Aced as in a perfect score across the board!
Wayne Gerdes -
CleanMPG - Dec. 20, 2012
2013 Honda Accord during the new IIHS Small Overlap Crash Test – This one separates the boys from their mama’s and the Accord nailed it!
First the car we drove just two short weeks ago back in LA happened to be available for the
2013 Honda Accord with the 6-speed stick review. It did everything right except for being a Sport variant that left a few mpg’s on the table vs. the slightly less expensive LX trim.
The non-calibrated 64.5 mpg result places it right there amongst the leaders including the 2011 Hyundai Sonata with the stick at an actual 66.x mpgUS result achieved just over 1,000 miles (the stick is no longer available however
) and the 2013 Nissan Altima with a non-calibrated 64.6 mpg result over a 115 mile RT drive loop at its short lead last summer.
The good: It has a nice ride, really good handling, great stick action, and decent visibility, good performance (both straight line and FE wise) and it was comfortable.
The bad: Like every midsize, the Accord has a low starting price but gets pricey real quick with just a few ticks off the trim or option list.
And its safety? Absolutely beyond reproach with a perfect “best-in-class” IIHS small overlap crash test and overall result that none of its competitors can match.
The all-new 2013 Honda Accord Sedan was only one of two midsize sedans to earn an overall GOOD rating in the new Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) small overlap frontal crash test. Under the more stringent testing guidelines, the new small overlap frontal crash test is designed to replicate what happens when only a small portion of the front corner of a car collides with another vehicle or an object such as a tree or utility pole. Additionally, both the 2013 Accord Sedan
and Coupe are among the first vehicles in the industry to earn the highest possible safety rating of TOP SAFETY PICK+ from the IIHS.
As a manufacturer, Honda leads the industry with three TOP SAFETY PICK+ vehicles which include the 2013 Accord Sedan and Coupe and 2013 Acura TL.
Beginning with the 2013 Honda Accord, Honda is applying the second generation of Honda's Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE II) body structure to its models. This reinforced front frame structure provides further enhanced frontal crash energy management through a wider range of offset and oblique crashes. The result of these efforts provides the capability for the Accord Sedan to achieve a top mark of GOOD in the new IIHS small overlap frontal testing.
The new IIHS test is more challenging, as it requires additional vehicle cabin structure and front structure outboard of the main frame rails. By re-engineering of the vehicle structure, Honda has added enhancements that minimize the possible adverse effects on handling and ride comfort, fuel efficiency and overall body vibration, while increasing the safety performance of the vehicle for its passengers.
If some believe Honda is not putting forth it’s A-Game, they probably do not understand what the above results mean.
Standard safety equipment on all Honda and Acura models include Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with traction control; an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS); side curtain airbags (some vehicles equipped with a rollover sensor as well); dual-stage, multiple-threshold front airbags; and a driver's side airbag.
Now if we can only convince them to add rear passenger side airbags, their vehicles would prove to be even safer!
2013 Honda Accord Sport
It may not be quite as flashy or as fuel efficient as some of its segment competitors but it sure is safe.
All told, I cannot wait to see the results of the newer new 2013 Civic on the same IIHS small overlap crash test.
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