2010 Honda Accord Crosstour 4WD - Short Take Road Test

Honda compromises the Accord in search of more versatility.
BY MIKE SUTTON November 2009

Honda pumped up the Accord into large-car territory in 2008, once again improving the perennial 10Bester’s refinement and packaging without diminishing its dynamic excellence. Now the Accord Crosstour wagon joins the lineup for 2010, demonstrating that Honda is willing to sacrifice that trait, along with the sedan’s already questionable looks, for greater functionality.

Accord-Plus Package
Sharing the Accord’s chassis, as well as its optional 271-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 and five-speed automatic—a four-cylinder isn’t offered—the Crosstour is Honda’s answer to vehicles such as the Toyota Venza and the Subaru Outback, which offer all-wheel drive and squeeze the better part of a crossover’s five-door utility into a lower-profile wrapper.

It certainly looks like an Accord inside, mostly because it shares the same instrument panel. But the Crosstour is far more spacious, with 26 cubic feet of cargo room behind the second row—the sedan’s trunk holds 14 cubes—and the area is nicely finished with loop-pile carpet, release handles for the rear seats (cargo space expands to 51 cubic feet), and a removable storage bin under the floor that could double as an ice chest for tailgating.

The narrow, split-glass hatch, however, impedes rear visibility and must be manually opened and closed. Its canted design combined with the sloping roof also limits interior volume, with the more squared-off Venza and Outback both offering 34 cubes behind the second row and about 70 with the rear chairs stowed. Rear-seat headroom is adequate for six-plus footers.

Accord-Minus Result
Despite the added, albeit compromised, utility, the exterior shape that allows the extra room is difficult to swallow. The styling is bulbous and frumpy and makes the Crosstour look like a supersized Insight hybrid on stilts. And it’s not light; about 300 pounds more than a V-6 Accord to start and an additional couple hundred pounds for all-wheel drive, which overtaxes the CR-V–size brakes under heavy use.

With steering that’s not as crisp, as well as a loftier perch and larger tires on 17- or 18-inch wheels, the Crosstour is no Accord sedan on the road. But it is not completely sensory depriving like most crossovers. That’s because it is a wagon, and it retains most of the sedan’s overall composure.

Although the five-speed automatic lacks the extra cog of the Venza and the manumatic-shifting mode of nearly everything else, it’s been programmed to hang on to gears longer when the stability control system's wheel-speed sensors detect you’re pushing the vehicle through corners, or when going up or down steep grades. While the Crosstour’s 1500-pound tow rating provides it with enough utility to haul a couple of jet skis, its six inches of ground clearance mean it won’t get over much more than a small snow drift.

We recorded a 7.2-second 0­­­–60 dash and a 15.4-second quarter-mile run at 92 mph with the Honda, which are respectable numbers but only slightly quicker than those of the lighter Outback with the optional 256-hp, 3.6-liter flat-six (7.4 and 15.7 seconds, respectively). A Venza with the 3.5-liter V-6, all-wheel drive, and an additional 127 pounds to lug around, however, is more than a half-second quicker in both measures and can stop from 70 mph in 18 fewer feet (169 versus the Honda’s 187).

Competitive But Compromised
Honda expects to sell about 40,000 Crosstours annually to empty-nesters who are averse to bulky crossovers yet still need some versatility. Billed as the premium model in the Accord range, prices start at $30,380 for front-drivers—about three grand above a V-6 Accord sedan—and approach $37,000 for one like our test car, with all-wheel drive and navigation. Comparable Venzas and Outbacks both top out similarly, but also offer four-cylinder options for thousands less, and the Subaru includes standard all-wheel drive.

Fuel economy just one or two mpg less than an Accord V-6’s should help with Crosstour sales—we averaged 21 mpg with our tester, which has a city/highway rating of 17/25—but a conventional Accord wagon likely would have served the same role. And would have looked better doing it.

Highs: Still a sweet-driving Accord, now with nearly twice the cargo space.

Lows: Questionable looks, no four-cylinder option, and why does an Accord wagon have to weigh two tons?

