Driven! 2013 Honda Accord Touring

[quote_box_right]Up: There’s a mode for every kind of driver.

Down: No 6-speed for top model sedan.

Neutral: Best looking and best driving Accord yet![/quote_box_right]It’s a Honda right? We know it’s good. We know it’s reliable. We know that we should buy one. So then why the heck did we bother doing a review of this 27-time Top 10 Winner with Car and Driver? Because we’re picky. Yeah, this might be a good 10-hour road trip kind of car but what about merging on a round-about onto the highway? We like to feel some g’s ya’ know? So here we are, in the 2013 Honda Accord Touring with the beefed up V6 i-VTEC engine and plenty of gadgetry to keep the family occupied. We wanted to know, is this a driver’s car?

Like I said, there’s plenty to be found in the new generation Accord. The Touring being the top trim package, has everything. A rear view camera with 3 angles of vision, lane departure and blind-spot warnings, and the same dual-screen nav/entertainment system we found in the 2014 Acura RLX we drove earlier this summer are just some of the features available. Our exceptionally helpful Vern Eide representative, Kelly Harbin, explained that he owns the 2012 Accord. After seeing the 2013 model, he regrets not waiting the extra time for what he describes as a greatly improved vehicle in both look and design.

Cruising down the road, the driver has three gear-box modes: Eco, Drive (Standard), and Sport. Rolling around in Drive leaves plenty of access to power in the pedal. Switching over to the Eco-mode really shows Honda’s dedication to saving the owner gas dollars. Switching, the pedal mushed to a sort of long-engagement and I started to take notice of Honda’s “Coaching Bars”. These are a couple of lights straddling the speedometer to show you how much gas you are consuming at any point in time.

I already knew Honda made a gas-sippers though. It’s the sporty bit I was curious about. Sliding into ‘S’ on the gearbox proved fun. Running all the way up to the red line was a blast. The V6 in this car goes. The noise it made was quite surprising as well. I’m getting used to the whine that turbo-fours make but this is naturally aspirated (non-turbo) and it growls. Grip was solid too, the car stood rather firm into the corners for a mid-sized sedan. I can see what the fuss is all about.

The only sad part to this whole story is knowing that most people that buy the 2013 Honda Accord probably never know the full potential of a vehicle like this. Yeah, it’s refined and comfortable and even rivaled our more luxurious test-models in features and interior space but driving is what seals the deal. This car can move and it’s meant to. It’s up to our friends over at Vern Eide Honda then to make sure the word gets out. The Accord really is a driver’s car.

*Photos from when we were Sioux Falls Auto Reviews