2007 Honda Accord EX-L review from North America

Nothing has gone wrong with this car in 25K miles.

First off, the 3.0L V6 VTEC is a gem. It is the smoothest V6 I've ever driven, and it is very, very quick, one of the quickest in its class. Honda is the largest engine company in the world, and arguably the best. Trust me: they did this one right. I drive it pretty conservatively, but the few times I have opened it up, it did NOT disappoint. I ran a couple of low 6's in the 0-60 runs. It has good torque through most of the RPM range, and a sweet little exhaust note, too.

The 5-speed automatic transmission had a few problems earlier on in the 7th generation, '03 and early '04. But they've since taken care of the issue (by redesign), and I've heard good things about it since then. Just keep the fluid changed regularly, more than it tells you, and it'll last. I've had no problems with mine, and it shifts smoothly and efficiently.

Honda's are notorious for road noise, but this one has less than any other Honda I've owned. It's actually pretty quiet, enough so that I can hear the sweet sounds of that beautiful V6 revving when I turn down the stereo.

The interior, to me, is a work of art. One of the best designed interiors I've ever seen. The leather seats are amazingly comfortable and adjustable to whatever position I need. The telescoping wheel helps, too. A few of the stereo controls take some getting used to, but it's far from a problem. The location of the moonroof switch is strange (on the lower left side of the dash), and as others have said, it has no auto open or close. But that's really a minor issue for me. The stereo is very good, but I'd stop short of calling it great. For a car of this level, I'm also surprised they don't have a trip computer on it (like they do on the ones with navi). At least a fuel economy readout would've been nice. And I also don't understand why a car of this caliber doesn't come standard with fog lights. Also, I *hate* the coin holder tray...can't get my fingers in to get coins, and they grab on the rubber lining. I'm also not crazy about the positions of the 12-volt power outlets either (one with a lid and one in the center console), but that's still relatively minor.

Handling is excellent, and the ride is solid yet smooth, not floaty and detached like some other cars in this class (e.g. Camry). It's not a "sports" car, per se, but it is quite athletic. It's what I'd call a driving enthusiast's sedan. Some people complain about the stock Michelin Pilot HX MXM4's, but I've had no issues with them. The 17" wheels are a nice touch, too. However, turning radius is HUGE, very poor, and braking is marginal. But it does have an effective VSA (that can be disabled) and of course 4-wheel disk brakes and ABS.

Looks are always subjective, but I personally really like the looks of this Accord. Some don't like the taillights, but they work for me. I especially like the LEDs in the taillights, and the dual, chrome exhaust is a nice touch.

Another nice surprise: I'm averaging over 28 mpg on mostly highway driving. And that's with the automatic. I don't do a lot of spirited driving, but it's still impressive to me.

Oil changes are fairly easy to do. The filter can be accessed behind the front passenger's wheel or from underneath. The drain plug is pretty easy to reach, too. What's even better is that the transmission drain plug is right up front and very easy to reach. It'll make those regular ATF fluid drains and fills much easier, since I plan on doing that every 25K miles (especially since there is no "official" serviceable transmission filter).

Overall, this car just simply does everything well. Sure, there are other cars that may be better in certain areas. But for the complete package, and for what you get in this price range, I just don't think it can be beat.