2006 Honda Accord LX SE Road Test

The Everyday Hero

Its not hard to argue that the Honda Accord is an everyday hero. For the past twenty years its been a companion that its owners have counted on 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year; its a car that you can trust to start the next morning even when its twenty below. But while most modern cars vying for a spot in your driveway are miles more reliable than anything available 20 years ago, the Accord, the most reliable of all midisze rivals, according to J. D. Power and Associates, is now even more special that you might have suspected. Honda has operated on it, turning it into a lean, green mild hybrid-powered machine, and even transformed a Japanese-spec example into a rolling safety lab, the sort of stuff thats usually done to purpose-engineered specialty vehicles, not everyday family sedans. Its also a pretty entertaining vehicle to drive, a description Id have a hard time applying to most midsize family four-doors.

So its not the most interesting looking vehicle, but that doesnt matter when youve got a rapport like the Accords. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

The peoples everyday hero is a winner; it has humbly scooped up countless awards in its 30 year existence, all while meeting its customers many expectations while not only following all the family sedan "rules" to a tee, but inventing half of them along the way. It even follows the unwritten law that says midsize family sedans must be anonymous, making it about as easy to misplace in a moderately busy parking lot as your TVs remote control, particularly in my testers rather inconspicuous shade of browny-gray.

In hopes that you wont mistake it for another midsize automobile, or spend days

The bold new Civics chromed mustache makes an appearance on the Accord. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

looking for it at the airport multi-story carpark, for 2006, our hero gets a new tie with a bolder pattern, and a different but still perfectly starched shirt to help it stick out a little more, but keeps the trusty gray two-piece suit that it was given in 2003. Up front, the similarities to the new and improved car are minor at best; it has grown a thin, chrome mustache on its upper grille lip, to put it more in line with the space-cadet Civic, and sports a revised air dam with extra holes for improved breathing. So far, things have been subtle, but the more obvious changes can be seen from behind, where the makeover was concentrated.

To be honest I was never a fan of the previous Accords tail end, which has always

Triangular LED tail lamps are bright, and fast-acting. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

looked a little bit droopy; I suppose it complements the melted look of the pedestrian-friendly hood. Anyway, prior to the facelift, or, perhaps more appropriately, tail-lift, the four-doors trunk had a beveled edge and a pair of enormous wrap-around lenses which accentuated the smallness of the cars rear overhang. With what was probably a gigantic eraser, fueled by the discontent of focus groups, stylists wiped out the aforementioned frumpy details, penciling in a pair of pointy triangular tail lamps that illuminate bright red by dozens of ultra-quick LED lamps.

It may seem as if Honda merely plucked the Coupes stylish rear lenses for the sedan, but theyre completely different. The sedans feature separate reverse lights, which have been lumped into the indent for the license plate, while the lamp unit

More power to the people: Accords engine gains six horsepower. It feels like more, though. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

is smaller, and less obtuse in angle, which allows for a wider trunk aperture. Scrapping the wrap-around lamps also allowed Honda to restyle the trunk lid itself, which now has deeper sill for easier loading, and a third LED brake lamp integrated into the trunk lid. A new rear bumper allows the Accord to show its single, or dual exhaust pipes, depending on the engine specified.
If theres one pipe poking out the back, it signifies that the engine under the hood has four-cylinders, like my LX SE model tester. After three years service, the 2.4-liter dual overhead cam i-VTEC engine has been sent to polishing school, where its intake and exhaust systems have been tweaked for improved airflow and performance, netting six ponies over last year for a grand total of 166-hp and 160 lb-ft of torque. As with the V6-powered Accord, and its European-inspired cousin,

Youd be hard-pressed to tell by its looks that the Accord is a decent vehicle to take down a twisty backroad. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

the Acura TSX, the humble four-cylinder Accord gains electronic throttle control, which replaces the mechanical cable linkage. Two pipes signify a V6-powered Accord, which feature similar changes, but gain only four horses for a grand total of 244, while the Hybrid model gains one horsepower to 253.

For the extensive effort that went into re-working the Accords engine, a gain of six horses doesnt sound like a whole lot, but keep in mind that its six SAE Net horsepower - the new standard that Honda was forced to switch over to, along with everyone else. Like Toyota and Mazda, many of Hondas products, including such lauded vehicles as the Acura TL and RL, were over-rated by as much as 12-hp. Behind the wheel, the Accord also feels more than 6-hp faster, although, that could be attributed to the performance-oriented modifications made to the engine and its resulting rev-happy nature. So, really, underneath it all, the changes feel

Its center console is identical to that of its European cousin, the Acura TSX. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

much greater than the numbers suggest.

OK, it may not be the most interesting vehicle to look at, or to sit in, but one thing hasnt changed: its still one of the best midsize cars on the market to drive. The Accord was obviously fine-tuned by drivers, not marketing men, and so you still get double wishbone suspension, which is not exactly the most space-efficient set up, but leads to more rewarding handling. The spring and damper setup is firmer than on most cars in this class, and the steering wheel, now trimmed in stitched, perforated leather, is set light enough to be twirled about with an index finger, yet it is precise, free of slack, and has a consistent, inspiring weight to it at higher speeds.

Because of this, the Accord isnt afraid to tango when the road gets twisty. It easily works up your confidence, even to a point where you start to experiment; by changing your attack line with the throttle, or by braking a little later, despite the fact that its front discs are the size of cappuccino cup saucers and

Color palette was chosen by someone who lived in the dark ages. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

ABS kicks in prematurely. Nevertheless, youre intentionally kept in check by the cars surprising lack of grip thanks to tires that are merely 205-width, which manage to still break traction on the low-end of the RPM scale in second gear.�

If youve never driven a manual gearbox, the Accord is a great place to be introduced to the world of stick shifts; its about as friendly as they come. The clutch is light as a feather, and the gearbox itself has short, fluid throws. Mated to a slightly sensitive throttle, and an engine that freely spins, its a joy for beginners and enthusiasts alike. The real test of a manny-tranny comes when traffic slows to a speed outpaced by pedestrians, but even then, your left leg wont ache. With a manual as great as this, it makes you wonder why people even bother with an automatic.

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