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2013 Honda Accord Touring Sedan - Heels on Wheels Review


2013 Honda Accord Sedan (select to view enlarged photo)
2013 Honda Accord Sedan

HEELS ON WHEELS
By Katrina Ramser
San Francisco Bureau
The Auto Channel

INTRO TO THE 2013 ACCORD VEHICLE

The redesigned 2013 Honda Accord sedan uses high-tech freebees to court the mid-size sedan shopper, like a standard eight-inch multi-information display, SMS text message function, a rearview camera, Bluetooth, and Pandora radio. It also boasts all-new optional equipment for the segment, such as LaneWatch that brings a rear passenger-side roadway view to the monitor.

I drove a 2013 Honda Accord with the available 278-horsepower 3.5-liter i-VTEC V6 engine and six-speed automatic transmission. Available in five trim grades – base LX, Sport, EX, EX-L and Touring –(there are 21 different 2013 Honda Accord model trim levels - see them all below article) my fully loaded Touring came with the following standard equipment: leather upholstery and heated seats; ten-way power driver’s seat; leather-wrapped steering wheel; eight-inch multi-information display; SMS text message function; rearview camera; Bluetooth; Pandora radio; HondaLink; Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System; steering-wheel mounted audio controls; USB port and auxiliary input jack; moonroof; push-button start; paddle shifters; eighteen-inch wheels; spoiler; chrome exhaust finish; a smart entry system; Honda LaneWatch; Lane Departure Warning; Forward Collision Warning; adaptive cruise control; and LED headlights. Total vehicle price comes to $33,430.

The Accord redesign comes at a strategic time: the 2013 Toyota Avalon has also been overhauled to specifically attract a younger and more tech-based buyer. It too uses a lighter and stronger body, all-new connectivity and safety technology.

HEELS ON WHEELS REVIEW CRITERIA

2013 Honda Accord - Stylish But Comfortable Results: Likely the most attract quality about the Accord is that at the base LX level, buyers will receive quick-and-smart powertrain technology with a standard direct-injection185-horsepower 2.4-liter Dual Overhead Cam i-VTEC four-cylinder engine, an eight-inch multi-information display, SMS text message function, rearview camera, Bluetooth, Pandora radio, steering-wheel mounted audio controls, and a USB port and auxiliary input jack. Rear passengers also get an extra inch of added rear legroom, even with the length tightened. Honda finally steps up their connectivity systems with the all-new HondaLink now able to compete with Toyota’s Entune.

2013 Honda Accord - Reliability & Safety Factor: The new body design uses the most high-strength steel in the model's history. It is a Top Safety Pick with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It is not yet rated by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

2013 Honda Accord - Cost Issues: The base LX trim begins at $21,860 MSRP. The Toyota Avalon base XLE trim pretty much covers the same attributes as mentioned above, with a starting price almost $10k higher at $30,990 – yet the Avalon does tote a more refined interior that includes soft-touch materials, leather upholstery, and a very unique and modern center stack blending new touch-sensitive switches with button and dial controls. But at just $33,430 for my fully loaded Touring trim, the Accord offers a fulfilling level of cutting edge safety equipment, connectivity features and comfort.

2013 Honda Accord - Activity & Performance Ability: What makes the Honda Accord versatile performance-wise is a choice between three powertrains: a standard 185-horsepower 2.4-liter Dual Overhead Cam i-VTEC four-cylinder engine with direct injection; a faster 189-horsepower version on the four-cylinder with a high-flow exhaust system; and a 278-horsepower 3.5-liter i-VTEC V6 engine. All are paired with a six-speed automatic transmission or a new automatic continuously variable transmission (CVT). What it doesn’t have is a Hybrid version like the Avalon with an EPA-estimated 40 miles-per-gallon combined – but this is more expensive green option than the Accord four-cylinder with a starting price of $35,555.

2013 Honda Accord - The Green Concern: Eco Assist is Honda’s a two-part fuel economy system that both controls the throttle and teaches the driver how to drive more conservatively with a series on instrument panel lights. With the four-cylinder and CVT, the Accord can stretch the numbers to 27 city and 36 highway for a combined 30. If you go with the non-hybrid Avalon, your only option is a V6 engine with 21 miles-per-gallon city and 31 highway.

2013 Honda Accord - FINAL PARTING WORDS
The 2013 Honda Accord stays young, affordable and efficient by offering a four-cylinder powertrain with an improved continuously variable transmission, high-tech equipment at the base level and beyond, and low costs all the way up to the fully loaded trim.

©2012 Katrina Ramser