Used 2007 Honda Accord

The Honda Accord is a legend in the automotive world, renowned for its reasonable price, excellent build quality, powerful yet fuel-efficient engines and high resale value – and that doesn’t even cover its exceptional reputation for overall pleasure of ownership. Over the years the Accord has grown larger and more luxurious, but it has never forgotten its core customers. Their loyalty shines brightly in both the J.D. Power customer satisfaction surveys and repeat purchases. While the Accord’s conservative styling is made all the more mainstream by the massive number of cars sold in the U.S., Honda’s bread and butter sedan remains an attractive prospect. In sharp contrast to many of its competitors, Honda offers the same top-of-the-line trim levels on both its four-cylinder and six-cylinder models, a practice we wish more manufacturers would employ.

The standard engine for all Accord models is the marvelous 2.4-liter four-cylinder – arguably one of the best-built, smoothest-running four-cylinder engines on the planet. It can move the Accord with surprising speed, while returning an EPA fuel economy rating of 26-miles per gallon city and 34-miles per gallon highway. We particularly like the manual transmission version and recommend it for those who enjoy more spirited driving. The DX and LX models offer smaller wheel and tire packages that somewhat limit the Accord’s racy potential, but the standard setup is just fine for daily driving. As you’d expect with Honda, the Accord’s steering is spot on; its brakes are excellent (discs and drums on VP, LX and SE, four-wheel discs on EX and all Accords with the V6), and its chassis dynamics are at that harmonious spot between a comfortable ride and agile handling.

The Accord’s interior has grown in size and sophistication. The rear seat offers generous head and legroom, but we wish the front passenger seat had the same height-adjustable feature and manual lumbar support as the driver’s seat. Customers of the EX trim level can opt for a voice-activated navigation system, steering wheel-mounted audio controls and heated leather seats, bringing the Accord into near-luxury territory. As safety is a paramount part of Honda’s design, all Accords feature standard front side-impact airbags as well as front and rear side-curtain airbags.

The Accord’s exterior is quite handsome, and even a bit edgy. The body panels line up with all the precision of a crack drill team, and the overall fit and finish remain unmatched. Base models share the same overall look, but delineate from the higher trim levels in their smaller and less flashy wheel and tire packages. There is a noticeable move to include more Acura styling cues in the Accord’s sheetmetal, resulting in a much more upscale appearance. If the Accord’s look seems commonplace, it’s only because there are so many of them on the road.

Navigation System
The Honda Accord has a great voice-activated navigation system on its option list.

Safety Features
We applaud Honda for making front side-impact and front and rear head-curtain airbags standard equipment.

The entry-level Accord VP features a 2.4-liter engine, five-speed manual transmission, anti-lock brakes (ABS), six cup holders, rear defroster, power windows, dual side mirrors, AM/FM stereo with CD, folding rear seat, cruise control, air conditioning, tilt/telescopic steering wheel, front side-impact airbags, front and rear head-curtain airbags, tachometer, intermittent wipers and full wheel covers.

Rather than offer a pick-and-choose options list, Honda instead equips each trim with a long list of standard features. There are a variety of trim levels from which to choose; the base VP, then the LX, SE and EX, with each of the latter three available with a four- or six-cylinder engine. Depending upon the trim level, you can get an Accord with keyless remote, cruise control, heated leather seats, navigation, six-speed manual transmission, power moonroof, premium audio, alloy wheels, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, eight-way power driver’s seat with lumbar support and HomeLink remote garage-door control.

Honda’s 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine is remarkably smooth and efficient. Counter-rotating balance shafts are employed to quell the vibrations commonly associated with small four-cylinder engines, and with a robust 166 horsepower at hand, acceleration is quick. The manual transmission heightens the driving experience, so long as you’re not stuck in rush-hour traffic. The V6 is a work of art, delivering amazing power without sacrificing gas mileage, but we think the Honda four-cylinder engine is so good the extra cost of the V6 may not be worth the added power. Best of all, the 2.4-liter is rated as a Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV) and the special California Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV) will now be offered in the states of Massachusetts, Maine, New York and Vermont.

2.4-liter in-line 4
166 horsepower @ 5800 rpm
160 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 26/34 (manual), 24/34 (automatic)

3.0-liter V6
244 horsepower @ 6250 rpm
211 lb.-ft. of torque @ 5000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 21/30 (manual), 20/29 (automatic)