2008 Honda Accord Euro Luxury Review
July 20, 2008 by Matt Brogan
A five-speed, tri-mode (drive/sport/paddle shift) automatic transmission offers a versatile and fluent blend of economy and performance with shifts that feel seemingly preordained ensuring accurate and timely cog swaps that can be dictated by the paddles if the mood takes you. Similarly Sports Mode offers more enthusiastic performance and even sharper response while still offering fully automatic or manual shift flexibility. The boxing glove styled shift knob falls to hand readily and feels as tight and precise as the box itself.
Economy has also improved from what was already considered a class leader with combined figures this time round of 8.9 litres per 100km (ADR). Around town expect mid 9.0 litres whilst on the open road high 5.0L/100km suggests even more is possible through careful driving – and a more run in engine. Considering Accord Euro now weighs in at a hefty 1605kgs these figures speak for themselves and when the 2.2-litre turbo diesel arrives in 2010, Euro is certain to be a world beater.
As touched on earlier the ride is reasonably supple though perhaps hints ever so slightly as to the Euro’s sportier disposition. Not to be confused with the full size Accord, Accord Euro is proud of its more agile handling and through a lower set engine and fuel tank, wider track and lower profile tyres now offers a sharper turn-in, better feedback and quicker steering response for more enjoyable weekend driving with the only noticeable compromise perhaps being a little extra tyre noise.
It’s a smooth, encouraging and rather nimble cornering car for its size and is certainly more predictable in character than even the previous Euro. The smaller diametre leather steering wheel is a delight to hold and in fact the whole feeling from a driver’s perspective is almost that of a sports coupe trapped in a sedan’s body.
If I had to pick a flaw here at all, and I’d be trying, it’s that the new electric assisted power steering doesn’t feel quite as fluid as the hydraulic system it replaces – in some instances – and there’s just a hint of kick back when you’re trying too hard. But again, it’s one of those subtle things, hard to detect, and doesn’t detract from the experience in the slightest.
The braking is purposeful and confident, is well equipped for safe stopping with ABS, EBA and EBD all standard, and best of all has a precise pedal feel that isn’t over assisted and allows brilliant feedback, especially under heavy application. Body rest-back is smooth and well controlled and even through excessive and repeated hard braking fade was negligible.
ESP is standard across the range and is now coordinated to both steering input and the yaw sensor to better assist the driver in regaining control in the event of a skid. It feels great to try out – not that I’m recommending it – and along with a four star ANCAP rating, traction control, ISOFIX preparation for the kid’s seats, front, side, and curtain airbags all included, safety has been sufficiently addressed.
Andrew M – in a way the Aurion does own the game… there are approximately 500 or so TRD Aurions sitting all alone in a storage facility somewhere playing with themselves
No one wants to play with them… infact its gotten to the point that their Dad [Mr.Toyota] has had to offer incentives inorder to try and get others to play with them in the form of reducing the price on upto 3 occassions
Sir, Aurion’s been serving underarm. It has lots of muscles but doesn’t have the skill of the big kids. It flops about under pressure, but gets games to deuce by doing the underarm thing .
It never quite gets the break though, as the established favourites have a superior serve and volley game.
It’s cheeky and ambitious, so it tells everyone it owns the game, but the results – as you rightly point out – tell a different story.
Andrew – Why make this into another bashing thread. This is Accord Euro. Move on and get with the program. There\’s a 100 other comment sections with your name plastered all over. I just want to read about ACCORDS HERE.
Aww chippy your spoiling the fun. Even TP joins in now n again trying to serve and ace but hitting the nett.
Carry on folks we’re gonna make a Racquet on Henman hill cos according to Tony the accord couldn’t get up a slope.
looks like the chippy has a hold of his tool,
as already pointed out, it is just a bit of fun.
my main mission (code name “stop the w a n k”) has been actually defending the accord if you actually follow what i have said.
when others come in with their fairy headed ideas that a dinosaur age camry has better credentials than this classy sophisticated accord, then how can one not mistake this for a joke session.
if you want to read about accords here, then just do that.
what goes on down here doesnt change the outcome of the review.
this is a great car, and i have said that.
you have totally missed the nail and hit your thumb my friend with the way you throw accusations at people you see ruining threads
What a riot this has been reading through this lot!!!
currently own a 2005 model Euro Luxury and absolutely love it, but can’t wait till this time next year when my lease is up as i will certainly be getting the new Euro Luxury.
Great looks, fantastic equipment and all at a price that destroys most comparable European cars.
I honestly believe Honda hit on a massive winner when they introduced the Accord Euro and this new model just further enhances an already great car.
Your knocking an Aurion AndrewM cos it has a peaky engine? I prefer peaky engines. Thats why Hondas are among the most enjoyably to drive. I dont like a car that completely sh*ts itself when it goes above 4000RPM, which is where the local competition come in at.
