Entered CNET Catalog: 10/11/2006
SKU: 100782932
Manufacturer: American Honda Motor Company, Incorporated
Product summary
The good: With the best navigation system in the business, the 2007 Honda Accord gets you where you need to go. And its six-speed manual transmission makes it fun getting there.
The bad: When pushed hard into a corner, understeer becomes noticeably bad with the Accord. The car's stereo offers no place to plug in an MP3 player, and the disc changer won't read MP3s or WMAs.
The bottom line: While we found the 2007 Honda Accord very enjoyable to drive, it fell short on a couple of key areas, most noticeably in its stereo system.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 04/13/2007
Photo gallery:
2007 Honda Accord
The 2007 Honda Accord represents a very practical and unassuming car. But when equipped with a V6 engine and six-speed manual transmission, the Accord actually becomes fun to drive. Add Honda's excellent navigation system and the car will help you get anywhere you need to go.
With its mundane styling, nobody will look twice at the Accord, which could be a good thing if you make full use of the V6 in sixth gear on the freeway. It does have some nice touches, such as the way the angular headlight enclosures blend into the front fenders. And with the V6, the car has twin exhaust pipes and a nice little red V6 emblem on the back.
While the power train is really a joy to use, handling is pretty average, with lots of understeer. We really like Honda's navigation module, which has a complete database of points-of-interest and excellent voice control. But the six-disc changer won't read MP3 CDs and there is no auxiliary input jack. The car seems to be focused on people who haven't gotten into digital music.
Test the tech: Navigation system versus Magic 8 Ball
Honda's navigation system is one of the best on the market, so we reasoned it wouldn't be informative to test it against another system. Instead, we decided to pit the technology of the navigation system against the mystical properties of a Magic 8 Ball. We wanted to see which would do a better job of getting us back to our office in San Francisco from a remote spot in the San Francisco Bay Area.
To start off our test, we went to Blanding Lane in Belvedere, a little island in the San Francisco Bay connected to Tiburon by roadways. This spot suited our testing purposes, as it was deep in an area of complex, winding suburban roads. Because Belvedere rises up in a hill, the streets aren't laid out in a grid pattern--they have to follow the contours of the landscape.
We started off using the Magic 8 Ball. We decided that at every intersection, we would ask it if we should go right. If we came to a four-way intersection, and it told us not to go right, we would then ask it if we should go straight. For the first three intersections we hit, the Magic 8 Ball advised that we go right, with the following responses: Yes, Most likely, and As I see it, yes. These directions quickly took us off the island and into Tiburon.
After that, the Magic 8 Ball gave us a mix of positive and negative answers to our right turn question, from Without a doubt to My sources say no, which unfortunately took us in circles through the streets of Tiburon. After the third time around the same block, we decided to give up on the Magic 8 Ball getting us back to San Francisco in any reasonable amount of time.
We went back to our starting point to give the GPS navigation system its opportunity. Using the navigation system was a little more straightforward then the Magic 8 Ball. Using the voice command system, we told it where we wanted to end up, and the system gave us a choice of three routes. We picked what seemed like the easiest one, and started on our way. The system told us which turns to take, and even whether just to bear left or right, eventually leading us back to our offices.
But the navigation system wasn't perfect. For the first part of the trip, getting out of Belvedere, we actually preferred the route advised by the Magic 8 Ball. It took us on a number of fairly straight roads with few intersections, until it started running us around in circles. The navigation system charted a complex course with more intersections to negotiate in the first part of the trip.
We're pretty sure the Magic 8 Ball eventually would have led us back to our offices, in the same way that an infinite number of monkeys with typewriters will eventually reproduce the works of Shakespeare. But the navigation system got us to our destination much faster, and required fewer inputs, proving to be the more practical solution.
In the cabin
The interior of the Honda Accord is pretty comfortable, with power-adjustable leather-covered seats and generally nice materials over the dashboard. The leather-wrapped steering wheel feels nice, although it could have been a little thicker. There is also an interesting styling cue where the navigation module dips down to a point, in the center of the stack, with the climate control buttons nicely lined up along its two bottom edges.
The two major gadgets in the cabin are the navigation system and stereo, both of which can be controlled with voice command. The navigation system is fast and very usable. It redraws maps and calculates routes quickly. As we pointed out above, it offers three possible routes whenever you enter a destination. And it gives adequate warning of upcoming turns.
We particularly like the navigation's points-of-interest database, which includes even the smallest retail stores. This type of information is very useful for running weekend errands, although it's also more prone to be out of date. Restaurant listings are pretty commonplace in navigation systems, but Honda's does that one better by including the Zagat listings, making it possible to look up restaurants by price, décor, and how highly the food is rated.
