At a glance, the new 2008 Honda Accord doesn't look much bigger than its predecessor. If you checked on spec's however, you will find that not only is it a lot bigger but it's even larger than it's most fierce competitor, the Toyota Camry which has out sized the Accord for the past 6 years.
The eighth generation Accord is roughly 5 inches longer and 1 inch wider than the 2008 Toyota Camry. In fact, the new Accord is now considered to be in the large-size sedan category for the first time as it has been classified as a mid-size sedan since 1994. With the rising prices over the past couple of years, Honda has had every indication that all of their passenger car models would be breaking into a higher segment.
The drive train inherits the K-Series 2.4 Liter i-VTEC engine but with a higher base horsepower output of 177, 11 more horsepower than it's previous model of 166. The EX model is tuned to 190hp while the V6 models all receive a 3.5 Liter engine rated at 268hp with Variable Cylinder Management. Honda's Variable Cylinder Management technology adapts to the driver, allowing the engine to switch from 6 cylinders to 4 cylinders and down to even as low as 3 cylinders depending on the driving conditions. Unlike some of its competitors, the V6 models on the Accord only require regular unleaded and not premium.
One thing that Honda has always been great with is interior design. The interior of the new Accord is beautiful and well thought out. Many previous Accord owners might find that there are a bit more buttons than usual but Honda does a great job of identifying what those buttons are keeping it nice and simple. The Navigation is placed at the highest point of the dash, keeping it close to eye level with the road while compartment areas are strategically placed to maximize storage capacity.
One thing about Honda's Navigation system you can be sure of is that it is the best in the industry hands down. It has a large array of functions and is incredibly easy to use. It has a 8 inch LCD display and carries over 160 voice commands with 7 million points of interest in it's database. The voice command function is simple and very user friendly. It also features Bluetooth HandsFreeLink, a system that allows the owner to make or receive calls using a hands free audio system as long as the owner has a Bluetooth enabled mobile phone placed somewhere inside the car. One great convenience about this Navigation is that it can be used even when the car is accelerating while most other factory navigations require the vehicle to be parked before it can be accessed.
Now to the exterior. The car is clearly less aerodynamic than the previous generation. The grill in the front of the Accord is something new to Honda. You can see that they are trying to put more masculinity into the car. Honda's front end on the coupe and the sedan has some resemblance but is much different from each other for the first time. While the front and the side of the car fits together nicely on the sedan, the rear end of it seems too elegant when compared to the aggressive styling front. The rear doors on the side were given a nice sporty look with the doors not circling around the wheel well. The coupe is just flat out gorgeous.
Another feature that Honda has always been good with is safety. In contrary to its competitors, Honda offers all of their safety features standard. All of the 2008 accords comes with Dual Front Airbags, Front Side Airbags, Front Side Curtain Airbags and Rear Side Curtain Airbags. Another standard feature is Vehicle Stability Assist. Vehicle Stability Assist helps to control oversteer or understeer in an emergency situation. Anti-lock disc brakes, Tire Pressure Monitoring system, and Active Head Restraints all come with the vehicle as well. The Accord will also be built with their ACE technology, an advance body structure that disperses frontal collision energy away from the passengers in the cabin.
To conclusion, the new 2008 Accord is a real winner. It is big and roomy, packed with standard features and enough safety equipment to make you feel good about putting your family in the car. Together with the Honda reliability and high resale value, the new 2008 Accord should be on the top of everyone's list who is shopping for a new mid to large size car.
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