When the Crosstour was revealed on Facebook it drew the ire of many Honda fans. The company's lame excuse was to blame the photos. Now that you're seeing it without automaker interference what do you think? Does it look better or worse?


Wert will be back soon to report on whether or not there's an upside to match the prodigious backside.

Some of the excuses are completely reasonable. For instance, Honda explains that the vehicle is built on the U.S. Accord platform and not the TSX platform, which is why it doesn't look like the European Honda Accord wagon. They also point out it's aimed at individuals (i.e. moms) in the crossover segment and their research shows it'll appeal to them. This could be true.

What really gets us, though, is this excuse:

The photos: Arguably, the two studio photos we posted didn't give you enough detail, nor were they the best to showcase the vehicle. There are more photos on the way. Maybe it's like a bad yearbook photo or something, and we think the new photos will clear things up.

This is a little hard to swallow. The two pictures are of the vehicle from the front 3/4 and rear 3/4 from different sides. At this point you've done as much as you possibly can to show the car from 360 degrees in two shots. Their post states "[N]or were they the best to showcase the vehicle." We're sorry, but if your vehicle is ugly from 3/4 front and 3/4 back it's just ugly and we doubt more detail is going to change that.

In the end, there could easily be buyers for this vehicle, but they're not the ones being targeted in the Facebook campaign. For one reason or another, 5,700 "fans" were convinced they'd get something like an attractive wagon and this crossover isn't pleasing to the vast majority of them. To quote Facebook user Daniel Ruiz II, "I am a car fanatic and a faithful Honda owner, I might not be the target audience for the car, but you shouldn't need to fit in to a certain market segment to find a car appealing."

The full statement from Honda is below.

Official Honda Statement

Hi, Facebook fans. We're listening, and we want to address a few things you've been talking about over the past few days.
1. The photos: Arguably, the two studio photos we posted didn't give you enough detail, nor were they the best to showcase the vehicle. There are more photos on the way. Maybe it's like a bad yearbook photo or something, and we think the new photos will clear things up. 
 
2. It's not the European wagon: We've seen a lot of comments about the desire for a wagon, but this is neither a wagon nor designed for wagon buyers. We think the Euro wagon is a cool vehicle, too, and we appreciate the feedback… but a version of that wasn't our intention here. That's another segment worthy of our consideration, but the Accord Crosstour, built on the larger, Accord platform, is meant to give you the best of two worlds – the versatility of an SUV with the sportiness of a car.
 
3. Many of you don't like the styling: It may not be for everyone. Our research suggests that the styling does test well among people shopping for a crossover.
 
4. You want further details about the Accord Crosstour: We typically can't give you details so far out from when the vehicle goes on sale for a number of reasons, including competitive intelligence and pure availability. However... we hear your frustrations, and while specs on the vehicle aren't finalized, we're trying to get some stuff together that we hope will satiate some of your curiosity and give you more to think about.
 
5. Honda associates participating in the wall comments: We didn't remove comments out of embarrassment. We removed comments that were posted contrary to American Honda's consumer-generated media policy for associates: We must first clearly state that we are Honda employees and that a posting is a personal - not Honda's - opinion. Eddie forgot to add that, so his comments were removed.
 
Thank you for all of the interest, and we'll be in touch again soon...

[Crosstour Official Facebook Page]

They haven't yet shared a picture of the vehicle with the hatch open, but it appears to slope forward allowing a larger opening than a less-streamlined rear. In fact, it's possible the rear hatch opens in two pieces, with the top opening upwards and the bottom section either opening up by the bottom or side. Whichever way it opens, the new Crosstour is certainly more shapely than the base model Accord.

Frankly, we're just happy to hear the Crosstour will sit atop the Accord family. We mean, it is the big boy in the family, isn't it?

2010 Accord Crosstour Styling Conceals Surprising Versatility

TORRANCE, Calif., Sept. 1, 2009 - The all-new 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour evolves the Crossover Utility Vehicle (CUV) concept by integrating a sleek and aerodynamic shape that blends sporty, low-profile contours with versatile CUV functionality, American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today.
"Our concept is to broaden the appeal of the Accord line-up by leveraging traditional Accord strengths of fun-to-drive performance and handling while also adapting to dramatic shifts in the light truck marketplace," said Erik Berkman, vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "The Accord Crosstour accomplishes that by offering a modern interpretation of a CUV while integrating the refinement and efficiency of a premium sedan."