We like the navigation, but the stereo leaves a few things to be desired. The interface on the LCD is good for navigating XM satellite and AM/FM radio, but the six-disc in-dash changer doesn't read MP3 or WMA CDs. Nor is there an auxiliary audio input jack for plugging in an MP3 player, although an iPod connection is available.
The audio quality is passable in the front seats, but mediocre in the rear seats. The stereo has two speakers on either side in front, but only one on each side in back, making a total of six speakers. The 180-watt amplifier isn't particularly powerful, either. The stereo didn't offer great separation, instead giving a pretty muddled sound.
Honda doesn't offer Bluetooth cell phone integration in the Accord, something that is becoming more commonly available in this class of car.
Under the hood
With its V6 engine and six-speed manual transmission, the Accord is a great car to drive, up to a point. The throttle is very responsive, and the shifter slots nicely into each gear. Better yet, the gear ratios are very well-designed to give you lots of choice. You can cruise the car for hours at high speed on the freeway in sixth gear, while keeping the tachometer hovering around 2,500rpm. Or you can perform fast launches, running the rpm up to 6,000 in first gear, then watch it only drop to 5,000rpm on the upshift. These sorts of gear ratios let you get some real fast, smooth acceleration.
The 3-liter V6 is more than ample for this size of car, putting out 244 horsepower and 212 ft-lbs of torque. This engine gives the gears wide power bands; for example, it lets you take the car up to 45mph in second gear. But this being an Accord, it's a pretty quiet engine, refusing to call much attention to itself. The EPA gives the Accord 21mpg in the city and 30mpg on the highway, but we could only get it up to 20.5mpg in our mixed city and freeway driving. Accords sold in California and all other states that follow California's air quality standards get a very good ULEV II rating for emissions. But the version of the Accord sold in other states still qualifies as LEV II under California's rating system.
Although we enjoyed driving the Accord on city streets and freeways, we found its limits on a nice, windy mountain road. The steering felt tight and responsive in normal usage, but understeer became a big factor when we tried to push it hard. This is not a car you want to tune up and try out in autocross.
In sum
Our 2007 Honda Accord EX with navigation, a V6 engine, and a six-speed manual transmission has a base price of $29,400. With a $595 destination charge, the total comes out to $29,995. There are a number of dealer-installed accessories, but Honda keeps the choice of cars rolling out of the factory very simple. At its very base level, which Honda calls the Value Package, you can get an Accord with a 2.4-liter four cylinder engine and five-speed manual transmission for $18,625. But we can't imagine that car's power train will be nearly as satisfying as we had in our test car. The lowest price Accord with a V6, the SE, comes in at $23,350, but that only has an automatic transmission.
There are a lot of trade-offs when looking for a good car to compare with the 2007 Honda Accord. The four-door Volkswagen GTI is a more sporty car for less money, but it has inferior navigation. The 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid is also less expensive, and is a more practical commute car if you deal with heavy traffic, but it's less fun to drive. Or you could get more power, worse gas mileage, and about the same amount of tech with the Nissan Maxima. If we were looking for a car that had similar tech to the Honda Accord, but better handling, the Subaru Legacy would come out on top.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9out of 9 user reviews
Reliability, handling, cost of ownership tops in class.
Pros: Solid reliability, great overall handling qualities, excellent road mileage, very good in city. Over 30 mpg for 39,000 miles is great for a car this size. This is our eighth Honda, and it noses out the 89 Accord as the best of the eight.
Cons: Had to buy an EXL to get the features we wanted. Tire noise intrudes on otherwise quiet, a "feature" of Honda products. Not the best ride in class, a tradeoff for best handling. Tires are selected by Honda for maximum fuel economy over handling.
out of 9 user reviews
Intuitive, powerful yet fuel efficient, sporty
Pros: Exterior finish, acceleration, nimble handling on smooth pavement, warranty
Cons: Road noise , interior rattles and squeeks, annoying passenger seat flip forward design, clostrophobic in back seat, lame exterior door handles,
position of rear view mirror, annoying radio screen wont dim at night. soft brakes
out of 9 user reviews
Very nearly perfect car
Pros: Honda's bulletproof reliability, practicality, and solid fit-and-finish in a sexy, sporty package; quiet and powerful with one of the best stick shifts ever made; Easy-to-use navi; satellite radio; great gas mileage for a V6
Cons: No memory seats, CD changer doesn't shuffle between CDs or play MP3 CDs, no built-in Bluetooth capability, clutch engagement takes a little getting used to, stock tires have no grip
I won't re-state what CNET already covered. The navi is great and easy to use, the leather interior with all the power stuff is excellent. The engine is very quiet and very powerful. The six-speed stick is a pleasure to manage. The heated leather seats make a real difference on cold mornings. The car is very well put together, and so from every angle it looks top-drawer, on a par with much more expensive vehicles.
