Honda Accord Tourer (2008-2015) review

On paper, the Honda Accord Tourer has a lot going for it: peerless reliability and build quality, a reasonable price, excellent standard equipment and a capable range of petrol and diesel engines. Yet there’s something missing: it can’t quite match the VW Passat for badge desirability or the Ford Mondeo for driver appeal. The Accord is definitely a car you buy with your head rather than your heart, but it will reward you with years of safe, comfortable and hassle-free motoring. Buyers looking for maximum practicality may be put off by its smaller-than-average boot, however.

While it’s not a scintillating driver’s car, the Accord Tourer does boast an impressive line-up of engines. The 2.0 and 2.4-litre petrols employ Honda’s i-VTEC variable valve timing technology to offer decent fuel economy combined with a wide spread of power and torque. But the star of the show is the 2.2-litre i-DTEC diesel engine. Honda is a relatively recent adopter of diesel compared to other mainstream manufacturers, but it’s caught up quickly, and this smooth, powerful, torquey and frugal motor suits the Tourer down to the ground. Ride and handling are focused more on occupant comfort than driver engagement, so the Accord is more at home on the motorway than tackling your favourite B-road.

The 2.4-litre petrol engine offers the most performance in the range, but the downside is low-thirties fuel economy. The 2.0-litre offers a better compromise, reaching a claimed 40mpg, but the diesel is the one to go for if running costs are a priority, as it will top 50mpg and be cheaper to tax thanks to its lower CO2 emissions. Honda servicing is a little more expensive than mainstream rivals like Ford and Vauxhall, but insurance costs should be reasonable and overall the Accord is quite affordable to own for a car of this size. Resale values are better than the previous model, too.

The Accord Tourer is a handsome, well proportioned and sleeky styled car, yet it can feel a bit anonymous alongside more distinctive rivals. Sweeping, angled lines predominate, and the large front grille and headlights are certainly imposing, but the overall effect is not very memorable. Inside, luxurious materials and rock-solid build quality are the order of the day, but the Accord is let down somewhat by a confusing dashboard layout. The tapered windows make it feel a little claustrophobic in the back seats, too. A large transmission tunnel helps give the cabin a snug, driver-focused ‘cockpit’ feel.

This is the one major area where the Accord Tourer falls down. With the rear seats in place, its boot actually holds less than its four-door saloon counterpart – a consequence of its swoopy rear lines. But if you just want the flexibility and ease of an estate car without the sheer carrying capacity of rivals like the Skoda Superb, the Accord Tourer is still a good choice. Legroom in the rear is another bugbear, but the front cabin is comfortable and spacious. A handy underfloor storage cubby goes some way to making up for the space limitations elsewhere.

Honda has perhaps the best reliability record of any major manufacturer, so provided the service schedule is adhered to, problems with an Accord Tourer will be extremely rare. A two-year-old, 60,000-mile Accord Tourer passed Auto Express’ rigorous stripdown test with flying colours, and the marque always performs well in our Driver Power ownership survey. The Accord hold its own when it comes to safety as well, with additional features such as anti-whiplash front headrests and a trailer stability system to add to more regular kit like airbags and electronic stability control. Euro NCAP gave it five out of five stars for crash safety, too.