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Honda Accord sedan expands in size and gets a boost in power
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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HANNIBAL, Mo. -- Designers pondered the challenge of changing Honda's Ohio-built Accord, one of the most popular sedans in America, before committing to the dramatic concept exhibited in new 1998 models.
At one point in the design process, which began shortly after the introduction of the previous generational changes on 1994 Accords, American and Japanese members of Honda's research and development team rented a fleet of Accords and competitor sedans, then set out in summer's heat along historic Route 66 to drive the country and experience what American consumers feel when living out these cars for day after day.
Their conclusion: Give us more space, particularly in the rear seat -- and better air conditioners.
New sixth generational editions of Accord reflect these desires, plus opinions expressed in surveys of customers. As a result, Accord also gains strength in engines and chassis to improve performance and overall ride quality.
Honda's mainstay sedan looks more sophisticated now -- it's downright dressy -- and the passenger compartment measures longer and wider and taller. It promotes true mid-size interior dimensions and provides room for five adults to ride in classy comfort.
At the sedan's media introduction in St. Louis last spring, Accord's chief designer, Shinji Takashima, defined the new shape of Accord as a "glassy big top" concept. Driving that design is the goal of minimizing car space required for engine and mechanicals while maximizing room for riders.
On the outside Accord appears smooth, with crisp sheetmetal edges but rolled corners and lots of glass on top with the radically raked windshield canted rearward in aerodynamic concession that conveys an aggressive attitude.
The clean form combines with a monochromatic treatment that comes off as understated and rather elegant, suggesting an expensive luxury import.
It isn't expensive, however.
Despite the increase in equipment and new strengths for structure and suspension and engines, Accord in new form manages to hold the line on prices and maintain figures similar to previous 1997 editions.
Honda has been able to accomplish this seemingly contradictory feat of improving the product but putting a lid on prices due to new efficiencies in the manufacturing process and by building Accords for Americans in Ohio.
Although Accord is marketed around the world, the new design reflects an interesting strategy Honda calls flexible manufacturing, whereby dimensions of the Accord platform can be changed to address desires for a particular market.
In European and Japanese markets, for instance, short and narrow sedans are preferred due to constraints of traffic and street design, so Honda builds narrow-body Accords at factories positioned near the source of buyers.
In Asian and American markets, by contrast, larger and wider sedans are desired, so Honda has found a method of expanding the Accord platform to create a more spacious interior compartment. These wide-body Accords now flow from American Honda plants in Ohio.
Such creative flexibility in manufacturing a global car in close proximity to the intended customer base and tailoring the car to market desires ends up saving production money due to efficiencies gained. Honda then passes this savings along to customers by offering a far better product for prices comparable to previous models.
How good is the new Accord?
Well, in a series of subjective tests drawing from both new and last year's Accords as well as Accord's closest domestic and foreign sedan rivals, Accord exhibited superior traits in engine performance, ride and drive quality, control of noise and vibration, and rider room and comfort.
Where Accord most impressed one tester concerned the way an Accord driver feels when installed in the bolstered bucket seat with comfortable seatbelt strapped firmly across the chest, hands on a fat little steering wheel, eyes peering through multiple panes of tall windows to watch road traffic, ears tuned to the subtle nuances of a quiet cabin.
This spacious, rich, pleasing interior climate Accord creates has been dubbed "world business class" by designers.
Honda also delivers feel-good sensations when a driver puts an Accord in motion.
In stop-and-go city traffic, like the mired mess my tests encountered in St. Louis, Accord produces helpful acceleration punches. It also brakes quickly when commanded, and the beefed up insulation and stiff body structured block unnerving noises of traffic.
When unleashed on twisty roads, like those I drove through Missouri hills following the Mississippi River to Hannibal, Accord comes alive with spirit. In tight corners it holds firmly on controlled line obeying driver's demands.
Accord's improved agility comes from a combination of new structural improvements: The wider and more stable track, a lower center of gravity, larger wheels and tires, lower spring rates and the uncommonly smooth yet controlled double wishbone suspension with new 5-link rear components which allow higher freeway speeds.
For power, Accord continues to offer the choice of 4-cylinder and V6 engines, only both boost size and power.
The 4-cylinder engine enlarges to 2.3 liters. In base Accord DX this plant musters 135 hp, but for Accord LX and EX Honda's VTEC wizardry of valve control applies, increasing output to 150 hp while also elevating fuel economy numbers to 30 mpg.
Honda's VTEC version wins certification in California as a Low-Emission Vehicle (LEV), and when linked to the optional 4-speed automatic transmission becomes the first mass-produced gasoline engine to conform to the state's strict ULEV (Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle) standard.
The new V6, displacing 3.0 liters with single overhead camshafts and VTEC controls, soars to 200 hp and connects strictly to an automatic 4-speed shifter. Honda's impressive V6 is built at the Anna, O., engine plant.
Accords equipped with V6 segment as LX-V6 and EX-V6, with the top model installing all of the plush features of a fine luxury sedan.
Overall, Accord scores records in aspects of design, performance, safety and comfort. Clearly an improvement over predecessors, it also rises above competitors in behavior. And by marketing Accord at prices close to earlier models, Honda creates an utterly stunning deal.
1998 HONDA ACCORD SEDAN
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1998 HONDA ACCORD SEDAN Specs |
| Description: |
Mid-size sedan |
| Model Options: |
Mid-size sedan |
| Wheelbase: |
106.9 inches |
| Overall Length: |
188.8 inches
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| Engine Size: |
SOHC 2.3-L I4
SOHC 2.3-L I4 VTEC
SOHC 3.0-L V6
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| Transmission: |
I4: Manual/5, Auto/4
V6: Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Front |
| Braking: |
I4: Power disc/drum,
opt. ABS
V6: Power 4-disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
I4: 23/30 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 17,000 to $ 26,000 |
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