Derived from the Accord Sedan, the Accord Crosstour maximizes car-like ride and refinement, yet maintains capabilities consistent with a CUV's increased ride height and all-weather potential. The Accord Crosstour's styling builds on the Accord's familiar character lines and adds a bolder front grille complemented by a durable lower-body appearance, wedge-shaped C-pillars and an aggressive rear stance. The flowing roofline narrows smoothly into the rear of the vehicle to create an aggressive-looking design, which conceals a unique cargo area that can adapt to large objects that exceed the capacity of a sedan.

"We know SUV buyers like the commanding view of the road that comes with a high eye-point and like the comforts of living with an SUV," said Berkman. "This vehicle meets the needs of buyers looking for those attributes yet at the same time want an image that is different from a conventional SUV."

The Accord Crosstour will be positioned at the top of the Accord family when it goes on sale in fall 2009. Additional details will be announced later in the year. Consumer information is available at automobiles.honda.com/future-cars. An Accord Crosstour Facebook page is available at www.facebook.com/accordcrosstour. Additional media information regarding all Honda products is available at www.hondanews.com.

[Facebook]

Honda's tease campaign still hasn't shown us the rump, which is what we're really waiting for. As a reminder, the Accord Crosstour will go on sale this fall as a 2010 model. [via Honda]

Yes, this '87 Accord (go here if the ad disappears) is now for sale, and it's a proven desert jumper! Why would anyone sell such a great car? According to the seller, "Reason for selling: it's too damn ballin for us. We want to tone it down a bit and maybe get a Rally Van." And there you have it! Thanks to LTDScott for the tip!
[KSL]

Details are scarce in the Honda press missive, but the spy photos we've seen show something that could be based on the actual Accord platform, or on something like the current Acura TSX/European Honda Accord Tourer (pictured). We'll find out what is actually going on under there shortly according to Honda:

07/07/2009 - Torrance, CA -
An all-new crossover vehicle based on the award-winning Honda Accord will go on-sale in the fall of 2009 as the "Accord Crosstour," American Honda Motor Co., Inc., announced today. This new addition to the Honda lineup will be sold as a 2010 model. Additional information will be announced later in the year.

[Source: Honda]

We're assuming the Crosstour — or Crosshatch, Crosccord or whatever Honda ends up calling it — is out in the desert for some hot weather testing. We're also assuming its hitting the craps table for some ramblin', gamblin' action first. Also, wherever the Crosstour goes, we expect to see its expected platform-mate, the Acura ZDX to not be too far behind. We're assuming we'll have shots of its kissing-cousin later today. [Edmunds Straightline]

In addition to the most expensive to insure list, the folks at Insure.com put together this list of the least expensive cars to insure. Come join us on this journey to find out what makes these econo-boxes so damn cheap to own that it'd almost be a crime to not consider them for your next purchase. Almost.

[via thecarconnection, edmunds, insure.com]

20.) Dodge Grand Caravan

Price: $22,725
Cost To Insure: $960
Curb Weight: 4321 lbs
Engine Displacement: 3.3 liter V6
HP: 175
TQ: 205

Driver Stereotype: Soccer Mom

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: The ability to blend into the suburban landscape has allowed the Grand Caravan to slip seamlessly to and from soccer games, the grocery store and at times, Mexican border crossings without detection.

19.) Chevrolet Impala
Price: $23,790
Cost To Insure: $959
Curb Weight: 3555 lbs
Engine Displacement: 3.5 liter V6
HP: 211
TQ: 214

Driver Stereotype: Vanilla ice cream-favoring used car salesmen

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: Sharing its appearance with multitudes of non-descript cop cars causes the surrounding public to drive very, very carefully around the Impala lessening the likelihood for any direct accidents and adding to the overall value of driver safety.

18.) Mazda B-Series Truck
Price: $16,060
Cost To Insure: $957
Curb Weight: 2999 lbs
Engine Displacement: 2.3 liter inline-four
HP: 143
TQ: 154

Driver Stereotype: Has poor credit

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: Based on the long-in-the-tooth Ford Ranger, the B-Series Truck shows its age with strong, virtually unbreakable bones.

17.) Lincoln Town Car
Price: $46,385
Cost To Insure: $955
Curb Weight: 4345 lbs
Engine Displacement: 4.6 liter V8
HP: 239
TQ: 287

Driver Stereotype: Mafia fat cats

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: Carefully driven due to multiple dead bodies in the trunk, the Town Car rarely sees an insurance claim except for the frequent bloody interior replacement. Typically these are burned to the ground near the docks without much concern for an insurance claim.

