Test Drive: 2012 Honda Accord EX-L

2012 Honda Accord EX-L. Click image to enlarge

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Review and photos by Michael Schlee

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2012 Honda Accord

It is hard to believe that the Honda Accord has been on sale in North America for over 35 years.  During those years the accord has come in just about every body style known to man: sedan, coupe, wagon, hatchback, crossover, etc (sadly though, no convertible).  It has evolved from the original 1976 three-door compact hatchback, to an EPA-classified full-size sedan in 2012 (even though we still refer to it as a mid-size).   Despite all of these changes, one thing has remained constant for all 36 years: four-cylinder engines.  As the car has grown, so has the size, power, and sophistication of the inline-four unit under the Accord’s hood.  Our 2012 Honda Accord EX-L NAVI test car has a 2.4-litre unit developing 190 hp—a far cry from the 68-hp 1.6-litre engines found in 1976 Accords.
 
Toyota has a campaign right now claiming everyone at some point has either owned, or known someone who owned a Corolla; the same can be said for the Honda Accord.  Honda has always struck a near perfect three-way balance between economy, practicality, and ease of use with the Accord.  After all, you have to be doing something right to have a model sell successfully for 36 years running, and the Accord has always been one of the best family cars for the times.
 

2012 Honda Accord EX-L. Click image to enlarge

Today, however, the family sedan segment is packed with fierce competition.  Threats come from all over the world as Japanese, Korean, American, and German automakers have taken aim directly at the Honda Accord.  In fact, in 2011 two mid-size sedans were in the top ten passenger vehicle sales list and neither were the Accord (or Camry for that matter)—the Ford Fusion and Hyundai Sonata were the only mid-sizers to crack the top ten.  The Accord finished way down in sixth place in the mid-size sales pack, although much of this sales decline can be attributed to parts shortages caused by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. 
 
Now running at full capacity once again, Honda has not changed the Accord all that much for 2012 as it just received significant updates last year. Honda added technology for 2012 with a USB audio interface now standard on every Accord, but other than that it is pretty much a carryover from 2011.  For review, I am in the highest possible trim you can get when equipped with the four-cylinder engine, an Accord EX-L NAVI.  Although there is an optional 271-hp, 3.5L V6 available for the Accord, most leave the showroom floor in Canada with the more economical 2.4L four-cylinder engine.
 
At a starting price of $31,790, the EX-L NAVI Accord comes equipped with features like memory driver’s power seat, power passenger seat, heated seats, leather, leather-wrapped steering wheel, navigation, moonroof and, of course, power everything.  The interior is luxurious for a family sedan, but not to the levels of the similarly sized, yet more expensive Acura TSX.  I found the seats in the Accord were not very comfortable.  Even with the lumbar support at the lowest setting I could feel it digging into my back.  For those shopping the Accord it is important to note that heated seats are only available on the EX-L trim levels and up.  However, available on every Accord is a great 270-watt stereo.  Turn up the adjustable subwoofer volume and rattle the windows as you take the kids to the mall.
 

2012 Honda Accord EX-L. Click image to enlarge

I also found some features on the Accord were tricky to set up.  The Bluetooth connection was a puzzler and can only be set up via voice commands.  It was one of those rare instances in which I needed to pull out the owner’s manual to accomplish a successful pairing.  The trip computer is also hard to access as you need to go through two menu screens to find it.  While I am on complaints, it was strange that there was no Bluetooth audio streaming with all the other electronic wizardry found in the Accord.  Thankfully, XM satellite radio made up for it.
 
Being that the mid-size Accord is now officially rated as a full-size sedan (coupes still retain their mid-size status), it is no surprise to find a healthy 397L of trunk space.  As well, there is a copious amount of rear leg room in the back.  One jaunt across the city involved four grown men all about six feet tall in the Accord.  We all fit comfortably in the car without issue and back seat passengers had ample space.   Even with all this weight added to the Accord’s 1,560-kg curb weight, the engine had enough grunt to haul us around town without drama.
 
This only further proves what shoppers are finding in this class of vehicle: the four-cylinder engine is adequately powerful and makes the V6 seem redundant.  With an as-tested fuel consumption average of 9.2 L/100 km in the four-cylinder Accord, the argument for the V6 becomes weaker still.  That said, the 2.4L motor could benefit from the few extra ponies it produces in the TSX, but that may drive the price up even further and devalue the TSX’s exclusivity.  Sending power to the front wheels of the Accord is Honda’s tried and true five-speed automatic transmission.  Operation is smooth and forgettable, which is high praise for any transmission found in a mid-size sedan.  The only real caveat to this powertrain is a low groan emitted by either the engine or the transmission at low residential-area speeds.
 
The Accord’s ride is compliant but not floaty.  The car can hold its own in the corners, but is not a great handler, nor is it intended to be.  It would be unfair and irrelevant to judge a family sedan purely based on its cornering ability, but for those who are interested, the 225/50R17 tires equipped on my test car demonstrated a predictable level of grip that tails off in a linear fashion when approaching their limits. 
 
The main goal for a family sedan like the Accord is to be an accommodating vehicle that anyone in the family can easily drive.  Here the Accord excels.  It is a simple car to drive and perfect for those who are not “drivers” but need a good-sized family vehicle.  There is no better way to sum up the Accord than with this example.  My wife, an advocate of the compact car and hater of the large automobile, got behind the wheel of the Accord and within mere seconds was driving it as if behind the wheel of her much smaller Suzuki SX4.  “This car is so easy to drive,” was her first comment, which validates Honda on their primary mission with the Accord: make a useful, intuitive family vehicle for the masses.