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The gray leather looks elegant, combining well with the dark plastics of the dashboard. The faux wood adorning the door panels and center dash is among the best of its kind that we’ve seen, providing some relief from the seriousness. Headroom is generous all around, even with the standard moonroof in place. The headliner itself is well padded and feels like real cloth, a feature long absent from Japanese cars. The rear seating provides vast amounts of legroom and enough shoulder room for three adults. The instrument panel lights up in stages: the markings first, then the needles, in what amounts to a pleasant invitation to drive. We oblige by twisting the ignition. At startup and idle, the V6 is inaudible, and remains nearly so throughout the rev range. Too bad, as we wanted a more exciting soundtrack. This engine lets the results do the talking, and its message of power is loud and clear. We found the 2 liter Accord to be adequate when cruising but lacking at traffic lights, its force too weak for the large body it was attached to. We forgot all such concerns the moment we stepped on the 3.0’s drive-by-wire gas pedal. Response is instantaneous, with a satisfyingly linear acceleration that doesn’t let up. There’s no gradual build-up or sudden shove in the back, but a strong, sure pull each time you order it. Perhaps this was what Honda meant when they said that the Accord was inspired by the cheetah. Sometimes, late is better than early because just recently, Honda’s 3 liter V6 pumped out “only” 200 bhp. Honda relied on some its F1 racing experience to boost horsepower by 20 percent and fuel efficiency by 6 percent, while also reducing emissions and engine weight. For instance, the exhaust system does away with traditional exhaust manifolds; instead, these are integrated into the aluminum cylinder heads. This results in freer flow of exhaust gases, almost directly into a catalyst, ensuring quicker warmup to operating temperature. Changes to the throttle body and intake manifolds, precise air and fuel control, larger valves, and a higher compression ratio also bump up the horsepower. The biggest boost comes from the VTEC system, which provides two operating modes for the intake valves. At low revs, one of the two intake valves for each cylinder remains nearly closed, while the other follows a higher-lift, short-duration rocker. This promotes swirl in the combustion chamber for good low-end torque. At high revs, both valves follow a long-duration, high-lift camshaft lobe for good breathing and added power. |
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