16.) Suzuki Forenza
Price: $11,134
Cost To Insure: $954
Curb Weight: 2756 lbs
Engine Displacement: 2.0 liter inline-four
HP: 127
TQ: 131

Driver Stereotype: Molly Maid employee

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: Not much can happen to a car when it spends the majority of its life sitting outside of large Hollywood mansions all day.

15.) Honda Accord
Price: $20,905
Cost To Insure: $951
Curb Weight: 3230 lbs
Engine Displacement: 2.4 liter inline-four
HP: 177
TQ: 161

Driver Stereotype: Anti-Toyota

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: The sedate Accord lulls drivers to a meditative state causing perfect driving habits and extreme awareness, lessening any sort of slip ups.

14.) Jeep Wrangler
Price: $20,710
Cost To Insure: $939
Curb Weight: 3782 lbs
Engine Displacement: 3.8 liter V6
HP: 202
TQ: 237

Driver Stereotype: Obnoxious Dave Matthews Band-listening, bandanna-wearing frat boys

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: The Wrangler was specifically built for douchebag frat boys and therefore features a virtually indestructible body and chassis making repairs all but non-existent.

13.) VW Passat
Price: $28,300
Cost To Insure: $936
Curb Weight: 3344 lbs
Engine Displacement: 2.0 liter inline-four
HP: 200
TQ: 207

Driver Stereotype: Grown Dub boys

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: Considering the Passat never moves due to repetitive electrical problems it is never put in harms way, allowing for a much lower insurance premium.

12.) Mazda Mazda5
Price: $17,995
Cost To Insure: $929
Curb Weight: 3417 lbs
Engine Displacement: 2.3 liter inline-four
HP: 153
TQ: 148

Driver Stereotype: MX-5 driver's family car

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: Typically driven by MX-5 drivers when they've got their kids in toe, the Zoom, Zoom nature of the Mazda5 allows for quick maneuvers to escape from the rest of the crazy drivers out there.

11.) Scion xB
Price: $15,750
Cost To Insure: $881
Curb Weight: 3020 lbs
Engine Displacement: 2.4 liter turbo inline-four
HP: 158
TQ: 162

Driver Stereotype: E-tards

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: The typical driver of a Scion xB never really leaves the rave, instead spends hours upon hours upon delicious hours licking the glass repeating, "The snozberries taste like snozberries."

10.) Chrysler Town & Country
Price: $26,355
Cost To Insure: $871
Curb Weight: 4387 lbs
Engine Displacement: 3.5 liter V6
HP: 244
TQ: 240

Driver Stereotype: Self fulfilling prophecy

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: A perceived level of luxury is exhibited by the typical Town & Country driver, causing them to drive even more carefully back and forth from their kids Montessori schools and cricket matches. See Caravan to see the lesser of the ChryCo minivan driver's habits.

9.) Mazda Tribute
Price: $19,730
Cost To Insure: $913
Curb Weight: 3276 lbs
Engine Displacement: 2.5 liter inline-four
HP: 171
TQ: 171

Driver Stereotype: I haz no care for Zoom, Zoom

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: Tribute drivers lurk quietly in traffic with hardly anyone ever taking notice, not even enough to ram them from behind.

8.) Saturn Vue
Price: $23,280
Cost To Insure: $911
Curb Weight: 3689 lbs
Engine Displacement: 2.4 liter inline-four
HP: 169
TQ: 161

Driver Stereotype: I'm a new kind of car company

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: Brought over as the Saturn version of the Opel Antara, most people avoid the Vue with the expectation that the Euro-wannabe driver won't speak English causing an annoying, pain-in-the-ass insurance swap.

7.) Smart ForTwo
Price: $11,990
Cost To Insure: $881
Curb Weight: 2315 lbs
Engine Displacement: 1.0 liter inline-three
HP: 70
TQ: 68

Driver Stereotype: Tries to out-smug a Prius driver

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: Like the annoying fly that you just can't swat and kill, the ForTwo manages to avoid all conflict by being small and zippy, plus nobody seems to want manslaughter charges for when the driver gets squashed after a 10 mph accident.

6.) Honda Odyssey
Price: $26,355
Cost To Insure: $871
Curb Weight: 4387 lbs
Engine Displacement: 3.5 liter V6
HP: 244
TQ: 240

Driver Stereotype: Does not drive for the thrill of driving

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: Odyssey drivers are busy reaching around and smacking the shit out of their kids, leaving very little time for accidents, so they generally avoid them.

