Honda's ability to read our minds is rather legendary. Generations of Accords have touched hearts and wallets with their just-right combination of size, amenities and out-and-out value. But we wonder what exactly we were thinking the day the Honda brain trust probed our thoughts and came up with the 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour.
In concept, the Accord Crosstour makes perfect sense. This tall hatchback is better for carrying Akitas than the Accord sedan, but isn't quite so large and heavy as a true SUV like the Pilot or the Odyssey minivan. At the same time, the Crosstour has roomier passenger quarters than the Honda CR-V and proves far more successful at getting out of its own way on the freeway.
Indeed, we're content as we drive our front-wheel-drive 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour EX-L with Navigation. It feels like an Accord sedan (albeit with 300 extra pounds) right down to its accurate steering and predictable handling.
Yet, there's something odd about the 2010 Accord Crosstour that can't be entirely written off to its exterior styling and the ensuing fuss on Facebook. The Crosstour is supposed to offer an ideal compromise of sedan and SUV attributes, but the utility doesn't quite add up.
More Hatchback Than Crossover
An exceptionally long body contributes to the 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour's challenging appearance. At 196.8 inches, it's 3.5 inches longer than the Accord sedan (with which it shares its 110-inch wheelbase), 6 inches longer than the Honda Pilot and 8 inches longer than its closest rival, the Toyota Venza. Combine this with the sloping roofline of a hatchback and you never know what you'll get. Maybe you'll pen the next Audi A7, but it could just as well be another BMW X6 or 5 Series GT.
The biggest problem for the Crosstour is the news that the 2011 Acura TSX Wagon goes on sale next fall.
The Accord Crosstour is similar in width (74.7 inches) and height (65.7 inches) to rival crossovers like the Venza, Nissan Murano and Subaru Outback. It has less ground clearance (6 inches) than these three, but sits higher off the ground than a normal Accord sedan. The objective is just to give you a shot at escaping your driveway after a snowstorm. Honda offers you the choice of front-wheel drive or the simple, cost-effective Real Time four-wheel-drive system from the CR-V.
Inside its passenger cabin, the five-passenger Crosstour offers ample shoulder, hip- and legroom in both rows, but the hatchback roofline puts the squeeze on as you move rearward. Honda's new crossover is a little tight on rear headroom (37.5 inches) for this class. You also can't recline its 60/40 rear seat. Honda apparently has assumed that you won't be putting any gangly-limbed teenagers back here, you see, as recent empty nesters are also part of the target demographic.
Cargo space is even more compromised, as vertical clearance dips as low as 17 inches as the hatchback tapers. Moreover, the Crosstour's 25.7-cubic-foot cargo bay and 51.3-cubic-foot capacity with the rear seat pale in comparison to the Murano, Outback and Venza. All three have more than 30 cubic feet of seats-up capacity. The Outback and Venza top 70 cubic feet with their rear seats folded — as does the compact CR-V.
A Couple Blocks Uptown
Surprisingly for a car with "Accord" in its name, the 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour will exist only in the $30K-plus price bracket when it goes on sale on November 20 and it also comes only with Honda's 3.5-liter V6 engine rated at 271 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 254 at 5,000 rpm.
There's no LX model, and the base two-wheel-drive Crosstour EX starts at $30,380. To help you get around that psychological barrier, Honda offers dual-zone automatic climate control and a more powerful, 340-watt audio system as standard, along with the expected 10-way power driver seat, sunroof and 17-inch alloy wheels.
The price jump from the EX to EX-L is $2,900, and that gets you leather upholstery, seat memory, heated seats, a real USB input, Bluetooth, satellite radio and 18-inch wheels. Add $1,450 if you want 4WD, which is only available on the EX-L. Navigation requires another $2,200, but you'll also get a back-up camera this time.
Our 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour 2WD EX-L Navi costs $35,480. We appreciate the slightly higher-grade leather upholstery and extra simulated walnut trim, but otherwise its cabin feels like any other Accord's.
Like an Accord, but Far Quieter
Fortunately, the cabin doesn't sound like any other Accord's. Road noise is significantly lower over all types of pavement — so much so that we're more aware of wind ruffle off the mirrors than the rumble of the 225/60R18 100H Michelin Latitude Tour HP tires. We measure 61.5 decibels in the 2010 Accord Crosstour EX-L Navi's cabin at a 70-mph cruise compared to 66.5 dBA in our long-term Accord EX-L sedan.
