Honda Accord hybrid retains all of its panache

2007 Honda Accord Hybrid. Model has all the frills you could want, but its styling needs to be spiced up

If ever there were cars you might expect to revert to the dark ages of amenities, hybrid automobiles would seem likely candidates. Henry Ford's old marketing maxim for the Model T - "Whatever colour you want, as long as it is black" - could be a decent fit for the austere class of Earth-first vehicles. After all, the green car is something of a proletarian concept, isn't it? Aren't they just for sandal-wearing tree-huggers carpooling to their next windmill co-op meeting? Judging from the Honda Accord Hybrid - with its hefty $40,590 price tag - apparently not.

Honda might passionately believe in saving Earth. It was first on the scene in the hybrid market with the Insight in 1999. But like clothiers who know there are big and tall shoppers desirous of designer suits, and vegans looking for soy alternatives that don't taste like wood pulp, the marketers at Honda know there are environmentally conscious drivers who want the finer things in driving along with excellent fuel economy. For these people, there is the Accord Hybrid.

Like its little brother, the Civic Hybrid, the Accord's special fuel system is a stealthy one. Other than the little decal on the trunk, the Integrated Motor Assist label on the instrument panel and the warning in the owner's manual about keeping the battery vent on the rear window shelf clear (to prevent fires), nothing gives away the fact the car has an electric half to its personality. From remote keyless entry to heated seats to the in-dash GPS/DVD system, the Accord Hybrid

offers every frill a driver could possibly want.

It also offers power. And lots of it. Having in my day been less than wise with a couple of automobiles that belonged to trusting *****s - as a teen, I specifically recall impromptu speed tests of a Ford Mustang, an Audi A4 and a Lexus LS 300 - I can safely say the Accord Hybrid boasts the pickup any average driver could ask for. Enter traffic on any expressway and it's guaranteed that you'll be up to speed in no time flat. Settle into the passing lane and you'll easily move around traffic that's already going at a very decent clip.

As for size, an Accord will fit a family of four very nicely. As long as the baby stroller folds down to a halfway decent bundle, the trunk will take one of those and a large load of groceries. Likewise, it has no problem carrying a hockey bag or two, though, with the batteries behind the back seat, there is no fold-down option for extra-long cargo. Inside the passenger compartment, three *****s or three car seats will fit, if a bit snugly.

Legroom, ample for the front-seat occupants, is adequate in the rear, though the Accord's back seat offers little tangible advantage over the smaller Civic.

That's not the only disappointment there is with the Accord. Yes, it and the Civic are identical twins of their non-hybrid versions. However, the basic Civic design is distinct. With a steeply raked windshield, acres of dashboard space, a raised rear end and tiny windows just ahead of the side-view mirrors, it has style and panache.

Source: [url=http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/driving/story.html?id=a5ea6d28-7649-411c-b665-2e7d35e13a3f]StarPhoenix[/url]