Honda Accord

The Japanese saloon and estate is a class act, ruling its class for years and still remaining a front-runner today. Its diesel engine is one of the best you can buy.

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Rating: -
On the road price: £17,477 - £23,802
For : Build quality, comfortable ride, quiet engines, excellent diesel, fine build
Against : Tight rear legroom, tyre noise, pricey insurance, costly servicing

Driving:
A low kerbweight makes the Accord more agile than many of its rivals. It is less ponderous in corners and lighter on its feet. This is aided by the fluid and accurate steering - but what really stands out is the ride quality. The car rolls through potholes and doesn't transmit vibrations into the cabin as much as some competitors. The high-speed ride is also composed. Models running on larger alloy wheels are less impressive but still able. Since its introduction, the 2.2-litre i-CTDi diesel has been winning praise, and rightly so. Refinement and responsiveness simply can't be beaten, and ample performance makes it among the fastest cars in its class. The 2.0-litre petrol is also sweet but it, like the 2.4-litre, can't match the diesel for all-round appeal. All models, however, have a superb gearbox (though an auto is unavailable with the diesel).

Marketplace:
Honda's popular saloon and estate cuts a dash on the road - particularly the uniquely shaped load lugger. Honda doesn't need to sell as many units as big-selling rivals, so can adopt a less mass-market 'repmobile' image when compared to the Vauxhall Vectra, Ford Mondeo and Peugeot 407. It, like the VW Passat, is forming a 'semi-premium' sub-sector in the fleet family car heartland. The Accord is shipped over from Japan so choice is a little limited, with a small trim line and engine range. But this means even the basic car features all the essentials, while defined grades help keep residuals high.

Owning:
The Accord's cabin gives it some exclusivity. The build and material quality aren't much better than those of its mainstream competitors, but everything works with a well-oiled precision. The layout is also practical and among the clearest out there. The driver enjoys a very comfortable driving position, atop nicely bolstered seats. What isn't quite so good, however, is the relative lacks of rear passenger space. Legroom is tight, though headroom is decent. Estates enjoy a huge, well-shaped load capacity but the saloon's opening is narrow and the sill high - even though actual capacity is fine. Tyre roar can be intrusive and spoil superb refinement elsewhere, but while petrol models return average mpg figures, the diesel is extremely frugal. This is fortunate as insurance is pricey thanks to a high group rating, while servicing every 12,500 miles is very expensive.