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Honda Accord 3.5 V6
Three in one
Reeling from successive rounds of fuel-price hike, Vernon B. Sarne is pleased to drive a midsize sedan that offers a solution.
Photography by Alfred Mendoza
You already know I hung out with basketball legend Samboy Lim. One of the things we talked about was the new Honda Accord. He said he planned on replacing his current ride—a Ford Expedition—with a sedan. According to him, the Expedition was costing him some P5,000 on fuel expenses every week, or P20,000 per month! I suppose even celebrities are not immune from the pangs of escalating fuel prices.
The replacement car he was eyeing was the new Accord. He asked me for feedback, specifically for the base-model 2.4-liter variant. "I haven't personally driven the 2.4-liter model," I told him. "What I've driven is the 3.5-liter V6." His facial expression turned into a slight wince, expected of somebody who was already looking to unload his gas-guzzling SUV.
Samboy must have thought: "No thanks. I prefer a 2.4-liter, 178hp straight-four to a 3.5-liter, 271hp V6. I'm sick of gas stations."
But if I'm choosing between the two Accord models, it's the price tag that will be my main consideration, not the disparity in fuel economy. The P350,000 difference between the 2.4 (P1.645 million) and the 3.5 (P1.995 million) will be difficult to ignore especially in these belt-tightening times. In terms of fuel consumption, the V6 isn't that much worse than the in-line-four.
According to the United States' Environmental Protection Agency, the combined mileage (highway and city) of the 2.4-liter Accord is 10.2 kilometers to a liter, while that of the 3.5-liter model is 9.4 kilometers to a liter. When we brought our 3.5 V6 unit to Baguio—taking a route that measured 315 kilometers—we burned 36 liters of its 70-liter fuel tank. That translates to 8.75 kilometers to a liter. I have to say our driving was far from economical—we literally stepped on it, mostly using the engine's sports mode. Factor in further the route's numerous uphill climbs and you know that the Accord V6 is not necessarily fuel-thirsty.
How did Honda do it? How could a 3.5-liter V6 engine hauling a 4.94-meter, 1,600-kilogram executive sedan yield nine kilometers per liter in normal usage? The answer comes in either three letters (VCM) or three numbers (6-4-3).
VCM stands for Variable Cylinder Management, a technological feature of the Accord V6 engine that allows it to shut off a specified number of cylinders at certain vehicle speeds when these cylinders are not needed, thereby conserving fuel. You know that more cylinders mean more horsepower and torque. Hence, a V6 engine has more power than a straight-four, but it also naturally drinks more fuel. Honda fixed this problem by designing an intelligent cylinder-management system that adjusts the number of functioning cylinders according to real-time need. Honda realized that there are times when six cylinders are superfluous—that four (or even three) would suffice—as when you're cruising at a steady pace.
This is where 6-4-3 comes in. This means Honda's innovative VCM enables the new Accord's V6 engine to run on six, four or three cylinders. Pretty cool if you think about it. In principle, the technology is similar to what General Motors introduced in 1981 with the Cadillac L62 V8 engine. The big difference is that Honda has perfected the technology with the use of a smooth-operating computer control system.
When you're driving, there's an indicator on the instrument panel that tells you if you're operating on either three or four cylinders. So effectively, the car is able to guide you as far as eco-driving is concerned. Drive with a heavy foot and the engine will fire on all six cylinders, removing the eco-indicator on the instrument cluster.
In normal mode, the Accord V6 feels lethargically like a normal 2.4-liter unit. The Accord is not exactly the most dynamic of sedans in this mode, but you know it's all because the engine is doing its darnedest to save on fuel. But put the automatic five-speed transmission in "S" (sports mode), and you have a totally different car. It's like you actually stepped out of the Accord and got inside a sports car. Couple this with the paddle shifters and the Accord becomes a beast all of a sudden—fuel economy be damned.
And that's the whole point of VCM. It allows the Accord to operate like Clark Kent during normal driving, but it also empowers the car to fly like Superman should the urgent need arise. It's this extra power on tap—power that's just waiting to be unleashed—that you're really paying for. You know those pesky Civics on the expressway? Drive the Accord V6 in sports mode and you'll put them in their rightful place, which is behind you.
In the looks department, I like this eighth-generation Accord so much better than the model it replaced. It's more pointed, more confident, more aggressive. It certainly has come a long way since the first-generation Accord appeared in 1975 as a three-door compact hatchback with a wheelbase that was shorter than the Jazz's. Although I have to note that I prefer the design of the alloy wheels on the 2.4-liter Accord, and that Honda could have gone bigger than 17 inches (the Mitsubishi Lancer already has 18-inchers).
Another 2.4-liter Accord feature that I prefer is the color of the leather seats. Our unit had beige leather, which easily accumulated dirt. The lower-variant Accord has black leather seats, which not only look more elegant but are also more childproof.
More gripes? The doors automatically unlock every time you put the transmission in park, which is kind of unsafe if you're in a dark, isolated place. I hope Honda can reprogram the door-locking system to remedy this.
There's iPod connectivity via a USB port inside the center console. The system reads your iPod's files and then displays the song titles and the artist names on the dash monitor. My one beef with it is that it doesn't allow you to manually select the songs, so your best option is to put your iPod in shuffle mode and hope to God it doesn't play Michael Bolton while your hot date is riding with you.
| Honda Accord 3.5 V6 |
| We say: The wonder of having "three engines in one" will be most appreciated when you're filling your fuel tank. |
Price: P1,995,000
Engine: 3.5-liter V6
Power: 271hp
Torque: 339Nm
Transmission: 5-speed A/T
Layout/Seating: FWD/5
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Ride-wise, we can't imagine any other sedan that betters the new Accord. Ditto with the handling. Honda could claim it gave the Accord the riding comfort of a Mercedes and the handling sportiness of a BMW, and I'd have no qualms believing it.
There are three regular body colors for the Accord V6: bold beige, polished metal and nighthawk black. Our unit came with special paintwork (brilliant white pearl), and it adds P15,000 to the unit price.
The Accord 3.5 V6 is a fantastic car that is nearly without flaws. I would wholeheartedly recommend it but for the fact the 2.4-liter version is so much cheaper.
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Top Gear Philippines - August 2008
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