The body of the 1998 Accord is completely new. Sharp edges and rounded corners lend an understated,
refined look, while an aggressive stance gives it the air of a European sedan. The nose is short, the hood
and cowl are low, which complement the glassy cabin to provide excellent visibility from inside.
Two body styles are available, a four-door sedan and a sporty new coupe. The Accord Coupe shares all the
wonderfulness of the new sedan, but boasts unique styling and some performance tweaks designed to make it more
fun to drive. While the previous Accord Coupe looked like a two-door version of the Sedan, Honda designed the
1998 model to have its own identity. Only the headlights and door handles are shared with the Sedan. Indeed,
the Coupe is a handsome car, and a good choice for busy executives who want something practical and sporty.
But we're here to talk about the Accord Sedan, which comes in five models. The DX, LX and EX come equipped
with 4-cylinder engines, while the LX V-6 and EX V-6 models are powered by a new 200-horsepower, aluminum alloy,
3.0-liter V6. The 3.0-liter engine replaces the previous 2.7-liter powerplant. Equipped with Honda's Variable
valve Timing and valve lift Electronic Control, or VTEC, system, the 60-degree V6 is tuned to deliver optimum
torque over a broad rpm range. It's so smooth and so quiet that sometimes a glance at the tachometer is required
to confirm that it's running. It provides lots of power for merging into traffic or entertaining its driver.
Lest anyone fear an inferiority complex, the 2.3-liter VTEC inline-4 is a complete redesign as well. It produces
more power, less vibration and better fuel efficiency than its predecessor. It's so clean that the Accord EX with
an automatic transmission meets California's demanding ultra-low emission vehicle, or ULEV, standards. Generating
150 hp at 5700 rpm, an Accord equipped with this engine is by no means a penalty box. An Accord equipped with one
of these 4-cylinder engines is a great package that deserves consideration by anyone shopping for a roomy mid-size
car that excels in quality, durability, reliability, smoothness, ride quality, practicality and fuel efficiency.
Did we leave anything out?
A fantastic new chassis comes with a new five-link double-wishbone rear suspension and a redesigned double-wishbone
front suspension. Structural rigidity is significantly improved over the previous model for better handling and ride.
Honda used airline business-class seating as a model for the Accord interior and it's a marvel of space efficiency. Amazingly, the new interior is substantially roomier than last year's edition, but the exterior is just slightly larger. The front seats are wider and more comfortable than before, but the big news is in back where there's substantially more room for rear seat passengers. This makes the new Accord a true midsize sedan, whereas before it was considered a big compact.
Bigger front and rear door openings make it easier to get in and out of the car. It's also easier to load cargo because the trunk opening is bigger. The trunk itself is four inches wider for increased cargo capacity.
Everything inside the car has been redesigned. A new instrument panel features a two-tone finish with big gauges that are easy to read. Gone finally are the little silver metal switches that have locked doors for millions of Honda products, replaced with more aesthetically appealing plastic ones that match the interior.
Features associated with luxury cars abound, particularly on the high-level models. Sun visors offer sliding extensions, a HomeLink remote control system can be programmed to open garage doors, turn on house lights and turn off security systems. The air conditioning system, redesigned to reduce cool-down times by 30 percent, uses an air filtration system to keep pollen out and reduce diesel fumes from buses and trucks.
We spent a day driving the various trim levels of both the Accord Sedan and the new Coupe through Ohio's Cuyahoga
Valley and came away impressed with all of them. At one point, we staged an informal back-to-back test of the Accord
EX V-6, Toyota Camry, Chevrolet Malibu and Ford Taurus. Blasting up and down a rough, knarly little backroad, we
explored the limits of handling, power and braking. The Camry offered superb damping over the ripply pavement and
the Malibu surprised us with its handling prowess. By comparison, the Taurus seemed out of its element, heavy and
ponderous. The Accord provided the sharpest transient response when turning left, then right, then left again, and
it had the best brakes. The overriding impression was that the Accord seemed lighter on its feet and inspired more
confidence than the other cars.
Two months later, we spent a week driving an Accord EX V-6 in Maryland. The more time we spent with this car, the
more we were impressed with its competence. Ripples and potholes are smoothed out by the well-damped suspension, yet
corners can be taken with confidence without any of the yawing and pitching that can shake confidence at higher speeds.
In cruise city, the V6 engine just purrs along, barely audible. Stomp on the throttle and the VTEC cam setup growls with authority and quickly rockets the car into scofflaw county. We like both of those places and the Accord is a great car for traveling between them.