by Amy Lillard
What drives car buyers in today's society? Smart sizes, efficient fuel use, practical capability, and of course, the hidden perks and guilty pleasures. In our continuing series, we examine the most popular cars in America.
As midsize cars experience a sales boom, the Honda Accord sits right in the middle of the Top 10 best-selling cars.
Just as with other midsize cars, the appeal of the Honda Accord lies in its practicality, its reliability, its reasonable cost, and its energy efficiency. The combination of these factors has translated to significant sales increases over the past years. In fact, March 2007 sales figures indicate a 23 percent increase over 2006 figures.
The entire package for 2007 was enough to win some serious bragging rights: the model was named Best New Car for Small Families by Cars.com, as well as Best Buy by Consumer Guide Automotive. The biggest accolade comes with once again being named one of the 10 Best Cars by Car and Driver, an honor the car has attained nearly every year since 1983. In 25 years, the car has won 21 trophies, despite an avalanche of challengers. The award is based on overall excellence, looking at speed, room, fit and finish, ergonomics, road manners, reliability, and resale value.
The Accord comes in a two-door coupe and a four-door sedan. Both body styles come in LX, EX, and EX-L trim. Sedans also offer models with fewer frills, including the VP and SE.
The 2007 models offer both 4-cylinder engines and a V6. The addition of this sporty and fast engine, boasting quiet acceleration to accentuate the many interior features, means many reviewers are lauding the vehicle for incorporating fun into the drive.
One of the most exciting developments with the 2007 Honda Accord is the addition of a Hybrid model. Hybrid engines were developed as the utmost in energy efficiency, and are increasing momentum across the board of best-selling trucks and automobiles. The Honda Hybrid works with the basic premise and accentuates it. The Hybrid has 253 hp from a V6 assisted by an electric motor. The system self-charges the electric batteries, so there is no plug-in charging. The Hybrid V6 has cylinder deactivation, and automatically stops and restarts at idle.
The Honda Accord starts at a price over $19,000. Fully loaded, the Accord comes in over $31,000.
For a complete one-stop look at current Accord features and specifications, visit consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/2007-honda-accord.htm. For all the news on new models and features, visit www.honda.com.
A frequent contributor to ERATE® since 2006, Amy Lillard is a freelance writer specializing in turning complex information into useful tips and tricks for readers. For questions or topic suggestions, contact Amy at [email protected].
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