2012 Honda Accord

You should opt for the 2012 Honda Accord SE trim of the Accord. It will cost you $24,030 where you get leather interiors with a leather steering wheel, leather-trimmed bucket seats, standard automatic transmission, power side mirrors, a heated 10-way power driver seat, and air-conditioning with an air filtration system.

The 2012 Honda Accord is available in 5 trim levels. The base trim is an LX trim that has a starting price of $21,480 with limited features. The LX-P trim is a sensible upgrade from the LX with 16-alloy wheels, an 8-way power driver seat, a standard 5-Speed automatic transmission, and illuminated power window controls.

The SE trim brings in leather upholstery, comfortable heated seats, and much more. With the EX trim, you get bigger 17-inch alloys, a moonroof, and ventilated disc brakes. The top EX-L trim gets dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth Handsfree Link and a better entertainment package, and a navigation system.

The 2012 Honda Accord has a 2.4L i-VTEC 4 cylinder engine under its hood. It churns out 177 hp of power @ 6,500 RPM and a torque output of 161 lb-ft. The engine comes mated to a 5-Speed manual transmission with overdrive. From the EX trim onwards, you have a greater power output with the same 2.4L 4-cylinder. You get 190 hp power where the 162 lb-ft torque output is somewhat similar. It is mated to either a 5-Speed manual or a 5 Speed automatic transmission.

To give you the best performance and driving experience, Honda also offers a 3.5L SOHC i-VTEC V6 engine. With its enormous power of 271 hp and 254 lb-ft torque, the engine is connected to a close-ratio 6-Speed manual whereas the automatic is optional. The base engine can do a 0-60 mph run in 8.8 seconds. It has a quarter-mile timing of 15.7 seconds. The 190 hp 4 cylinder does a bit faster. With the V6, the Accord sprints from 0-60 mph in just 6.7 seconds and reaches the quarter-mile in 14.9 seconds.

The Honda Accord isn't the cheapest sedan in the segment. With its 177 hp of base power, it is quite capable. Still, its arch-rival Toyota Camry gives it a tough time. Even the Hyundai Sonata is ahead of it. However, the Honda Accord managed to take down the Chevrolet Malibu. The Hyundai Sonata is the fastest sedan with its 132 mph of maximum speed. Both Accord and Sonata have similar manual transmissions as standard.

Being a Japanese brand, Honda cars are one of the most fuel-efficient in the segment. Talking about the Accord, it fetches 23 mpg in the city, 34 mpg on the highway, and a combined 27 mpg with its base engine. It has a highway range of 629 miles which is pretty impressive.

With the 190 hp engine, you get 22 mpg in the city, 33 mpg on the highway, and a combined 25 mpg. Still, you have 611 miles of highway range. The V6 delivers 20 mpg in the city, 30 on the highway, and a combined 24 mpg that limits the highway range to 555 miles.

The Toyota Camry has the best in class fuel economy with its base engine. On the second spot is the Hyundai Sonata with its close enough economy. The Honda Accord isn't too behind either with its fuel economy. The Chevrolet Malibu has the lowest economy. With their huge tanks, both Accord and Sonata go beyond 600 miles on the highway which is laudable.

The Accord has a spacious and comfy cabin. Still, it looks dated with the same old design. However, the cabin quality improves as we move up the trim level still people expect more from Honda. If we talk about the windshield, the visibility is substantial with the slim A-pillars. You get three interior color choices out of which the ivory looks alluring. Honda takes consistency to a new level as the sliding dashboard hasn't changed a bit in 4 years. 

It still has that center console with numerous controls including HVAC and the audio system. The dual-tone steering feels great when wrapped in leather. You have either metal accents or wood accents on the dashboard. The base LX trim gets a manually adjustable driver seat with active head restraints. With the LX premium trim, Honda adds an 8-way power driver seat. 

The SE trim makes it interesting with 10-way power front bucket seats, a driver lumbar, and a heating function. At the back, there’s a bench seat with a foldable seatback. You have plenty of convenience features inside the cabin. As standard, there’s cruise control, a tilt, and telescopic steering, and a sliding center armrest. The higher trims add illuminated controls, active noise cancellation, a power moonroof, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, and dual-zone automatic climate control.

