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November 9, 2009
Safety equipment is abundant, including stability control, ABS with Brake Assist and Electronic Brake Distribution, multiple threshold front airbags, full side-curtain airbags, active front head restraints, Honda’s ACE body structure, pedestrian injury mitigation system and tire pressure monitoring system.
  2010 Honda Crosstour. Click image to enlarge |
Exterior styling is eye-catching; sporty, but not ostentatious. It has the right balance of flair and restraint.
While the Crosstour is about 195 kilograms heavier than the Accord Sedan (285 kg for the AWD version), fuel economy is quite similar. In litres/100 kilometres, city/highway, the Crosstour FWD gets 11.5/7.2 while the equivalent Accord sedan returns 11.0/6.7. The Crosstour AWD returns 12.3/8.0. Contributing to the Crosstour’s competitive fuel consumption are aerodynamic refinements and the V6 engine which runs on three, four or six cylinders, depending on load. Cruising along a flat highway, for instance, will activate the fuel-saving three-cylinder mode.
On the road the Crosstour is smooth and quiet. Even on rough aggregate, tire noise doesn’t intrude into the cabin, and the overall feeling is of refinement and stability. Wind noise, too, is typically absent.
Under hard acceleration, the transmission shifts quickly and precisely, and in typical Honda fashion, the V6 engine is exceedingly smooth.
The standard moonroof doesn’t rob occupants of headroom, with front and rear passengers having plenty. It’s also very easy to enter and exit through the wide-opening doors. The multi-adjustable driver’s seat and tilt/telescope steering will provide a safe and comfortable position for most drivers, although the passenger seat isn’t adjustable for height.
   2010 Honda Crosstour. Click image to enlarge |
The suspension has been uprated (as have the brakes), and even though the engine and fuel tank are mounted low in this vehicle (to lower the centre of gravity), this is still a tallish vehicle that will lean in sharp curves.
The Crosstour is 70 mm longer than the Accord sedan, and given its coupe profile, the rear pillars seem quite distant. Consequently, visibility out the rear window is somewhat limited compared with the sedan. It’s the same with the front pillars (A and B-pillars). They’re large and wide, blocking vision sometimes when making a turn or changing lanes. I’d like to see some blind spot assistance available on this vehicle, and a standard audio back-up alert if the rear camera isn’t fitted.
A couple of other omissions are the lack of Bluetooth connectivity on models without AWD/Navigation, and, for some, the lack of a power liftgate. That being said, the liftgate is nicely balanced and light in operation, although a power liftgate in this type of vehicle would be appreciated by many buyers.
While targeted to older buyers, I can see younger families also finding this to be a suitable vehicle. It’s an appealing alternative to the SUV or SUV-styled CUV, offering many of their benefits without the high fuel consumption. It’s sleeker than a wagon, but more practical than a sedan; it has a sporty coupe profile, but you can easily get to the back seat.
The Crosstour is an evolution of the wagon, and in this it’s not alone in the marketplace. Competitors include the Toyota Venza, Nissan Murano, and Subaru Outback. Pricing begins at $34,900 for EX-L front-drive models, increases to $36,900 for EX-L AWD trim, and tops out at $38,900 for the EX-L AWD Navi model. Honda expects to sell a modest 3,000 Crosstours annually in Canada, mostly to “boomers,” but you never know.
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At a glance: 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour
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Related posts:
- Honda Canada to introduce new Accord Crosstour this fall
- Honda to introduce Accord-based crossover
- Honda celebrates 30 years of U.S. manufacturing
- Honda drops prices on three popular models
- Buyer's Guide: 2010 Honda Accord
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