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon
PRICE AS TESTED: $36,930 (base price: $34,730)
ENGINE TYPE: SOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 212 cu in, 3471ccPower (SAE net): 271 bhp @ 6200 rpmTorque (SAE net): 254 lb-ft @ 5000 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 5-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS:Wheelbase: 110.1 in Length: 196.8 inWidth: 74.7 in Height: 65.7 inCurb weight: 4068 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS: Zero to 60 mph: 7.2 secZero to 100 mph: 18.6 secZero to 120 mph: 30.6 secStreet start, 5–60 mph: 7.5 secStanding ¼-mile: 15.6 sec @ 92 mphTop speed (governor limited): 121 mphBraking, 70–0 mph: 187 ftRoadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.80 g
FUEL ECONOMY:EPA city/highway driving: 17/25 mpgC/D observed: 21 mpg

Source;
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/09q4/2010_honda_accord_crosstour_4wd-short_take_road_test

2010 Honda Accord Crosstour Interior Revealed

Here's the 2010 Honda Accord CrossTour interior shots that Honda posted on their facebook page....
The car is expected to come with the same powertrains as the existing Accords, 3.5L V6 i-Vtec engine w/271hp and a 2.4L 4cyl i-Vtec engine w/190hp. It will come equiped with the VTM-4 lock 4x4 system found in the Pilots/MDX's/Ridgelines.

The Accord Crosstour is itself a member of a rapidly burgeoning segment of the industry, seeking to split the difference between crossover, wagon, hatchback and sedan to come out with something arguably all-new.

As these interior photos reveal, there are lots of possibilities for cargo and passenger configurations, much like a typical crossover, while the front seats are all sedan. The familiar Honda styling and orientation of controls mates with a premium material selection including wood trim and leather upholstery to show the Crosstour's up-market aspirations, though the Acura ZDX is the company's true entry into the luxury range of the new vehicle segment.

The top-down cutaway view gives perhaps the best indication of the space inside the Crosstour, revealing a layout hatchback fans will instantly recognize. Two up front, up to three across the rear bench and enough room in the back for luggage, shopping or sports equipment. Lay the rear seats down and you can fit larger objects including lumber, bikes and more.

The rear suspension towers do impinge on the available cargo space fairly significantly, however, and the sloping, narrow roof means large cubic objects won't fit easily into the rear of the Crosstour, potentially limiting its utility.

An under-floor storage area in the cargo deck adds some space, even offering a pull-out tray to make it easy to access the recessed gear. The rear seats can also be laid flat with by pulling levers accessible from the rear cargo area, making it easy to maximize cargo space.

Source;
http://blogs.thecarconnection.com/marty-blog/1036228_2010-honda-accord-crosstour-interior-revealed

(Honda CrossTour) Crossover raises Honda profile

The tall-wagon crossover segment is starting to get crowded....

2010 Honda Accord CrossTour

2010 Acura ZDX

BMW ActiveHybrid X6

Toyota Venza

Based on Accord chassis, Ohio-built vehicle to arrive soon

Honda is joining the growing list of manufacturers introducing sport-utility vehicles that look like sedans or sport coupes, which, remembering a certain American Motors vehicle of the 1980s, isn't an entirely new concept.

The crossover sedan from Honda, called the Accord Crosstour, arrives this fall and will be built on the chassis of the Accord sedan. The vehicle will be built at the East Liberty, Ohio, assembly plant.

A similar sedan-crossover model was introduced last fall by Toyota as the Venza, and a higher-end model with the same design arrives later this year from Acura, Honda's luxury brand. That vehicle is the ZDX, which essentially is an upscale version of the Crosstour.

BMW introduced the similar X6 crossover sedan for 2008, which has the same design concept but a much higher price - ranging into the mid-$60,000s.

Honda's Crosstour looks a lot like a four-door hatchback version of the Accord, but it also bears some resemblance to the AMC Eagle of the mid-1980s, which some say was the first crossover utility vehicle (defined as a cross between a car and an SUV).

I tested one of the AMC Eagles in 1985 and thought it was a pretty decent vehicle until I got it stuck up to its frame in the sand outside of Phoenix. It had tricked me into thinking that with its fourwheel drive, the Eagle could take on the desert just like a Jeep CJ.

But I forgot about the need for large tires and low-range gearing, neither of which was offered on the Eagle.

Likewise, the crossover sedans we're seeing on the market today aren't sandrunners, even when they're equipped with all-wheel drive.

Honda hasn't said yet whether the Crosstour will be offered with all-wheel drive, but early reports hint that it will be available. Even if it is, the system won't have the traditional low-range gearing of true off-road vehicles, and it certainly won't be capable of serious trail riding.

It will have both a higher profile and more ground clearance than the typical sedan, in keeping with its crossover utility vehicle design. Standard will be front-wheel drive.

"Our concept is to broaden the appeal of the Accord lineup by leveraging traditional Accord strengths of fun-to-drive performance and handling while also adapting to dramatic shifts in the light-truck marketplace," American Honda Motor Co. Vice President said Erik Berkman, American Honda Motor Co. vice president.

