The Accord is one of the greatest-selling car lines in America. No surprise there.
But it is surprising that the Accord Wagon does not contribute very much to this ongoing success story. It is surprising to Honda, which had somewhat higher expectations for this trim midsize wagon. And surprising to us.
Never mind. Coupe, sedan or wagon, an Accord is an exceptional automobile - cleverly engineered, thoughtfully designed and beautifully assembled.
The assembly, incidentally, takes place right here in the United States at Honda's manufacturing facility in Marysville, Ohio. It is interesting to note that Marysville has be-come the worldwide source of Accord wagons and coupes. Which tells you something about Honda's confidence in its Ohio workforce.
Completely redesigned for 1994, the Accord family is now in its fifth generation. Though the wagon has only been in the lineup since '91, it benefits from 18 years of on-going development and refinement.
The Accord's 1994 makeover was arguably the most sweeping in the car's long history. Beyond the quietly stylish exterior, it included a redesigned interior plus extensive chassis stiffening.
Obviously, the wagon does not have the same clean, wedge-shaped look as the sedan and coupe. But the look is thoroughly contemporary. The rounded rear contours and molded-in taillights make it look like something other than an Accord sedan with an extra section grafted on.
With flush-mounted glass and cleaner lines, all the Accords have improved aerodynamic efficiency, which pays off in reduced wind noise and quieter all-around operation. The Toyota Camry Wagon may still hold a slight edge in this department, but it would take a very keen ear to pick up the difference.
The Accord Wagon is a little smaller than its principal competition - the Camry, Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable wagons. The Accord's more compact design and sophisticated suspension combine to provide better handling, but for larger family purposes one of the bigger midsize wagons might be a better bet.
Unlike the sedan lineup, there are only two Accord Wagon models: LX and EX. The LX is the middle grade in Honda's model designations and it includes as standard equipment most of the comfort and convenience features that make driving more pleasurable.
The EX version, of course, adds more - a power moonroof and standard anti-lock brakes (ABS), for example - and offers the option of leather upholstery.
The standard powertrain for the Accord LX Wagon is a 130-hp 2.2-liter 4-cylinder with a 5-speed manual transmission. EX editions get a more powerful VTEC version of this same engine.
Honda's smooth-shifting 4-speed automatic is an extra-cost option for both models.
Although our LX test wagon had the base engine and manual transmission, a word on Honda's VTEC and Grade Logic automatic transmission is in order here.
The VTEC engine extracts an extra measure of performance from the 2.2-liter engine by automatically shifting over to a second set of camshaft lobes at higher engine speeds. The effect is similar to the extra power provided by a turbocharger, without the turbocharger drawbacks in durability and operation.
Grade Logic is programmed into the computer interface between the engine and automatic transmission. When the computer sees that you've got your foot off the gas pedal but the car isn't slowing down - a condition you might encounter when descending a steep hill, for example - it automatically shifts down one gear so that you do not have to ride the brake all the way to the bottom.