5.) Kia Rio5
Price: $13,325
Cost To Insure: $870
Curb Weight: 2438 lbs
Engine Displacement: 1.6 liter inline-four
HP: 110
TQ: 107

Driver Stereotype: Typically doesn't care about cars

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: The Rio5 is so ugly that most drivers avoid any physical contact with them in fear that some of the ugly will rub off. Score one for Kia.

4.) Kia Sedona
Price: $21,245
Cost To Insure: $857
Curb Weight: 4365 lbs
Engine Displacement: 3.8 liter V6
HP: 250
TQ: 253

Driver Stereotype: Anti-Odyssey

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: This thing is so boring that they should have named it the Kia Sedative. It rarely leaves the driveway unless absolutely necessary, dramatically reducing its potential for road carnage.

3.) Hyundai Entourage
Price: $23,995
Cost To Insure: $848
Curb Weight: 4400 lbs
Engine Displacement: 3.8 liter V6
HP: 250
TQ: 253

Driver Stereotype: Anti-Odyssey/Sedona

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: Should be renamed to Hyundai Ento...zzzzz. See Kia Sedona.

2.) Kia Sportage
Price: $16,695
Cost To Insure: $840
Curb Weight: 3230 lbs
Engine Displacement: 2.0 liter inline-four
HP: 140
TQ: 136

Driver Stereotype: High school band geek

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: Typically the Sportage is doing exactly the opposite of what its name implies, instead it spends its life carting tubas and other brass instruments between Mom's house and band practice which coincidentally is just down the street. Also, the lack of party invites virtually eliminates any sort of under-the-influence driving.

1.) Hyundai Santa Fe
Price: $21,695
Cost To Insure: $832
Curb Weight: 3727 lbs
Engine Displacement: 2.7 liter V6
HP: 185
TQ: 183

Driver Stereotype: Not concerned with brand image

Jalopnik Insurance Cost Analysis: The Santa Fe, while having an unbelievably ridiculous name, is actually quite attractive limiting surrounding driver's desire to crash repeatedly into it. For complete opposite, see Kia Rio5.

The three tests we have are between the Honda Accord and the Honda Fit, the Toyota Camry and Toyota Yaris, and finally the Mercedes C300 and the Smart ForTwo. With each we get a full speed offset frontal crash with both cars traveling at 40 MPH, destruction and carnage ensue and rightly so, there's a lot of energy involved here. These are hardly scientific tests, and they represent the absolute most extreme crash scenario for these speeds, especially for the smaller cars. Ratings got from "Good" at the top of the scale through "Acceptable" and "Poor." Considering this is one car bashing into another, the evaluation is somewhat subjective, but it gives an idea of relative performance. Let's take a closer look at each.

Smart ForTwo Versus Mercedes C300

The Smart ForTwo is the poster child for Micro-Machine scale automobiles. With a tiny, tiny footprint and virtually zero front overhang, the 1808 lb ForTwo relies on a super-strong safety cage and airbags for protection. It's cold comfort against the much bigger Mercedes-Benz C300, tipping the scales at 3,560 lbs. Considering the circumstances, the little Smart held up pretty well, even though it bounced off the Benz like a pinball. The Benz scores a Good while the Smart gets a Poor, which is pretty harsh under these conditions. We like watching the three-pointed star float past the Smart in the slo-mo.

Honda Fit Versus Honda Accord

The Fit is one of our favorite little cars, with the new design maintaining the fun character of the original while giving it a little more room inside. The Fit uses traditional crumple zones for crash force dissipation but with such short overhangs there's not much room to slow absorb energy in a collision. When Accord meets Fit, we get an seriously mangled mess with the Fit. There's significant damage to the safety cage with the A-pillar crumpling and the wheel well smooshing up into the footwell. However, the front and side airbags kept the driver's head from bashing into hard parts. The 2489 lb Fit scored a Poor while the 3297 lb Accord was Good.

Toyota Yaris Versus Toyota Camry

The Yaris scores a Poor and the Camry gets an Acceptable, but this one seems like it needs another level of bad. In this crash the Yaris crumples up into a pretzel, with the A-pillar severely kinking, the wheel occupying the space where the driver's feet used to be and the door flying open. Yikes. The 2288 lbs Yaris is 200 lbs lighter than the Fit and the Camry is only 30 lbs less than the Accord, but the results seem more out of proportion than the differences in heft.

Thanks to Myke Toman, Nick Pon, Zerin Dube and Speed:Sport:Life, Anna C of Bikini Racer, the Norwegian Slaabs, Saabs Gone Wild, Prison Break Racing, Team Beermer, LeMons Supreme Court Justice Lieberman, Jackson Williams, and others for their fine photographs.

