– Not the design catastrophe you so deliriously predicted
By Danny Chang
Pros
Solid all-around performance
Roomy interior
Spacious trunk with under-floor organizer
High seating position
Cons
Less-than-stellar fuel efficiency
Awkward styling
Busy dashboard
I recently became the father of the cutest baby in the world, so I asked my editor for a family vehicle to test drive instead of the usual Porsches and Astons he throws my way. Then he showed up with this blue Honda Accord Crosstour 4WD EX-L. I’m not sure whether Honda intended the Crosstour for families, I read that they were actually trying to target empty nesters, much like the Toyota Venza. That being said, the Crosstour is still much better for the baby seat than my G35 so I was actually pretty jazzed to try it out for the weekend.
Driving Impressions
You probably heard about how Honda bungled the introduction of the Crosstour by releasing a few spy shots of the crossover on Facebook that received a less-than-friendly welcome from users and bloggers. Its controversial styling and complex angles and surfaces did not show up well in two dimensional pictures on the web and the design was derided and roasted with no mercy. So I wasn’t expecting the like the styling at all, but when my editor pulled up with the Crosstour, I actually kinda liked it. It’s not that weird in person. The tail doesn’t look outlandishly long and heavy, and from the front the car actually looks fairly aggressive. The acceleration is also quite decent with the 3.5 liter V6, and steering feel was actually fairly heavy and solid. On the road the Crosstour feels very confident and smooth, and the high seating position gives a commanding view of the road.
Build
I guess it’s been a while since I rode in my high school buddy’s ‘87 Prelude, so I was really impressed with the quality of the Crosstour. The doors are heavy and feel solid, and they close with a satisfying thud. Interior noise levels were very low even on the highway. The interior materials felt expensive and the leather seats in the EX-L are supporting and comfortable. The plastic buttons feel nice to the touch and are still years ahead of the materials on American cars. All the exterior panels and pieces fit together very well on the tester and the dimpled edge on the bottom of the doors are a nice touch. The halogen projector headlights in the assembly add a touch of sophistication to the car.
Interior Comfort and Ergonomics
I’ve always liked Honda interiors for their simplicity and preference for function over style. With the newer models, however, Honda has been moving in the other direction. Take the center stack on the console in the Crosstour (it’s identical to the one in the Accord sedan), for example. In an effort to make the console look symmetrical with protruding dials down the middle, Honda separated climate control buttons and mixed them up with stereo controls and navigation buttons. The result is a dizzying array of buttons and dials on a center console that looks like it’ll transform into a Decepticon when you’re not looking. I’m not done complaining. There are also too many buttons on the steering wheel. While I appreciate the radio controls and cruise control buttons on the wheel, why are there two sets of buttons for phone and navigation voice commands? They’re right next to each other and seem redundant to me. I also dislike the steering wheel design. The third spoke at the 6 o’clock position is simply too thick and really bugged me how I couldn’t run my hands all the way down the steering wheel.
Now onto the good stuff. Although I just criticized the center console, I do like how the main navigation system dial protrudes from the dashboard and is close to the shifter. I could rest my hand on the shifter and control the navigation system comfortably without reaching forward to reach the dash. The best placement for the dial is still in front of the shifter like on Audis and BMWs. Number two, I liked the big, recessed large display for the navigation system. It’s bright and has good resolution, and best of all, works well in direct sunlight thanks to the little hood over the display. The sliver radio display also works quite well in the sun. Thirdly, I like the bright and simple gauges on the Crosstour. It’s very simple and functional, like the Honda interior designs of yore.
Credit : http://reviews.carreview.com/
