Crosstour a taller, cargo-friendly, loaded Accord

JIL MCINTOSH FOR THE TORONTO STAR

The front-wheel-drive Crosstour — aimed at buyers who don’t need an SUV but want more than a sedan — comes only in Accord’s top EX-L trim line, with 3.5 L V6.

Jil McIntosh

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

"She's neither fish nor flesh," Shakespeare wrote, and while the Bard was only familiar with the original type of horsepower, such ambiguity as he described could be an issue for Honda with its new-for-2010 Accord Crosstour.

Many shoppers simply aren't sure exactly what it is. Is it a car, station wagon, hatchback, crossover, or even small SUV? There's a bit of "yes" to every one of those.

Honda markets it as the top vehicle in the Accord lineup, but it's more than simply an Accord with a hatch. It rides on the Accord platform, and uses its interior, but its wheelbase is shorter; it's longer overall; and most notably, it's considerably taller, with more ground clearance.

It also uses the Accord's 3.5 L V6 and five-speed automatic transmission, with a fuel-saving feature that shuts off two or three engine cylinders when full power isn't required.

Crosstour comes only in Accord's top EX-L trim line, starting at $34,900 in front-wheel-drive. Adding "Real Time 4WD" – which runs primarily in front-wheel, but sends power to the back wheels if the front ones slip – moves it up to $36,900. The sole option package adds navigation system with backup camera, available only on the 4WD, which brings it to $38,900 before freight and taxes.

The V6-powered Accord sedan starts at $32,190, with no 4WD available. You can get lots of features on Crosstour, including sunroof, automatic climate control, heated leather seats, premium stereo and Bluetooth, but I would think that the image of passenger and cargo practicality merits an entry-level option, especially one with a smaller engine.

By comparison, while Toyota's Camry-based Venza tops out above Crosstour's highest price ($40,860 for V6 Venza AWD, with navigation and JBL stereo package), it's also available with a four-cylinder engine, starting at $29,160, and with an entry-level V6 trim line, at $30,650.

Honda's sharp-handling and delightfully responsive engine make it considerably more fun to drive than the bland Venza, but there's that practicality thing: those considering a roomier crossover for child seat space or Costco grocery runs are far more likely to look at price than prowess, both at the dealership and later at the gas pumps.

Opening up Crosstour with lower trim lines (a base EX is available in the U.S.) and Accord's four-cylinder engine – something Honda's reps broadly hinted may be in the works – could make even more inroads with drivers who don't need an SUV, but want more than a sedan.

The interior is lifted straight from Accord: comfortable chairs, excellent fit-and-finish, and a busy, bulging centre stack I've always thought looks more suited to a minivan.

The low seating position may be a sticking point for some. I wonder if my aversion to it might be due to perception: a crossover is expected to have a higher, SUV-like seat height, and this lower, car-style spot doesn't feel right.

It may also have to do with driver stature: the man who hands over the press car keys at Honda said his below-5-foot wife also complained about it, while my 5-foot-8 Designated Passenger said it was just right.

The sloping roofline affects visibility. The liftgate is actually two pieces of glass – the lower one looks like metal, but it's a dark tint – so you can see a little more than expected, but the optional backup camera is much appreciated.

The rear seats easily fold flat, with two sets of levers, so you can knock them down when you're standing beside them, or at the liftgate (which doesn't come with power assist, but it's so well-balanced that it's a breeze to close).

The cargo area opens from a length of 105 cm to 190 cm when the seats are down, but with considerable intrusion from the rear suspension. Measuring volume figures, Venza has more cargo space. I do like that Crosstour's floor can be flipped from a carpeted surface to easy-clean plastic, and especially neat is a large, removable plastic bin in the floor.

The ride is big-car smooth and stable, and it feels tight and well-balanced; the turning radius is snug, and steering feel is very good.

The transmission includes a couple of new features: a G-force hold control, which prevents annoying unwanted gear changes when you're turning a corner, and a rev-matcher for smoother downshifts.

The vehicle's also extremely quiet, thanks to an active noise cancellation system that's a first for a Honda product, and it's a welcome change from the noisier cabins normally found in this brand.

Styling garnered a range of reactions: I think it looks strong and purposeful, while a few observers managed to wring three syllables out of "ugly." It also bears some family resemblance to the equally new Acura ZDX, but they're different vehicles, with the ZDX sharing more with Acura's MDX sport-ute.

Cross-shopping the Crosstour now means figuring out if it is, indeed, fish or flesh. There aren't many true station wagons anymore, and most come from premium brands and are correspondingly expensive.

There's a blurry line between large crossovers and small SUVs, and then add hatchbacks on top of it all. Overlapping into all of them, Crosstour provides one more option for practical-minded buyers.

Freelance writer Jil McIntosh can be reached at jil@ca.inter.net

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