Put aside for a moment the unfortunate situation the owner of the Accord has fallen into, and let's think about the situation the officer finds himself in. A crime happened in front of his eyes and the thief got away with virtually no effort, all captured on camera and broadcast for the whole world to see. We're going to bet this guy is in for a brutal ribbing from his friends on the force. There is no way he will ever live this incident down, they've probably even nicknamed him as a result of this. Something like "Officer McCar-Jack" or "Eagle Eyes McGee." Oh, it all happened so fast but will have repercussions for so, so long. [Youtube]

Honda is bringing a number of concepts to the 2009 Tokyo Auto Salon; its most important being the tuner-like Sport Modulo S2000 and the Sport Modulo Fit. Both cars feature an interesting, yet aggressive front fascia with integrated LED lighting. The interior of both cars will carry the theme by adding unique fabrics and color schemes not found on the production versions. Honda is also showing a number of other cars including the Racing Modulo Civic Type R, Crossroad, Accord, Odyssey and a bedazzled and bejeweled Life. Honda will also show a full range of Modulo styling equipment, audio, navigation systems and accessories.

It’s likely that Honda will release more information on their concepts once the Tokyo Auto Salon begins on January 9, but until then enjoy our gallery below.

[source: Honda]

In an effort to cut development costs, Autocar says it looks like the US could finally get the same Honda Accord as the rest of the world. Currently, a separate model is developed for the North American market while the Euro model is sold as the Acura TSX. This policy has always confused us, subtracting many tens of millions of dollars from Honda’s bottom line. We don’t know when this would happen or even if it will.

Autocar goes on to report anything seen as wasteful or unnecessary is being cut from Honda’s development cycle. This includes a V8 engine, something Honda engineers have long resisted building, and a slew of rear wheel drive Acuras intended to drive the brand upmarket.

The saddest loss will be the convertible version of the forthcoming Honda CR-Z hybrid sportscar. That means there’s no direct replacement on the cards for the S2000 when it ceases production at the end of this year.

Honda will now concentrate on building fuel-efficient models like the 2010 Honda Insight and the world’s first hybrid city car, based on the Honda Fit. [via Autocar]

We saw a '77 Accord in this series not long ago, and it was startling how many readers had never seen a first-gen Accord on the street. Now we're going to look at an example of the early 2nd-gen Accord, which was still quite small (2,076 pounds) and was the first Accord to be built in North America. Horsepower was up to 76- yes, those weight and power numbers would be considered laughably small nowadays, though these cars drive just fine- and Honda's rep for reliability was really getting entrenched in the American consciousness by this time.


The price back in 1982? $8,449 for the LX, or $1,050 more than the base Accord hatch. Clearly, the cachet of the LX badging wasn't enough to stop some vocab-challenged vandal from keying "ASS" into the hood paint.

Upgrades include a full bodykit comprised of bumpers, sills, front and rear lower spoilers, rear deck spoiler and a new grille. The later looks like it was hit with the same ugly stick as our U.S. market Acura TSX grille.

On the performance side of things, Mugen offers two different size wheel packages in 18- and 19-inches with four different flavors, a sport exhaust system, sport suspension and sport brake pads and rotors. While these upgrades won’t necessarily win any stoplight races, they do enhance the already great handling 2009 Accord.

[via CarScoop]

Easily the best looking car in Honda/Acura’s new lineup, the Japanese Domestic Market version does away with some of the quirky rear styling bits of its sedan brother, instead being replaced with a nice, sculpted rear end on the Tourer model. We also prefer the Honda’s grille treatment over the He-Man shield on our U.S. market Acura TSX, but we’re not expecting an official change for some time. We’ll cross our fingers in hope that the Tourer model to reach our shores. Sales began on December 5th for both the 2009 Honda Accord Sedan and Accord Tourer models.

Key features from Honda’s press release:

Exterior design
• The Accord series has an exterior design that unites the beauty of form and function to express the Accord's advanced driving performance.
• In the Accord, the low front nose and close-clipped rear deck complement the powerful wedge shape, while contrasting areas on the sides form strong character lines that convey a sense of speed.
• In the Accord Tourer, the shortened roof and boldly slanted rear window offer a sporty proportion. The sculpted panels of the hatchback area support exceptional capacity and ease of loading while further emphasizing sportiness.
• The exciting and newly added SPORTS STYLE model type includes a black chrome-plated front grill, a front chin spoiler and other design elements that emphasize the excitement of Accord driving.
• Seven body colors are available, including two new colors.

