TORRANCE, California — Since the first official images were released last week on Facebook, consumer reaction to the all-new 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour has been brutal, to say the least.
One comment Monday on Honda's Facebook page was particularly telling: "This is a car that will MEGA FLOP. Where are the fun SPORTY, GOOD LOOKING cars that made Honda a success? Why is Honda looking to create a car for Pontiac AZTEK buyers?"
A second Facebook viewer observed: "Judging from the recent Acura cars, Honda's been in [an] ?Ugly Phase.' But this hideous thing called Crosstour is just too horrible, much in the way Acura ZDX is. I wonder [if] this is an indication that Ugly Cars are starting to ?trickle down' to [the] Honda badge."
In part to counter some of the negative feedback, Honda released additional shots of the vehicle on its consumer site and on the Crosstour's Facebook page. Needless to say, the new photographic angles don't appear to have muted the criticism.
Inside Line says: The comparison with the Pontiac Aztek, one of the most despised designs in recent decades, must seem particularly galling to Honda. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
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jaredsalinger says:
11:01 AM, 03/16/2011
By the way, I agree with Ikusa, somewhat, regarding the price. It does seem too high. However, if the quality is as good as many reviewers are claiming, it could be compared to a higher echelon model, which would make the price about right. Nevertheless, I was disappointed, when I built it online, that it quickly jumped to almost $35,000 by merely adding 4wd. It quickly shoots up to $40,000 by adding nav and other goodies. So, when it gets that expensive, maybe it aught to be an Acura.
jaredsalinger says:
10:49 AM, 03/16/2011
My feelings about the Crosstour are mixed from okay this or that to oooh cool! It's different, which takes getting used to. I would make some changes to the design, giving it a slightly lower profile in the back while giving the front some more assertive curves.
The intrusion of the wheel wells into the cargo area is also a bit of an issue, but it looks like plenty of soft baggage could be stored in the recesses.
It seems to look best in the darker colors, especially black, which seems to balance the lines better than the light colors or white.
NHTSA (http://www.safercar.gov) does not plan on crash testing it anytime soon. Their response to my inquire was that they don't have the budget right now to test as many cars as they would like; therefore, the focus on the higher sales volume models for the purpose of informing the maximum number of potential drivers. But if the Accord sedan framework is similar enough to the Crosstour, it might be a good guess that the Crosstour would get 5 stars in the new 2011 tests.
IIHS (http://www.iihs.org/) gives it Good ratings except for Roof Crush test, which rates only Marginal.
I have not been able to find crash test information on the other sites I visited, including Euro NCAP (http://www.euroncap.com/), Austrailian NCAP (http://m.ancap.com.au/m/home), and Japan NCAP (http://www.nasva.go.jp/mamoru/en/).
Although I think it would be a fine automobile, I am reluctant to buy one until there is more data on it. And, I've read that Honda might offer a resigned, or at least updated, Crosstour soon. So I'll wait to see what happens.
Jared
lkusa says:
11:14 PM, 01/30/2010
Intermediate wagons should start in the low $20K range, not the upper-mid to high $20s. Neither of these is attractive, too bad the japanese are clueless about good design.
ggusta says:
12:27 PM, 01/21/2010
I have seen a crosstour on the road and thought it was A) Very Attractive and B)Much much better looking than some of Acura's HIDEOUS cars, in particular the TL, which is one of the ugliest expensive cars ever made.