2001 Honda Accord EX V6

Honda's free-revving, all-alloy 200-horsepower, 3.0-liter SOHC V-6 does a solid job of blending sprightly performance and above-average fuel economy.

Underpinning the Accord is a well-sorted double-wishbone suspension system that's fined tuned with anti-roll bars at each end and hooked to terra firma via P205/65VR15 all-season radials on cast-aluminum wheels. Compared to a Camry, the Accord feels tauter and more tangibly communicative with its driver, exacting only a modest ride compliance penalty in return. Although a bit heavy on center, the Accord's power rack-and-pinion steering livens up considerably as you call upon it to point the car through more challenging corners. Where trailing brake applications only serve to make the Accord hunker down on its haunches, dropping the throttle midway through a brisk turning maneuver tends to bring on some measure of predictable tail rotation. That not-at-all-unwelcome trait actually adds a measure of fun to the mix by helping offset the car's basic tendency to push at the limit.


A textbook example of graceful aging, the Accord remains a familiar yet formidable face on the family sedan landscape. Backed by Honda's stellar reputation for quality and reliability, it continues to be an impact player in one of America's most cutthroat market segments. And, if the trend continues on as it has during the first third of 2001, the Accord may once again emerge as the best-selling passenger car in the U.S. after four years in the runner-up spot. (www.honda.com)