I took Delivery of mine 2008 Euro Luxury Nav last week and have driven over 700km. This car is a good balance between comfort and road handling.Driving is fun and can be addictive, at times just don’t want to stop driving. Mileage for city 11.7l/100km and 10.1km for highway, not as low as expected maybe because it is still in the break-in period of 1000km. The navigator works well but default state is Vic, I have to set to WA if I want to use the search icon for restaurant or golf courses. The sound system is terrific and has an auto SVC, it goes louder when speed increases. Specific Ipod jack is missing but auxillary jack is provided. Compared with the Acura TSX the Aussie Euro has less gadgets. Attention seeking! well so far one stranger stop and asked about the car after 1 week of driving around.
Has anyone installed the optional bluetooth handfree phone in the New Euro ? The salesman suggested I go for the Parrot instead. Any opinion? Also the Acura TSX navigator can take voice command, can this this Euro navigator be upgraded. Also has anyone try to play Ipod in the Euro, can the songs be uploaded ?
I am ready to trade my current euro luxury which has the bone interior for a new luxury Nav but can’t believe that it is either black or black for the interior! I am now unsure if I will go ahead and buy the new model. Strange move by Honda.
I have driven the new Euro Luxury(automatic).I really like the new car and have one on order. I currently drive the old model and while it is a great car the new one is better in many ways, however it is not better in every way. I allude to the length of the new car. What is the point of increasing the length if it doesn’t translate into either or both, more interior room, or more boot space? The boot space on the new model is slightly smaller and the legroom in the back seems smaller as well.
The boot space in the new Euro is wide enough to fit my golf set without having to place it diagonally. Hope this is a consolation for you Rodger.
I manage to get the Ipod working. I bought the 3.5mm auxiliary jack from Good Guys for $7. However, the name of the song played is not displayed on the nav screen. I have tried CD as well but no title displayed. I wonder what does RDS/WMA mean printed on the sound system ?
As far as I can tell Gin, WMA stands for Windows Media Audio and RDS stands for Radio Data System, but just how they relate to anything in the sound system is a complete mystery to me. Can’t wait to get my new car, but will have to wait until October, as they had to specially order it from Japan, as I wanted a Luxury Navi with manual transmission.
Does anyone feel that this car may be too big for a single chap? I compared the length of this new Euro versus BMW 3. The Euro is longer by over 20cm!!!
Rodger, I to was looking at the Navi with a manual transmission, but was told that the combo is a special order only and had to be imported from Japan as Honda Aus does not hold stock for them. Did you get told the same thing? Also, you didn’t but it from Ringwood in Victoria did you, as they said they had just had someone order that combo.
Steve, that story about the manual Navi coming in on special order is true, that’s why I have to wait until October. I have ordered it through Essendon Honda and have been told that I was probably the first to order one with that specification. I’m glad to hear someone else is also ordering one like that, as I wouldn’t be too keen on it being a bit of an orphan.
With regards to Dennis’ query, its very hard to tell whether it would be too big for you, as it depends a lot on whether you carry many passengers, but if I was single, I would probably look for something smaller like a Civic or Mazda3.
Further to my previous post, my understanding is that the reason you have to order a manual satnav from Japan is because Honda Australia brought in quite a few of the previous model with the satnav/manual box combo and had a lot of trouble selling them. In order to avoid that happening again, they decided to import automatics only and wait for orders for the manual model.
That seems to be the feeling I get as well Rodger. Its just a pain that if you want a manual in any car nowadays you either wait, or have to go for a lesser model as the top of the range is auto only.
Gin, I have been doing a bit of thinking about the WMA/RDA acronyms. I’m pretty sure now that the WMA is used in conjunction with MP3 music files, which can be played through the sound system. The RDS can be used by radio stations to transmit infomation in addition to music eg, such as the name of the track and the artist associated with the music they are playing at the time. Does the sound system on the Euro show up anything like that when you are listening to the radio?
I still could not turn on the RDS. Maybe this radio data system is not available in Perth. When playing my Ipod, the navigator display just shows “AUX”. It does not display the playlists. All control, other than volume, have to be through the Ipod. Compared with the Acura TSX, this Aussie Euro has minimum gadgets. Even the TPMS is missing but available in the Thai Accord.
I did a search on the price of the latest Acura TSX Nav with technology pack and found that it is cheaper than the Aussie Euro Luxury Nav even though it has far superior gadgets. In this globalize world where all countries pay the same price for commodities, why is the car industry different? Honda should take the lead and standardise features and let us Aussie have the option of the latest features as well. After all it is a great car and odd to be enjoy all equally.
