The Accord has been known for function and style, but also practicality and reliability. This year, Honda has added a new type of navigation system and even more interior room to its popular sedan and coupe. Carrying over the new, sportier exterior from 2008, this year’s Accord promises not to disappoint.
The 2009 Honda Accord Sedan is available in LX, LX Premium, EX, EX-L, EX V6 and the EX-L V6. The LX trim has a 177-hp, 2.4-liter i-VTEC four-cylinder engine mated to a five-speed manual or automatic transmission. The LX Premium features alloy wheels, a chrome exhaust finisher, a security system and an eight-way power adjustment for the driver’s seat. Stepping it up a notch is the EX with a 190-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, 17-inch alloy wheels, a one-touch power moonroof, heated side mirrors and a six-disc in-dash CD player. The EX-L adds leather-trimmed seats, heated front seats and the option of Honda’s satellite-linked navigation system.
The 2009 Accord’s sportiest trim is the sleek EX V6 with a 271-hp, 3.5-liter V6 engine, variable cylinder management and dual exhaust. Variable cylinder management activates and deactivates cylinders as appropriate for acceleration and for fuel savings. If you have to have those leather-trimmed seats and the leather-trimmed steering wheel, opt for the EX-L models.
Honda’s newest Accord has an MSRP of $20,905 for the base LX. It certainly pays to have the Accord with the comfort of both reliability and luxury that Honda packs into its newest sedan. U.S. News and World Report ranks the ’09 Accord in the top three out of its 23 affordable midsize cars. The numbers also look good at the gas pump where the ’09 Accord LX gets an estimated 31 mpg highway with the manual transmission. Honda was the first automaker to offer both four-cylinder and V6 models that meet the Partial Zero-Emissions Vehicle standards.
The exterior of the ’09 Accord is aggressive, yet elegant. Sportier and sleeker than most sedans, the Accord looks like a car double its price. The Detroit Free Press declares that the Accord is “the benchmark by which other midsize sedans are judged in the 32 years since it debuted in the United States.” Indeed, Honda doesn’t disappoint this year with their most refined Accord yet.
The 2009 Accord is the most spacious edition to date with more hip, head- and legroom in both the front and backseats than its competitors do. Both plush and supportive, the Accord’s seats work well over long distances, and three adults can fit comfortably in the back. Also improved is the navigation system available on EX trims. Honda has changed from a touchscreen to a rotary knob-controlled device. Equally pleasing for technology enthusiasts is Bluetooth capability, available with the navigation system and arranged in a console that keeps everything within reach.
The new Accord is quickly earning respect in government crash tests with close to perfect scores. Although the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has not tested the ’09 yet, the 2008 Accord won its “Top Safety Pick” award and similar results are expected this year. Electronic stability control, panic brake assist and active head restraints are standard, and the cabin contains six airbags and the assurance of Honda’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE), which directs crash forces away from passengers. Motor Week test drivers were certainly pleased. “With a double-wishbone front suspension and a new multi-link rear design, an Accord never felt more competent. Just in case, VSA electronic stability and traction control are now standard.”
With better performance and more safety than your average sedan, the 2009 Honda Accord is the total package. This year’s Accord is a complete success in automotive design. Arrange a test drive today and see for yourself.