With a seating capacity of 5, the Honda Accord offers proper seating capacity for all the passengers. It has the best-in-class headroom and shoulder room in both rows. The Hyundai Sonata gets ahead with its amazing front row legroom where the Toyota Camry offers the maximum legroom at the back. In terms of cargo capacity, the Accord is the last one in its segment. All the other rivals offer more than 15.0 cubic feet of space where the Sonata has a massive 16.4 cubic feet trunk. Highlight Interior features of the 2012 Honda Accord include:

• 10-way power bucket seat
• Heated seats
• Cruise control
• Leather upholstery (EX-L trim)
• Leather steering wheel
• Tilt and telescopic steering
• Power moonroof

How intuitive is the 2012 Honda Accord's Infotainment unit?

Honda keeps its cars well equipped when it is about entertainment and connectivity. The 2012 Honda Accord has a decent infotainment system where you get various options to listen to your favorite music. You have an in-dash CD player, an input jack, iPod connectivity, USB tethering, and AM/FM radio. The EX trim adds a 6-disc CD changer to the infotainment package. 

With the top-end EX-L trim, you get a Bluetooth handsfree link and an XM satellite radio 90 day subscription. The infotainment is connected to a 180W 6-speaker audio system whereas the EX-L trim has a 270W premium 6-speaker premium audio system. You can even avail the Honda Satellite linked navigation system that comes with voice command, a center display, and a rearview camera. The features that make the infotainment unique are:

• 6-disc CD changer
• iPod integration
• Bluetooth hands-free link
• XM satellite radio
• 270W premium audio system
• Honda Satellite linked navigation

The Honda Accord has come a long way and has gone under a ton of changes. What makes it special is its size and road presence. It delivers an exquisite ride quality on the road. Even after getting old, the Accord has a striking design. We'll be getting a redesigned Accord very soon. From the front, the Accord looks sleek with its sharp edges. The front fascia looks stylish with its bold multi-reflector halogen headlamps that come with daytime running lights. 

The massive hood slopes down to the chrome grille. For the sake of dynamics, there are large air intakes on the bumper. The fog lamps are available as optional. The side profile of the Honda Accord is quite simple, yet it looks stylish with the round wheel arches, body-color door handles, and chrome-plated beltline. Apart from the 16-inch steel wheels, you get 16-inch alloy wheels with the LX-P trim. 

The EX and above trims offer 17-inch silver-painted wheels. As its design suggests, the Accord doesn't offer a huge trunk. If you look closely, you'll notice that the tail lamps make an ax-shaped design when combined with the trunk-mounted lamps. The rear bumper is pretty huge and where the exhaust is carved out from the corner.

In terms of design and appearance, the Honda Accord is an amazing midsize sedan. It weighs less than the Chevrolet Malibu and is slightly heavier than both Sonata and Camry. In terms of length, it is the longest sedan where the hood covers the most part. Also, Honda has made this one wider and taller to stand out from the crowd. Highlight Exterior features of the 2012 Honda Accord are:

• Daytime running lights
• Fog lamps
• Chrome grille
• Chrome exterior accents
• Premium paint options
• 17-inch silver alloy wheels
• Low ground clearance

The safety of the Honda Accord starts with its advanced compatibility engineering structure. It protects the cabin with rigid crumple zones where the high-strength steel helps in absorbing the impact of frontal collisions. That's why in both NHTSA and IIHS crash tests, the 2012 Honda Accord has scored perfectly, yet it didn't receive the top safety pick title.

To protect the passengers at the time of the mishap, the Accord comes with 6 standard airbags with dual-chamber side airbags that work with occupant detection. You have front 3-point seat belts with pre-tensioners as well. Moreover, you have brake assistance, electronic brake-force distribution, vehicle stability assist, and a tire pressure monitoring system. Standout Safety features in the 2012 Honda Accord are:

• Advanced Compatibility Engineering
• 6 standard airbags
• Electronic brake-force distribution
• Tire pressure monitoring system
• Rearview camera (Optional)

The Honda Accord remains a great choice for the money considering the peace of mind that it offers. It has been one of the best-selling sedans in the American market since 1989. That alone tells a lot about the reliability of that car. The 2012 Accord feels a bit outdated, and you can wait for an update which is expected with the next year’s model. Still, the 2012 Honda Accord remains a great value for the price and it will not disappoint you at all.