Gin, I think the RDS info comes from the radio station, so if the station doesn’t broadcast the data then you won’t get anything appear on your screen. You’re right about us getting less equipment on our cars than they do in the USA. It was the same with the last model as well. You would think it would be easier for Honda to standardise all the equipment. The last model Acura TSX even had a different dashboard to the Honda equivalents. However there is one point where I think the Euro beats the TSX and that’s in the looks department. I think the TSX grill looks awful and they only come with 17″ wheels.
yes, very true – the Acura TSX equivalent (with SAT Nav) is almost ten grand cheaper in the US. So we all know who is keeping the difference.
Just test drove Euro Lux Nav and Mazda 6 Lux Sports.
Both great, each around $50 000 with options.
Euro felt better to drive, Mazda felt more roomy.
Mazda boot with hatch very good.
For me the Euro, as a Dad with 2 girls leaning to Mazda. Still deciding.
IPod has no info if plugged into Aux with standard jack. If proper connector used Ipod is somehow wired to provide info and make playlists etc available.
Just serviced my Euro – the one month run-in service- at Burswood Honda. They confirmed Perth radio station does not transmit RDS.I am now trying out 92 octane petrol instead of 95, there is no noticeable differences on acceleration/power. With 95 petrol my best mileage is 10.1 litres per 100km (70% city 30% highway combine).
Nice, it’s now got more character than the previous model. I think it looks more sporty and should come in touring form for the Australian market.
I hear from a friend at honda that they will have “extreme condition compatible” diesel engines in aus models by 2010 ,apparently thats what honda class aus as ,so hopefully we get them through the model range .
I still think this is a great car .the fit and finish is amazing.You only need to close the door on a honda to feel its quality .it would be nice if more people actually understood how high the quality of most jap cars is . Its also one of the only jap hondas left ,the rest are thai built now .
Ohh and Gin i wouldn’t run that engine on normal fuel , i spoke to a honda engineer the other day and he said if this new engine doesn’t run on premium it can have serious issues ,,, not worth the risk for a few dollars mate.Apparently the warranty dept is hot on that too , no premium = no warranty .
Thanks for all the great feedback, just bought the Euro Luxury model picking car up on weekend, ordered with blue tooth (Honda genuine part). Can anyone confirm if you can have multiple phones connected to the bluetooth device at the same time. The website states it can support up to 3 devices but does not say whether this is simulteneously. My reason of for asking is I have a Tom Tom Sat nav which allow multiple devices to connect to it, but only allows one device to be paired at any given time.
I love this car!!! It is alround brilliant. The badge snobs are missing out on a lot of good (Japanese) cars in my opinion. The base Mercedes C-Class is way pricier yet doesn’t have the kit or size to match. Personally, I don’t like the sound or feel to their 1.8 litre Kopressor (sorry if I spelt it wrong) engines. They just have such a strained feeling.
I wouldn’t know if I’d prefer this or a Renault Laguna. This car is cheaper and overall great value, very well built and the sat-nav is standard. The only thing is if this car sells as well as I expect, it might (though I hope not) look aged quickly (in my opinion, like the new Mazda 6). I love the styling of this, but the Laguna has more individuality though. Tough choice!
And by the way, sorry for bringing up the Laguna again, I’m sure you guys are sick of it :) haha!
Love the Accord Euro!!! Much better than the Mazda 6!!! (in my opinion)
Congrats on your purchase Sketch.
Does the car have a rear wiper????
Just a quick post…
I have just bought a Honda Accord Euro, (luxury) and i am over the moon with the purchase. What a car, all the standard features in an optioned Lexus IS250, which is the other car i was going to buy. I test drove them both and the euro slammed it hands down. If your looking for high end value in an affordable car, go the euro, you wont be disappointed
I bought a 2008 Euro STD 6 speed manual three weeks ago.
This is a fantastic car with nice handling and excellent comfort for four adults with luggage.
Overall the engine is an excellent unit with smooth power deliver and ample torque. However, one problem that I noticed is that the engine pings (faintly) under acceleration especially at highway speeds. This is manageable and in cruise control this pinging almost disappears. I reported this issue to the Honda dealer during the first service and am advised that there is a firmware fix which will be released in the first week of March.
Overall a fantastic package and excellent value for money.
@Irving
Yes the fix is something to do with fuel octane level
I have had my Euro Luxry manual for 6 months now and generaly conduct freeway driving. Very impressed with the fuel economy, averaging about 7.3l/100Kms. Included are some steep long hills, where the cruise does not miss a beat sitting on 120Kph in 6th. Love the 6 speed.
As for the pinging, there is a faint ping, however, I have not heard it when using 98RON, only 95. Perhaps Oz fuel is a little inferior. However, I did advise the dealership to have a look at my 20K service, they did advise me aobut 60% of the new Euro\’s have this problem, and there are several tests that need to be conducted on the next service.
As for the bluetooth, not really happy with the aftermarket version. The speaker is not very audible, and I must continually turn it to full volume on each call. Not sure if full vol can be set as a standard.
Oh, and what is the chapter on HFT (hands free telephone) about. Is this the same as bluetooth etc. Why is it not an option here?