Interior design
• The interior design and materials of the Accord series provide an authentic quality and meticulous attention to detail for exceptional refinement and comfort.
• The instrument panel with a powder slush-molded surface features a high-density dimpled pattern and soft texture for a high-quality look and feel.
• Newly developed meters with centripetally oriented needles offer ease of reading and an advanced appearance.
• Sculpted metallic panels boldly extending from the ends of the instrument panel to the doors help create luxurious personal space for the front seat occupants.
• In every detail, the interior displays a finish of the highest quality: gaps between different materials have been minimized thanks to high-precision construction, every door features door end garnishes identical in color to the interior, and the inner surfaces of the glove compartment and every storage area have a premium texture.

Packaging
• In addition to improving vehicle performance, the wider body offers increased interior space, including enhanced personal space for the front-seat occupants. Increased shoulder and knee space and a wider front armrest also contribute to spaciousness and comfort typically associated with vehicles one class higher.
• The driver's seat features enhanced adjustability and ease-of-operation for an even more comfortable driving position.
• The driver's seat is designed to hold the driver snugly and comfortably while cornering for more relaxed steering and a feeling of oneness with the car.
• The Accord Tourer features a flat, square luggage space that combines refinement with exceptional capacity and ease of loading.

Powertrain
• All-new Accord model types are equipped with the 2.4L DOHC i-VTEC engine which achieves both powerful engine performance for dynamic driving with maximum output of 151 kW (206 PS), and excellent environmental performance.
• The 5-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters is installed as standard equipment and brings out the dynamic qualities of the engine and expands the fun of driving.
• During sporty driving, cornering G-shift control suppresses undesirable acceleration-related gear changes for more intuitive gearshift control.

Chassis
• With a low center of gravity the chassis achieves both exceptional driving performance and a nimble, comfortable ride.
• The high-mount double wishbone front suspension and multi-link double wishbone rear suspension offer stable, responsive handling and a comfortable ride.
• Newly developed shock absorbing dampers feature advanced damping characteristics for a combination of superior handling and ride comfort.

Body
• The high-rigidity body which supports a wide range of performance characteristics at a high level, was achieved through the introduction of new single-side spot welding equipment and processes developed especially for the Accord series.
• An exceptionally strong vehicle frame was achieved through a continuous closed cross-section structure for the pillars and the roof cross member, as well as an inner frame structure for the front floor.
• The new front pillar structure affords an excellent field of view while contributing to the powerful exterior design.
• Noise, vibration and harshness are thoroughly suppressed to achieve superior quietness and comfort.

Advanced features
• Motion Adaptive Electric Power Steering (EPS) works in concert with Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) to provide steering assistance for more stable vehicle control as standard equipment on all model types.
• Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) help reduce driver burden during freeway cruising.

Safety performance
• The Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body provides enhanced self-protection and compatibility with other vehicles in case of a collision.
• The body design incorporates pedestrian-injury mitigation technology to help protect pedestrians from head, leg and other injuries in case of a collision.
• Six airbags, including side curtain airbags, are standard equipment on all model types.
• CMBS (Collision Mitigation Braking System) and E-pretensioners (front seats) are available on certain model types. CMBS determines if there is potential risk of a frontal collision and assists the driver, further functioning to help mitigate injuries and vehicle damage in the event of a collision.
• Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), which enhances the stability of the vehicle during cornering and sudden collision avoidance maneuvers, is standard equipment on all model types.
• The Active Head Rest System in the front seats helps enhance neck protection in a rear collision and is standard equipment on all model types.

Environmental performance
• All front-wheel-drive Freed variations exceed Japanese fuel economy standards for 2010 by 25%. All 4-wheel-drive Freed variations exceed Japanese fuel economy standards for 2010 by 5%.
• Most model types attain the year 2010 + 5% fuel economy standard.

[via Temple of VTEC]

The Accord's engine had the same CVCC technology as the Civic's, but it displaced 1600cc instead of the 1488 of the Civic. With 68 horsepower, the Accord was no hot rod, but its weight of just 1,993 pounds- about 1,650 pounds less than the current Accord- kept it zippy enough to be fun. The price was pretty good, too: $3,995, about the same as the '77 Chevy Nova Concours and about 400 bucks less than a new VW Dasher hatchback.

It's always fun when I find a DOTS car with another one in the background, and this time we've got two: the '66 Mercedes-Benz 200D and the '76 Ford Mustang II.