Honda Accord reviews

1995 Honda Accord Walkaround

Completely redesigned for '94, the Accord family is now in its fifth generation. Though the wagon has only been in the lineup since '91, it benefits from 18 years of on-going development and refinement.

The Accord's 1994 makeover was arguably the most sweeping in the car's long history. Beyond the quietly stylish exterior, it included a redesigned interior plus extensive chassis stiffening.

Obviously, the wagon doesn't have the same clean, wedge-shaped look as the sedan and coupe. But the look is thoroughly contemporary. The rounded rear contours and molded-in taillights make it look like something other than an Accord sedan with an extra section grafted on.

With flush-mounted glass and cleaner lines, all the Accords have improved aerodynamic efficiency, which pays off in reduced wind noise and quieter all-around operation. The Toyota Camry Wagon may still hold a slight edge in this department, but it would take a very keen ear to pick up the difference.

The Accord Wagon is a little smaller than its principal competition - the Camry, Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable wagons. The Accord's more compact design and sophisticated suspension combine to provide better handling, but for larger family purposes one of the bigger midsize wagons might be a better bet.

Unlike the sedan lineup, there are only two Accord Wagon models: LX and EX. The LX is the middle grade in Honda's model designations and it includes as standard equipment most of the comfort and convenience features that make driving more pleasurable.

The EX version, of course, adds more - a power moonroof and standard anti-lock brakes (ABS), for example - and offers the option of leather upholstery.

The standard powertrain for the Accord LX Wagon is a 130-hp 2.2-liter 4-cylinder with a 5-speed manual transmission. EX editions get a more powerful VTEC version of this same engine.

Honda's smooth-shifting 4-speed automatic is an extra-cost option for both models.

Although our LX test wagon had the base engine and manual transmission, a word on Honda's VTEC and Grade Logic automatic transmission is in order here.

The VTEC engine extracts an extra measure of performance from the 2.2-liter engine by automatically shifting over to a second set of camshaft lobes at higher engine speeds. The effect is similar to the extra power provided by a turbocharger, without the turbocharger drawbacks in durability and operation.

Grade Logic is programmed into the computer interface between the engine and automatic transmission. When the computer sees that you've got your foot off the gas pedal but the car isn't slowing down - a condition you might encounter when descending a steep hill, for example - it automatically shifts down one gear so that you don't have to ride the brake all the way to the bottom.