One for the Big Kahuna

In the realm of automobiles, mention the word “Accord” and images of power and luxury come to mind. The eighth-generation Honda Accord has become larger and more powerful, more comfortable like a sofa on wheels.

In Japan and the rest of Asia, the Accord battled it out with the Toyota Corona/Camry,Nissan Bluebird/Cefiro, Mazda Capella, and the Mitsubishi Galant in the luxury car segment. Captains of the industry and power brokers were being driven around town in any of these cars.

Although it took me about a year to get behind the wheel of Honda’s flagship variant, it was worth the wait.

The Big Kahuna himself, Hiroshi Shimizu, president of Honda Cars Philippines Inc., handed me the keys to a 3.5 V6-VTEC Accord. I took that to mean blanket authority to throw the Accord around. But then, came Honda’s marketing honcho Voltaire Gonzales whispering these words of caution: “Patience is a virtue my friend, so enjoy the ride.”

Although the Accord managed to retain its sleek and elegant look, its 2009 iteration has sharper body lines evident from its sweeping headlights, up to its character lines that stretch from the front fenders all the way up to its bulging rear end.

The sporty yet elegant feel continues as you enter the cabin. The dashboard layout is a visual delight, leather-wrapped, wood- rimmed steering wheel, aluminum-ringed dash gauges and a center console with enough buttons to make an airline pilot feel at home. The audio system does not disappoint either and the climate control system will keep you cool even under the punishing rays of the afternoon sun.

The ride of the Accord is a bit on the stiff side. On uneven bridge approaches, the car tends to dip although it solidly bounces back. Power is exhilarating and pushing the car to challenge Newton’s Law is a cinch for the 271 bhp V6 engine. If you were the driver behind me at the SCTEX, you were wise to respect the 3.5-V6 badge and the protruding twin tail pipes. These features alone will tell you that this beast may look elegant, but it is brutally fast on its feet. What is amazing though is despite all that power at your beck and call, the Accord behaves itself during normal driving. At steady speed starting from 75 kph, the Accord’s engine automatically operates on four cylinders only, which cuts the use of fuel. For an Ilocoslovakian like me who frowns on gasoline stops, this intelligent, fuel-efficient system is a welcome technology.

The Honda Accord holds the distinction of being the best-selling car for 20 years with a record of 10 million vehicles sold from 1991 to 2001. With countless awards such as the Philippines’ Car of the Year for 2004 of the Car Awards Group Inc. and Australia’s prestigious Wheel’s Car of the Year, the Accord is a prized possession.