Day-by-Day Review: 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour AWD

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2010 Honda Accord Crosstour

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Will it ever stop snowing? I think it has snowed everyday since Boxing Day here in the capital, and although we had record snowfalls just two years ago, we have to be closing the gap quickly! There is one good outcome from all the snow and that is that the fresh powder is perfect for testing out all-wheel drive vehicles — like this week’s all-new 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour.

The Crosstour comes in only three trim levels in Canada: front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive and all-wheel drive with navigation; my tester is loaded, and that, of course, means I have the navigation all-wheel drive model.

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Starting at $34,900 for the front-wheel drive model, each trim level adds $2,000 for a total of $38,900 for my tester. Sounds a little high for a base price, but the Crosstour comes fully-equipped to start, with features such as: dual-zone climate control, 18-inch aluminium alloy wheels, heated leather seating, moonroof, Bluetooth, cruise control and all the safety gizmos like ABS, TCS etc.

The only engine option is Honda’s 3.5-litre V6 engine, which produces 271hp and 254lb-ft of torque in Crosstour configuration, and the engine is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission in all trims as well.

Unlike many, I’ll open the can-of-worms and say it right off the bat: the styling is certainly “different,” but this is one vehicle that looks far better in “the flesh” than in photos, although it still looks slightly bloated and large — mostly because it is no small machine!

2010 Honda Accord Crosstour AWD Navi
MSRP as tested (excluding destination): $38,900

Day 2

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I’ll admit, I like the nickname my readers have been giving the Crosstour — ugger is particularly catchy and for the record, I didn’t say I thought it looked good — just that it looks better in person than in photos.

But enough about the looks: we spend most of our ownership experience inside our vehicles, or at least not staring at the outside, and in any event, the inside is where you will want to stay with the new Crosstour.

As mentioned, the Crosstour is basically fully loaded, which in Honda speak is an EX-L model. If you have been inside the current Accord, the interior is very similar in the Crosstour.

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In fact, the interior is very similar to that of the Acura TL I drove a few weeks back, so you certainly are not sacrificing luxury with this vehicle.

I sat in the back seat for a bit and was quite surprised by the amount of headroom. Although I’m not a tall guy, headroom and legroom seemed adequate, unlike the Acura ZDX which I could barely get into and bumped my head a few times trying.

The big story inside the Crosstour is the rear hatch: the amount of cargo room is impressive and it certainly seems more spacious than many SUVs I have tested where the rear seats are practically right at the rear of the vehicle.

The other big story, though, is the visibility to the rear, which is just plain horrible. This evening I had a taxi cab tailgating me; I don’t know for how long because I didn’t notice he was there until I stopped at a red light. You just cannot see a thing out the rear, to the point that it may as well not have a window.

Day 3

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It has been established that seeing out the rear of the Crosstour is, well, nearly impossible, but surprisingly the front view is good, and A-pillar obstructions are limited so you do have a good view across that large hood. Over the course of the week I am getting used to shoulder checking which I found useless at first, now seems like a lifesaver.

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My tester is equipped with snow tires, so tire noise is a little higher than I would expect from this vehicle, but I am almost certain this would not be the case with the OEM supplied tires.

As far as handling, well, it is difficult to judge much when the roads are covered in ice and snow, but the Crosstour feels capable and would-be owners are sure to be satisfied with the refinement and manoeuvrability the Crosstour offers.

The gauges are very clear and easy to read with blue needles and ambient lighting. In fact, lighting is one important and often overlooked feature in a vehicle: all interior switches and knobs in the Crosstour are lit, something Honda and Acura do extremely well and something I have noticed to be lacking recently, even in so-called luxury vehicles.

The ride is compliant and wind noise is imperceptible, so the Crosstour is a comfortable car to drive and ride in; there isn’t much more to say than that.

Day 4

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Despite its perhaps controversial looks, the Honda Accord Crosstour is a great vehicle to drive and hopefully will sell well for Honda as they have taken a chance with a vehicle that is slightly different from the norm.

Over the course of the week, in spite of the cold weather, I averaged 11.7L/100km, which is about average for the size of the vehicle.

From comments in the real world it seems the Crosstour will be popular with the empty nest crowd who seem to like the idea of the hatchback’s cargo space and the larger-vehicle feel on the road.

*Rating out of 5: