I've driven a few different versions of the Honda Accord down the years so I shouldn't have been surprised when the latest model was cleverer, better equipped and far more elegant than previous generations. It's turned into an Accord party trick. If I cast my mind back to when I was at school, I remember a friend's father picking her up in an Accord. We joked about it the funny little Japanese hatchback then, but when I picked my niece up from the school gates in the current Accord, there were several covetous glances cast by the other parents on the school run. True, I was in the mildly sporty ES GT variant, but even the entry-level car looks a class above mainstream family saloons.

Perhaps realising that the further the Accord went upmarket, the smaller demand would be for a hatchback version, Honda ditched the hatch shape in the last generation model and instead offered the Accord as a saloon and a 'Tourer' estate only, a trend that continues in the latest models. While I do like the practicality of a hatchback, this saloon offers a big boot and a lot of headroom inside. The rear legroom isn't the most generous around, but the seats are comfortable. If you do need to carry more, there's a handsome Accord Tourer estate version which some reckon is even better looking than the saloon. There are currently three engines available in the Accord line up which limits choice when compared to the masses available if you're after a Volkswagen Passat or a Ford Mondeo, but they are all well worth having. Otherwise there's little to grouse about. The interior is rather Japanese - functional and well screwed together but without a great deal of eye candy. The cabin has been improved, ridding the Accord of the rather reedy, lightweight feel of older versions. The dashboard extends from the centre console to sweep around the front seats, giving the Accord's interior some character. The dash features floating backlit instruments with an LCD information screen housed in the middle of the speedometer dial. Honda has spent a big proportion of the budget on the front seats, being at the same time more supportive and better able to dampen vibration. Taking a cue from its expertise in building mini-MPVs, Honda has also endowed the Accord with many clever storage solutions, including a lidded storage area to the side of the steering wheel, two centre console side pockets and a huge box housed under the centre armrest.

The fact that just three engines are available at present - a 155bhp 2.0-litre, a 198bhp 2.4-litre and a new 149bhp i-DTEC diesel - means that the Accord line-up starts mid-way through that of many rival models who offer entry-level petrol and diesel derivatives. A combined economy figure of 50.4mpg for the i-DTEC Accord means it's a couple of miles per gallon thirstier than its predecessor, but it is more powerful and the car it's propelling is a good deal larger. Besides, 50mpg is a very decent return, the benchmark car in this sector, the BMW 320d, not quite managing this despite its EfficientDynamics measures. Certain Honda trademarks continue - the gearchange is excellent but the electrically assisted steering takes a little getting used to. Accords have never had the best reputation for motorway refinement, but the latest car is a good deal better than its somewhat raucous predecessor. It's still not what you'd call whisper quiet though, the wing mirrors, the tyres and the engine all making themselves heard at speed.

There's a lot to be said for the Accord. It's well built, well equipped, pleasant to drive and as it's not a BMW 3 Series, people will let you pull out into the flow of traffic in one. If you're very image conscious, the Accord may not quite make the statement you're after, but that may change if and when sportier versions appear. Perhaps the best thing that has happened to the Accord is that it has ditched its somewhat 'blue rinse' image in favour of a more executive persona. It's a class act. 17th June 2008