Over the weekend I had to park our 2008 Honda Accord EX-L V6 in one of those really tight parking garages -- the kind where if a couple cars aren't pulled in straight, the space between them is useless unless you have a Mini or Smart. It was then that I realized just how big the Accord now is. "That won't fit, that won't fit," I murmured to myself as I drove down the aisles. Then, I watched a 1st-gen Sienna pull out of this spot and was determined to make it work. The Accord just fit, and I folded in the mirrors to give my neighbors a few extra inches.
Later, though, while loading items into the trunk, I looked in the backseat and couldn't believe how much room there was.
I was reminded of a road trip I took 14 years ago with my mom, stepdad and younger brother. The four of us piled into Mom's 1993 Accord for the 20-hour drive from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. (It was the largest car we had and we couldn't afford to rent something bigger.) Needless to say, it wasn't a terribly comfortable ride and eventually everyone had to take a turn in the backseat to keep the peace.
While I have misgivings about the large footprint of the 2008 Honda Accord, there's no question it's a better candidate for family road trips than its forbears of the '80s and '90s.
As an aside, I checked the oil when I fueled up this morning. The hood goes right up without a prop rod, and the orange-ringed dipstick is right out in front. The dipstick is also slightly heavier-duty than many I've encountered recently, making it easy to reinsert. The Accord's oil level checked out fine.
Erin Riches, Senior Content Editor @ 11,899 miles
While I have misgivings about the large footprint of the 2008 Honda Accord, there's no question it's a better candidate for family road trips than its forbears of the '80s and '90s.
As an aside, I checked the oil when I fueled up this morning. The hood goes right up without a prop rod, and the orange-ringed dipstick is right out in front. The dipstick is also slightly heavier-duty than many I've encountered recently, making it easy to reinsert. The Accord's oil level checked out fine.
Erin Riches, Senior Content Editor @ 11,899 miles
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