Ride quality is also slightly more relaxed (but no less composed), even though the basic suspension components are the same. Minor revisions to the chassis have yielded a 20 percent increase in bending rigidity, according to Honda, along with a 3 percent increase in torsional rigidity.
The car's handling limits are modest but approachable, and at 64.4 mph, the Honda Accord Crosstour isn't much slower through the slalom than our Accord long-termer (65.6 mph). We've never done better than 63.6 mph through the cones in the Venza and 59.2 mph in the Murano.
A Bit Dull With the V6
Putting the gas pedal to the floor in our 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour EX-L Navi isn't as exciting as it should be in a vehicle with a powerful V6, though. Low-end torque is weak just like in the V6 Accord sedan. Even when the engine hits its stride at 5,000 rpm, Honda doesn't allow much personality to come through, so the soundtrack remains dull.
The Crosstour also lacks authority when stepping out to pass, as its fuel-saving cylinder deactivation feature (Honda's Variable Cylinder Management) and the five-speed automatic transmission's hesitance to downshift slow its responses. We want a manual-shift mode. Of course, there's no denying that fuel economy is pretty good with the current arrangement; the 2WD Crosstour has an 18/27 rating. Without making any effort, we get 24.5 mpg during a 100-mile pure highway run. The 4WD Accord Crosstour has a 17 mpg city/25 mpg highway EPA rating.
Honda has added a downshift rev-matching feature for the Crosstour, but it's very subtle and you have to be watching the tach to see any evidence of throttle blips. It's just a software add-on to make downshifts smoother, not necessarily quicker, so Accord coupes and sedans with this five-speed automatic will likely get rev-matching for the 2011 model year, though Honda won't confirm this.
Our 2010 Crosstour EX-L Navi's 7.5-second 0-to-60-mph time (7.2 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a dragstrip) and 15.5-second quarter-mile at 91.3 mph are respectable for this class and not far off our long-term Accord (7.0-second 0-60 mph; 15.3 seconds at 95.4 mph in the quarter-mile). The V6-equipped Venza is quicker, though, with a 7.2-second 0-60 and at 15.2-second quarter at 92.8 mph. More importantly, the Toyota, which has a six-speed automatic, feels quicker out of the gates and offers plenty of vigor when passing.
Still, the weakest dynamic link on this 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour EX-L Navi is the brakes. Honda has added a second piston to each front caliper and increased the rear rotor diameter by almost an inch (now 12 inches) over the V6 Accord. It's not enough, though. Our Crosstour stops from 60 mph in 131 feet, but fades to 135 feet on the second stop.
The End of Our Tour
Underachieving brakes are unfortunately par for the course in the current Honda lineup, but apart from that, the 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour EX-L Navi is an agreeable vehicle to drive. It's quieter and more comfortable than other Hondas, and certainly more practical than the Accord sedan if you travel with a medium-size pet or stroller.
But as a crossover, the 2010 Accord Crosstour just isn't as focused on practicality as the Murano, Outback, Venza or even the CR-V. All of these vehicles put the emphasis on utility and that dictates their rotund shape.
The Accord Crosstour tries to be something different and trades away space in the name of style. Honda points out that the 40,000 empty nesters and young families it hopes will buy a Crosstour annually aren't necessarily looking for maximum utility. But the Crosstour is wide across the bow, and frankly, ungainly from certain angles. It's not the kind of car you buy for its looks and we wonder exactly how many cubic feet of cargo capacity that buyers will be willing to sacrifice.
Possibly the biggest problem for the 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour is last week's announcement that the 2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon goes on sale next fall. Not only does the TSX wagon have a more conventional shape and presumably more cargo capacity, it's likely to land in exactly the same price range.
The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.