But it's not absolutely perfect. Only the driver's seat is power, and it lacks memory (i.e., no one-button return to all your settings if you let someone else drive). While there is an in-dash six-CD changer, it doesn't shuffle between CDs and it doesn't play MP3 CDs, which doesn't bother me so much since I prefer the satellite radio, but I could see getting old for CD or MP3 fans. You can get an adapter for iPods, but from what I've read, it only supports true iPods, not MP3 players from other makers. And there's no Bluetooth capability. Oh, and the shift knob is mostly metal (with a leather wrap around the middle) - it can take a long time to warm up on a cold day, and it's barrel-shaped, not ergonomic like in most manual cars I've driven (lacks that little lip on the front to grab onto),
In most of these cases, I can only assume the reason Honda opted to not include them was so that people would still have a reason to buy an Acura TL over a Honda Accord sedan - there'd be stuff available on the more upscale TL that isn't available on the Honda. Because honestly, the quality of the parts, the softness of the leather, the out-standing design and fit-and-finish - this car is on a par with the Acura nameplate in every other way besides those things that are deliberately missing. And it's a shame they are missing, since Acura no longer offers a coupe.
Oh, there's one other drawback to this car - it's very hard to find. Honda didn't build very many of them. But at the same time, it looks like every other Accord coupe out there from the same era - the only thing separating it visually from the cheapest I4 variant with cloth seats is the dual exhaust, the V6 badge on the trunk (red for the six-speed, black for the automatic), and special five-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels that come only on the six-speed (the automatic gets 17-inch alloys as well, but they look considerably different, as they've got closer to 15 spokes). So while it has the rare car disadvantage of being hard to find, it doesn't carry with it that rare car cache that something like a Porsche 911 would.
Oh, I dated a girl for a while who had a nearly identical Accord coupe, but with the I4 engine and an automatic transmission, and got to drive it quite a bit. If you can't afford the V6, that package is no slouch, either. The I4 is very peppy, and can be had with a five-speed manual, though the slushbox performs well in its own right. However, the V6 is absolutely the better engine if you can get it, and it still gets excellent gas mileage (only one mpg less that the I4, according to the EPA) - not a bad trade off considering the boost in power. Plus, there's nothing quite like the six-speed gearbox; it's just the best out there.
out of 9 user reviews
Poor assembly quality spoils what would be a fantastic car.
Pros: Smooth engine, great nav system, quality interior materials
Cons: Numerous buzzes and rattles in the interior. Long hauls can be uncomfortable.
out of 9 user reviews
Very good, fun to drive car
Pros: Tight ride, very comfortable, fuel efficient (if you don't have a lead foot)
Cons: Honda was very stinge with the Stereo System having just a very basic CD player, does not play mp3/wma or have an auxiliary input
out of 9 user reviews
Suprisingly fun to drive
Pros: V6, & other options with an EX-L package
Cons: A little more power and a compass mirror
Car drives very well, almost as good or better than some luxury cars out on the market. The difference is you wont pay a premium for the name or the gas (87 octane) to.
The car has great interior space for 4 adults. I sat in the backseat after driving one day and was suprised how much leg room there was even after I put the seat all the way back.
As far as cargo space, it is sufficient for whatever can fit in a sedan. Although it would have been nice if it had the 60/40 split on the back row when putting the seats down.
Fuel economy isnt bad either.
The radio is not bad, but could be better.
We love the dual climate control as well as the hi/lo heated seats.
All in all we are even more pleasantly surprised by it now than initially!
out of 9 user reviews
Solid & Reliable
Pros: Smooth V6; 4 cylinder is no slouch either; stability control; safety & reliability
Cons: stereo sucks; must use a/c with defogger; cabin noise at highway speeds
out of 9 user reviews
great, comfortable ride
Pros: roomy, steering, braking, comfort, reliability, quiet, smooth,leather.
Cons: My color scheme, not my favorite. slvr/black...only v6 navi left on the lot.
out of 9 user reviews
Fun but Slow clutch
Pros: Good Nav, Nice Interior instruments
Cons: Noisy moonroof
1. the Clutch is nice, but it's not a short shifter so it takes a full second to shift.
2. The front side columns are large because of the side airbag and it obstructs your view
3. The leather could be nicer and thicker
4. gunning it on first gear have considerable torque steer.
5. Moon roof is very noisy!!!!
