time that Honda has teamed self-shifting gears with a diesel motor. It works brilliantly, as you’d expect from a company that’s famed for its engineering excellence with engines. It slurs changes sweetly, riding the 2.2-litre engine's fat surge of power. There’s a never-ending wave of ‘go’, hauling the Tourer onwards.

But what’s it like as an estate car? Well, it won’t win prizes for the space it offers – those will go to the Ford Mondeo, which packs far more room. What’s more, the Accord’s rear suspension narrows its load bay by a fair bit, while the rear seats won’t drop completely flat, which is annoying if you’ve a long load to slide in. Looking to the positive, it has handy storage spaces both under the boot floor (pictured below) and in panniers at the sides, while the boot floor is low and the tailgate is a big ‘un. All up, it’s darned useful to live with.

Up front, it’s very much as in the Accord saloon. So that means a taut, involving drive, with plenty of feel and feedback from the steering and pedals. The ride, however, feels ‘bony’ at town speeds, never settling, but it becomes suppler on the motorway as speed builds. Our car’s big alloy wheels and skinny-sided tyres must take some of the blame for such deficiencies.

The engine bursts with life and gives of its power smoothly and well, although its 42.8mpg fuel return makes it thirsty compared to the best.

It tilts at the BMW 3-series’ crown as the best-driving upscale small estate and while it can’t claim it, it comes close.
Inside, it’s much as the saloon. The swoopy dash with its busy instrument panel will be familiar to anyone who’s spent time in a Civic, but a surprise if you’ re used only to cars that are thoroughly conventional. While we’re fans of its appearance and imagination, we’ll concede that it’s not the easiest, or the friendliest to use.

But elsewhere it is comfortable for five and hushed, too: noise suppression on the car is as good as you’d find on rivals wearing posher badges.

Buy one? If you’re thinking of getting an Accord, this is the one to have. It’s easy to drive, easy to live with and easy on the eye.

To read the motors.co.uk review of the Honda Accord saloon, click here

To view and buy new or second-hand Honda Accords, click on motors.co.uk

• Engines2.2 diesel
• Power148bhp
• 0-60 mph9.8secs
• Economy42.8mpg
• CO2g/km174
• Insurance groups10E
• EuroNCAP
• Airbags6
• Seats5

Motors.co.uk value verdict: