Alternative review of Honda Accord Tourer

Before Honda's Accord Tourer came along, I was wondering when a car maker was going to come up with an estate that was both stylish and practical. Until this model arrived, many family buyers either chose something practical like a Mondeo Estate or opted for a sleeker 'hatchback with a backpack' like an Audi A4 Avant. Lots of manufacturers claim to be able to offer estate cars with the best of both worlds but I've found that almost all disappoint, if not aesthetically, then against the tape measure. So I was keen to judge this one. I'll leave assessment on the styling to you, but most will probably feel more than comfortable with an Accord Tourer gracing their driveway. It has a distinct look - especially its current guise and a versatile approach to life.

If you were expecting a state of the art loading system at the back of the Accord Tourer, you may well come away disappointed. Load space is actually reduced by some 14 per cent compared to the previous generation car and the rear suspension also intrudes at the sides of the floor, robbing the Tourer of a clean, square bay. The tumblehome - the amount the side windows angle inwards - is also quite marked. Still, most of us don't habitually cart around grandfather clocks. For me, it's not the total amount of space you have but the way you can use it that really matters and in this respect, this Honda comes up trumps with its clever 'One Motion' system for easy access of what space there is. The idea is that collapsing everything into a folded position should be a simple, quick, one-action, one-handed operation. In rival estate cars, I've often found that's not the case. To access all of the load space, you have to detach the rear head restraints and pull up the rear seat cushions before folding the rear backrest forward. It's a fiddly, time-consuming operation. Thankfully, the Honda is quite different. Positioned on top of the 60:40-split rear seat backs are the operating catches, one either side of the car. To fold either seat section, you simply pull the lever forward, which simultaneously releases the seat back lock and automatically flips the headrest forward via an interlocking cable. You then continue to pull the seatback forward and, since this is interconnected with the seat base via a sliding linkage, the effect of this action is to flip the seat base up automatically into a vertical position behind the front seat. Since the headrest is flipped forward, it comfortably clears the seat base. There's no messing about with seatbelts and anchor points either, since everything is integrally designed into the seat mechanism. Easy. Mind you, as Honda well knows, the 'One Motion' system will be called into operation quite rarely (one reason why the relatively low total 'seats folded' luggage capacity of this car shouldn't hurt sales too much). Buyers in this sector attach greater emphasis to the size and versatility of the estate compartment itself.

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. The dash could use a central controller to rid it of all the buttons though. 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. If you're going to buy an estate car, chances are that it will need a decent engine and the big story with this generation Accord is an all-new diesel unit that Honda calls the i-DTEC. Generating 149bhp at 4,000rpm, it's more refined than the old 138bhp i-CTDi engine and also beats it in terms of emissions and fuel economy. With a peak torque figure of 350Nm, it's also extremely punchy. Otherwise there are two petrol engines, starting with the 155bhp 2.0-litre i-VTEC with its revised valve lift and timing and better gas flow. Or there's a 198bhp 2.4-litre i-VTEC unit which has also had a good deal of internal revision to make that power figure without recourse to turbocharging. All engines are mated to six-speed manual gearboxes, while the petrol units have the option of a five-speed auto.

I liked the Accord Tourer. No, it's no the most spacious medium-sized estate you can buy but, if you want a modicum of style in your luggage carrying life, it's an alternative you shouldn't ignore. 17th June 2008

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