2012 Honda Accord Overview Change Vehicle

2012 Honda Accord overview with specifications, fuel economy data, safety information, reliability ratings, a photo gallery, and The Vehix View

The 2012 Honda Accord is a five-passenger, front-wheel-drive vehicle that is offered in four-door sedan and two-door coupe body styles. Several trims are available with one of two engines and varying levels of equipment. Competitors include the Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata, Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry.

Since a number of changes were made just last year, the 2012 Honda Accord arrives with only a few minor updates, including a USB port that is now standard on each variant. The Accord lineup continues to boast coupe and sedan body styles, four- and six-cylinder engine options, and several trim levels with varying levels of equipment.

Honda offers its 2012 Accord in four-door sedan and two-door coupe body styles, as well as several progressively well-equipped trims.

Starting things off for the sedan is the LX, which features a four-cylinder engine mated to a five-speed manual transmission, 16-inch steel wheels, keyless entry, cruise control, and an adjustable steering wheel. The driver’s seat can be raised or lowered manually and, like the front passenger bucket and folding rear bench, is cloaked in cloth upholstery. A six-speaker, 160-watt audio system is standard, bringing with it a single-disc CD player, an auxiliary input jack, and a USB port. Buyers of this entry-level 2012 Accord Sedan are also treated to increasingly commonplace amenities like power windows, power door locks and air conditioning.

A five-speed automatic is optional on the Accord Sedan LX, but is standard on the LX-P, as are 16-inch alloy wheels and an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat.

Shoppers who like what they’re seeing, yet want a few added creature comforts, might be well served by the 2012 Accord Sedan SE with its leather upholstery and trim, driver’s power lumbar feature, and heated front seats.

The four-door EX adds a moonroof, 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic headlights, heated mirrors, and a six-disc CD changer. A move up to the Accord Sedan EX-L replaces the lesser trims’ cloth upholstery with leather, while also boosting the bottom line with dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth hands-free calling capability, a power-adjustable front passenger’s seat, and a 270-watt audio system with XM satellite radio service. As its name suggests, the next Accord Sedan in line, the EX-L with Navigation, is equipped with a, well, navigation system. A rearview camera is also part of the deal.

So far, we’ve only been discussing 2012 Honda Accord Sedans equipped with a four-cylinder engine. A trio of V6-powered models is also offered, including an EX V6, EX-L V6 and EX-L V6 with Navigation.

And then there’s the 2012 Honda Accord Coupe. This two-door variant starts with the LX-S, which mirrors the Accord LX Sedan’s list of standard features with the exception of 17-inch alloy wheels and a six-disc CD changer. Next up is the EX, distinguished from its four-door counterpart by the inclusion of Bluetooth and the 270-watt audio upgrade. The Accord Coupe EX-L arrives with dual-zone climate control, leather upholstery and interior trim, a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, and XM satellite radio. An EX-L with Navigation version of the Coupe is available but, unlike the Sedan, lacks an integrated rearview camera.

For drivers who prefer a bit more muscle from their front-wheel-drive Accord Coupe, Honda offers the EX-L V6 and the sporty EX-L V6 with Navigation. The latter is the only model available with a six-speed manual transmission or a five-speed automatic with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. Other special items on this top-of-the-line Accord Coupe variant include 18-inch alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, and a memory function for the driver’s seat.

Power for most of the front-wheel-drive 2012 Honda Accord models comes from a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that’s mated to a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission. However, not all four-cylinder Accords are made the same. In LX, LX-P and SE guise, output measures 177 horsepower and 161 pound-feet of torque, whereas the more upscale EX, EX-L and LX-S models pump put 190 horses and 162 pound-feet of torque. Fuel economy for the Accord Sedan registers 23 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway for both transmissions. The slightly less frugal Accord Coupe is estimated to average 23 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway with the five-speed manual, or 22 mpg and 33 mpg, respectively, with the automatic.

A significant bump in grunt comes with the Accord’s available 3.5-liter V6. Drivers have access to 271 horsepower and 254 pound-feet of torque, all managed by the five-speed automatic transmission or, in the case of the Accord Coupe, an available six-speed manual. Again, the sedan takes the prize for efficiency with EPA estimates of 20 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the freeway. The Accord Coupe is expected to travel 17 mpg around town and 26 mpg on the highway with the stick-shift, or 19 mpg and 29 mpg, respectively, when equipped with the automatic.

Six airbags, four-wheel-disc antilock brakes, electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist systems, and stability control comes standard on every 2012 Accord. Sedans with a navigation system also get a reversing camera, and the Accord is equipped with Honda’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering body structure, which is designed to better manage crash energy and channel it away from vehicle occupants.

When you’re talking about National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash-test scores, stars are worth their weight in gold. The 2012 Honda Accord Sedan earned five of them in every category, which ranks it among the safest cars on the road today. At the time of this writing, NHTSA hadn’t published full results for the Accord Coupe.

Similarly, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) hadn’t released any data related to the 2012 models as the information for this review was compiled. Last year, the Accord received top ratings in all test assessments except for roof crush strength, for which the Accord earned an Acceptable rating.

In terms of reliability, there is a bit of disagreement between leading market research firms. Consumer Reports predicts average dependability from a new Honda Accord, while J.D. Power and Associates had yet to publish its outlook for the 2012 model. However, J.D. Power did name the 2011 Accord the Highest Ranked Midsize Car in Initial Quality, and last year the firm thought the Accord would prove to be well above average in terms of reliability.

Decades of strong sales prove that Honda has a four-door sedan recipe that has appealed to generations of American car buyers. Reliability and everyday usability have been largely responsible for the Accord’s success, though updated and all-new competitors are providing buyers with, in some cases, superior alternatives. The 2012 Accord is certainly worth a test drive, but is no longer a clear leader over rivals like the Hyundai Sonata (available in turbocharged and hybrid versions), Volkswagen Passat (especially the torquey TDI diesel variant), and Dodge Charger (in rear- or all-wheel-drive guise).

By Thom Blackett