Add A Comment »
rondar says:
05:08 PM, 01/16/2010
I do not think it's so bad, it is under consideration to replace my mothers 2000 Lexus RX. She needs something bigger than a sedan but not another SUV. I may be biased because I have always been a fan of 5 doors and wagons. 79' Fiesta, 81' RX7, 84 Supra, 87' Volvo 740 turbo wagon, 91 Protege, 99' Discovery, 02' Protege5. Only one was not a hatch or wagon. I currrently own an 04 Mazda 6 wagon and must say it is the best looking wagon (under 28k when new) available at the time. I still get complements regularly. I hope Mazda comes back around and brings us the 5 door and wagon again. I agree most Americans snub the Hatchback/wagon but that was not always the case, it's time to bring them back for thier abilities and car like handeling/ride.
charlesb says:
07:41 PM, 12/02/2009
Somebody should have told Honda that Americans don't like hatches, even giant ones with blunt noses.
andrew20 says:
07:04 AM, 11/16/2009
This could be one of the ugliest Hondas ever.
bestcarforme says:
02:02 PM, 11/11/2009
I do not understand this vehicle. I hear that peple will buy this just because it is a Honda. The fact is, Honda makes better cars than the Crosstour. You want something cheaper, buy a different Honda, you wants something with more room, buy a different Honda, you want something with better mileage, buy a different Honda, you want something will all these features, but a different Honda. The only reason someone buys this is for the styling, otherwise they would buy a different Honda. It does not matter if GM/Toyota/Ford/Mazda build better a car, Honda builds better cars than this.
says:
04:49 AM, 11/11/2009
The overall opinion is this thing is big, fat, expensive and Fughly. I've owned 2 Hondas and I generally like their cars. But this Crosstour and the current Accord are awfull. As the I said before the last series Mazda 6 5-door and wagon are much better. The only good result of this would be if more people in the US would accept hatchbacks and if Mazda would add the 5-door and wagon to the USA Mazda 6 line.
rdm925 says:
04:52 PM, 11/09/2009
I'm a big fan of 5-door hatchbacks but, this one is big fat and Fughly. I own a 2007Mazda 6i 5-door. It is sleek and sporty and about $10-12,000 less in price. Mazda should bring back tyhe 5-door and wagon in the USA Mazda.
sylvia says:
09:02 AM, 11/07/2009
I don't care for the styling. It reminds me of a Datsun for some reason.
Why not simply do a longer version of the Fit that meets the need of those who need something a little bigger than a small hatchback but not going to the extremes of a wagon?
zoomzoom22 says:
10:37 PM, 11/06/2009
This thing is hideous, but the interior is nice, and it will sell because its a Honda. I've seen many new Pilot's on the road and that thing is atrocious.
1487, put down the GM drink for a second and step into a 5 Series. The level of quality is several steps above the CTS interior, although both do offer a nice design. The CTS feels like a dressed up Malibu, the 5 series, a dressed up 3 series.
To whomever was asking for a 220 hp, 30 MPG, good handling, fun to drive wagon, check out the last gen Mazda6 wagon. In its time it was the best looking wagon (IMO) on the market, and it drove like a normal 6. Mazda really fu***d up in not bringing it back to the states.
1487 says:
09:04 AM, 11/06/2009
"I mentioned BMW as you have consistently criticized the 5 Series as you've stated MANY TIMES the CTS is superior to the 5. That may or may not be true, I don't know and I don't really care as I own or plan to own either car."
Please stop ranting about stuff that has never been said. The CTS is better looking than the the 5 series on the inside and far cheaper. Those are facts. The 5 series isn't a bad car in any way, its just ridiculously overpriced and thus I would never buy one new or used. The CTS isn't really superior (except in ergonomics and interior design) but it gives you the same performance for thousands less in a better looking package. That is hardly a "GM makes better cars than BMW" stance as you claim.
1487 says:
09:02 AM, 11/06/2009
"1487, like I previously and CLEARLY stated, you compared the Equinox to the CrossTour. The CrossTour's actual length is more prominent on the front end as the ACE system is designed with more crush area to absorb more energy for better crash test results. That would OF COURSE lead to more front overhang which adds LENGTH to the vehicle! As I've said before, going by numbers alone only tells half the story. Please review the details."
Details are irrelevant in this case. The Accord is far too long for the amount of space it provides. My original point was that Il has made a huge deal of the SRX offering less space that some competitors in spite of being 190" long on the outside. The same criticism applies to this vehicle. It's a foot longer than many compact crossovers and yet offers 20% less space. Its an incredibly inefficient vehicle from a cargo standpoint.