The roofline curves down to the rear bumper, unlike the boxy rear ends of traditional SUVs and most crossovers.

Despite the steeply raked roof, the Crosstour will have ample cargo space that can handle larger items that wouldn't fit in a sedan's trunk. The rear liftgate allows for easy loading of bulky items. The middle seat will have a fold-down design to expand the cargo area.

The driving position, higher than that of the typical sedan, is one of the features giving the Crosstour the feel of a utility vehicle.

"We know SUV buyers like the commanding view of the road that comes with a high eye-point, and (they) like the comforts of ... an SUV," Berkman said.

"This vehicle meets the needs of buyers looking for those attributes, yet (who) at the same time want an image that is different from a conventional SUV."

No prices have been announced yet, but the Crosstour will be positioned as the top of the Accord line when it goes on sale later this year, Honda said.

That should mean that the base price will be about $30,000, as prices for the 2010 Accord range from $20,905 to $31,155 (plus $710 freight).

Specifications and other details of the Crosstour have not been released, including what engine and transmission choices will be offered.

But the vehicle probably will be available with the same engines used in the Accord sedan. Those include a 190-horsepower, 2.4-liter fourcylinder and a 271-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6, which also is the engine offered in the Pilot, a crossover utility vehicle based on the Accord. Because the recent spikes in gasoline prices spurred consumer interest in the four-cylinder engines, Honda would be remiss not to offer a four in the Crosstour.

Although Honda offers five- and six-speed manual transmissions in the Accord, I would expect the Crosstour to be available only with an automatic.

Honda offers a five-speed automatic in the 2010 Accord, which probably will be the same transmission used in the Crosstour.

But Honda could take the 3.7-liter engine of the Acura ZDX, along with its new six-speed automatic transmission, and use those in the Crosstour. That engine also is used in the Acura MDX, which is a fancy version of the Pilot.

Both of these Acura models are based on the Accord chassis, as well.

The 3.7-liter engine turns out 300 horsepower and 270 foot-pounds of torque.

No fuel-economy ratings have been announced yet for the Crosstour. But the Accord with the four-cylinder engine and automatic transmission is rated at 21 mpg city/31 highway, while the V-6 model is rated at 19 city/29 highway.

The Pilot, with the V-6 engine and automatic transmission, has ratings of 17 city/23 highway when equipped with front-wheel drive and 16 city/22 highway with all-wheel drive.

Acura's new ZDX has ratings of 16 city/22 highway and comes only with allwheel drive.

Source;

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2009/09/26/cars.html?sid=101

It's Official! The 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour

Well here it is, I gotta say it looks nicer than the camo'd spyshots that I'd seen earlier.

2010 Accord Crosstour Styling Conceals Surprising Versatility

Next evolution of the crossover offers CUV attributes while maintaining a premium sedan feel and a sporty, bold appearance

09/01/2009 - TORRANCE, Calif. -
The all-new 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour evolves the Crossover Utility Vehicle (CUV) concept by integrating a sleek and aerodynamic shape that blends sporty, low-profile contours with versatile CUV functionality, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today.

"Our concept is to broaden the appeal of the Accord line-up by leveraging traditional Accord strengths of fun-to-drive performance and handling while also adapting to dramatic shifts in the light truck marketplace," said Erik Berkman, vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "The Accord Crosstour accomplishes that by offering a modern interpretation of a CUV while integrating the refinement and efficiency of a premium sedan."

Derived from the Accord Sedan, the Accord Crosstour maximizes car-like ride and refinement, yet maintains capabilities consistent with a CUV's increased ride height and all-weather potential. The Accord Crosstour's styling builds on the Accord's familiar character lines and adds a bolder front grille complemented by a durable lower-body appearance, wedge-shaped C-pillars and an aggressive rear stance. The flowing roofline narrows smoothly into the rear of the vehicle to create an aggressive-looking design, which conceals a unique cargo area that can adapt to large objects that exceed the capacity of a sedan.

"We know SUV buyers like the commanding view of the road that comes with a high eye-point and like the comforts of living with an SUV," said Berkman. "This vehicle meets the needs of buyers looking for those attributes yet at the same time want an image that is different from a conventional SUV."

The Accord Crosstour will be positioned at the top of the Accord family when it goes on sale in fall 2009. Additional details will be announced later in the year. Consumer information is available at http://automobiles.honda.com/future-cars. An Accord Crosstour Facebook page is available at www.facebook.com/accordcrosstour. Additional media information regarding all Honda products is available at www.hondanews.com.

Source;
http://www.hondanews.com/categories/1097/releases/5165