Latest Accords have extras worth $3000

Press, 6 May 1983, Page 22

Latest Accords have extras worth $3000

BEHIND the WHEEL with

Peter Greenslade

Still riding the crest of the March registration wave, when it achieved first and third place with its Honda Civcil and Accord, NZMC, Ltd, the automotive arm of the EMCO Group, took what could be considered a bold step when it announced an upmarket Accord saloon and two-door hatchback this week. They will not leave buyers a great deal of change from 520,000.

The first locallyassembled Accord hatchback? were launched in 1978 at $9274. The equivalent car sells for $15,686 today, a price NZMC says it is holding “in the meantime.” Somewhat paradoxically, the Hondamatic version went up from a cheaper $15,514 to $16,900 in the latest price hike. However, the last official list price I saw for that manual hatchback was $15,250 and so it appears,. despite what NZMC says, that the price of this car has, in fact, risen in recent weeks. , The price of the standard Accord saloon has gone from $15,695 to $17,200, but the price of the Hondamatic version will remain at $16,514, again “in the meantime.” It is pertinent to point out that the last official list price I saw for this particular car' was $15,625.

Mind you, in all fairness to NZMC, it must be said that as far as pricing is concerned, it probably does not exert nearly as much influence as the Government and its various departments, the Japan-based Honda company, and the shipping companies that bring the completely-knocked-down packs to New Zealand, to say nothing of the insurers. So much for

the price freeze. Against that confusing background, the EX versions of the Accords have been launched, the prices for the hatchback and saloon being $18,700 and $19,200, respectively. Both have manual five-speed gearboxes, but an automatic saloon will join the range soon and will be priced about $19,600. In a press hand-out, NZMC’s general manager, Bruce Carson, is quoted as saying that steaaily-rising demand for the Accord is forcing the company to lead the market in raising prices “to reflect both devaluation and changes in duty structure.”

While these prices certainly reflect the changed duty structure, whether they are a true reflection of the official devaluation of the New Zealand dollar could be another matter. In the normal course of events,

one would imagine that the lead time between the Muldoon devaluation announcement and the launching of these new versions of the Accord would be rather on the short side.

In any case, if I happened to be considering buying an EX Accord I would not be wasting too much time mulling it over. Although these cars may appear inordinately expensive on paper, at present prices they are bargains in the metal in that they cost about $2OOO more than the lesser models. I would think that the additional equipment which is fitted to them would cost about $3OOO to buy in the after market, always bearing in mind that the cost of labour would be another increment.

They come with powerassisted steering, electri-cally-operated sunroof, AM/ FM radio with stereo cassette system and four speakers, tastefully dessigned Japanese-made alloy wheels and a master locking system to secure the glovebox and luggage boot at times when the situation requires that the car can be unlocked and started by someone other than the owner.

In an otherwise well-nigh perfect 1600 cu cm car, front-wheel drive feedback through the steering has always been one of the less desirable features of the Accord. Certainly, the more recent models do not display the vice to the same degree as the earlier versions, but anyone with extensive driving experience of contemporary front-drive cars will note this area is one in which the Accord falls a little short.

The overriding impression left after a fairly thorough sampling of an EX Accord saloon last week was that it is a car very much akin to the sporty Prelude, which was the subject of a review in these columns recently. The Prelude lacks the saloon’s ample accommodation for four and even five large adults, although it is a rather better performer. The power-assisted steering is of the variable type, in that it is finger light while manoeuvring in the confined spaces of a parking lot but the assistance diminishes as the car’s speed increases, so much so that once open-road touring speed is achieved the degree of assistance is zero. So the driver is in complete comtrol and experiences the full and extremely desirable measure of road feel that is transmitted through the steering systems of better designed cars.

This variable assistance originates in a relief valve in the hydraulics of the system. The valve is geared to the cable drive of "the speedometer and so the degree of assistance diminishes as the car’s speed increases.

Just as power-assistance has removed front-drive feedback from the Prelude, it has had the same effect in the EX Accord. Generally this feedback evinces itself when the car is accelerated out of slow corners. The front-driven wheels display a sometimes alarming tendency to straighten up more quickly that the driver considers desirable and the unwary can be caught out by the sharp and, at times, vicious swing of the steering wheel.

That simply does not happen in the power-assisted EX version. The last traces

of feedback have been eliminated to make the Accord a highly-civilised car. Although there is still some pitch on uneven road surfaces and the Accord tends to float at higher speeds, I found it to be directionally stable and, for a car of its type, it cornered exceptionally well.

A recent modification to all Accords is the addition to a rear anti-roll bar. Apart from reducing body roll in corners, it seems to have inhibited the understeering that all front-drive cars display and it has also smoothed the transition from mild understeer to mild oversteer, which occurs in cars of this type when the throttle is eased in a corner. Whereas previously, the Accord tended to tighten up the corner too quickly when the throttle was eased, the rear anti-roll bar creates the impression that the car could be steered on the throttle. Certainly it has had the effect of making the car much more predictable and controllable in corners. Of course the widerrimmed alloy wheels, fitted with 70 series, steel-braced radial-ply tyres, must also contribute to the improved cornering capacity, if only because they increase the tread width by 2cm and so put more rubber on the road.

Minimal draught and a tolerable amount of wind noise stem from the opened sunroof. It is of tinted glass and operated by a rocker switch. A sliding padded cover masks the glass if occupants are troubled by glare from the sun or overhead lights. The other EX feature, apart from identifying badges, is the employment of a chevron-patterned velour covering the comfortable and supportive seats, the backs of which are also covered in velour instead of the vinyl of the lesser cars.

Waiving the latest Prelude, that EX Accord saloon is the best Honda I’ve sampled. Honda adherents will categorise it as the Accord that marks the longest and best step forward that Honda has taken.

However, potential buyers should heed the earlier warning. Don’t waste too much time deliberating. Hesitancy in this case could make the added and worthwhile features of these cars seem marginal, if the sort of price hike that I fear devaluation will bring does, in fact, materialise.