2012 Honda Accord Review

2012 Honda Accord Review

Bruce Sheridan

Overview

The Honda Accord has been a mainstay and dominant force in the mid size car segment for decades, and the 2012 Honda Accord is certainly no exception. At one time it was far and away the best choice for anyone looking for the best quality car deals on realistic vehicles. Years have passed and the mid size car market is not what it once was. It has become one of the most fiercely competitive markets in the entire industry, and other car makers have taken aggressive and bold moves to claim the top spot.

[CTA1]

While the 2012 Honda Accord has remained more conservative and has stayed true to its roots as being an ideal family car, it remains as one of the highest valued and dependable vehicles you can buy. You know what you are getting with the Accord, and you will have it for a long time thanks to the stellar reputation Honda has for quality cars. It does not offer all the perks and features that some of the other best new car deals right now have, but what it does do, it does very well. The Accord may not be the obvious leader it once was, but it is still a great choice. With a redesign coming for the 2013 model, this Accord will surely see a slash in pricing.

2012 Honda Accord

Starting MSRP	Max City / Hwy MPG
$21,480	23 / 34

Pros	Cons
High resale	Bland, aging design
Great safety	No automatic 6 speed
Good gas mileage	Lackluster power
Very spacious interior

Trims

The 2012 Honda Accord comes in either a sedan or coupe. The sedan offers considerably more interior space without sacrificing gas mileage, but feels less maneuverable on the road than the coupe. Visibility out every side is a concern for the coupe drivers as well. The Accords can come with a 5 speed manual, 6 speed manual, or 5 speed automatic, depending on the trim. The v6 engines on the Accords have the Variable Cylinder Management, which switched between using three, four or all six cylinders depending on the circumstance to increase fuel economy.

Sedan Trims
Name	MSRP	Engine	Best MPG City / Hwy
LX	$21,380	2.4L 4-cyl	23 / 34
LX-P	$23,180	2.4L 4-cyl	23 / 34
SE	$23,930	2.4L 4-cyl	23 / 34
EX	$24,305	2.4L 4-cyl	23 / 34
EX V6	$27,280	3.5L v6	20 / 30
EX-L	$27,555	2.4L 4-cyl	23 / 34
EX-L V6	$29,630	3.5L v6	20 / 30

Coupe Trims
Name	MSRP	Engine	Best MPG City / Hwy
LX-S	$22,980	2.4L 4-cyl	23 / 33
EX	$24,655	2.4L 4-cyl	23 / 33
EX-L	$27,305	2.4L 4-cyl	23 / 33
EX-L V6	$29,930	3.5L v6	19 / 29

Performance

While the 2012 Honda Accord is centered around practicality, it still has a decent amount of giddy up left in it in the higher end 2.4L 4-cyl engine, and it also does not lose out on any fuel economy from the base 2.4L 4-cyl engine. The base 2.4L 4-cyl engine gets 177 horsepower and 161 lb-ft of torque, while the upgraded 2.4L 4-cyl engine gets 190 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque. The 3.5L v6 engines get an impressive 271 horsepower and 254 lb-ft of torque. All the engines in every trim are smooth and responsive. The handling and steering are strong points of every Accord, and this model is no exception. It has garnered high praise for its responsive handling.

Interior / Exterior

The interior of the 2012 Honda Accord seems to draw mixed reviews. The praise for its very spacious interior seems just about unanimous. The interior, even in the back seats, easily accommodates passengers taller than six feet. This Accord is actually so big it classifies as a full size sedan according to the EPA, but still competes in the mid size market. Where it does not get such hot reviews is with how much plastic and jumbled controls it has.

The exterior design is likely not to wow anyone, especially someone who has seen the competition. While it may be a touch on the safe side, it is certainly not hard on the eyes. One huge benefit the Accord exterior design gives is its incredible safety.

Features

Even though it is completely focused on being the best family vehicle it can be, the 2012 Honda Accord does come with its fair share of bells and whistles. Its voice activated infotainment and navigation system is very responsive and accurate, and the 8 inch display is as good as any other you could find. In years past the Accord set the bar when it came to technological and comfort features, but this is another area where Honda has let the competition catch up and even surpass them in some cases.

Safety

Honda Accords have a great reputation for being incredibly safe vehicles, and this year is no different. In government crash tests, the 2012 Honda Accord scored a perfect 5 star overall safety rating. It got 5 stars on side impact, front impact and rollover risk safety tests. The IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) gave it a top rating in all its categories as well, and named it a 2012 IIHS Top Safety Pick.

Accords come with the full array of airbags, electronic stability with traction control, anti lock brakes, electronic brake distribution, active head restraints and optional rear view cameras.