2009 Honda Accord Sedan LX 5-Spd AT

Pros

Decent power and around town MPG, features, handling, reliable engine

Cons

Price, bland styling, noise, hard ride and seats, no bodyside moldings, terrible dash layout

After owning several Accords, I had high expectations for this newest model. The sticker on my car was $22225 and it had the base 177 HP engine and 5 speed automatic. Exterior styling on this new model is rather plain like a BMW. The wheels are cheap plastic hubcaps and Honda followed the herd by omitting the protective bodyside molding that wards off door dings and dresses up the exterior. I was told that Honda just released the moldings as a dealer installed option so I may pay the extra $200.00 to get them at some point. The interior is a mixed bag. Some parts are high quality and others are slipshod. The dash is not very well though out with too many buttons and the strange looking knob in the center. The guages are easy to read however. The front drivers seat is rather hard and grows uncomfortable on long trips unlike my previous Accords. Road noise is prominent at mid to higher speeds which takes away some of the quality feel of this car. On the flip side, interior room is generous and the trunk is bigger than before. Rear seat passengers find plenty of room, cup holders and fold down armrest. The ride is sometimes rough but handling is sound and much better than the Camry I took out for a test drive right before I purchased this car. The base 177 HP 4 cylinder performs well enough but grows a little growly on hills and high RPM. I was also dismayed to find out that my car with automatic was rated 2 less than the Hyundai Sonota and 3 less than the Chevy Malibu and Saturn Aura on the highway MPG!