2010 Honda Accord Crosstour

By Ted Orme

When did station wagon become dirty words? 

They were hardy, versatile, fun vehicles my station wagons. The first was a wallowing Chevrolet company car in one of my early failed careers. After becoming a homeowner and in need of a backup workhorse (the Rover 2000 wasn’t up to it), I snapped up a stripped down, slant six, stick shift 1964 Dodge for $125 at the Government Services Administration’s monthly car auction.

Bert, named after an old schoolmate who was also big, homely and simple but brave and loyal, did yeoman service for six years as we went about civilizing our 1929 bungalow. He succumbed to rust but was quickly replaced by Nubert, a nearly identical 1962 Plymouth wagon that had sat crippled in the Architect of the Capital garage for many years and whose crevasses were still filled with seeds, pods and wilted flowers. Nubert gave way to the Green Hornet, a plucky 1977 AMC wagon from – where else? – the GSA auction. I loved them all.

One of the latest incarnations is the Honda Accord Crosstour, a marvelous 5-passenger, five-door package of luxury, utility and all-around technological delights aimed at empty-nesters and families that might be turned off by larger, numb-handling crossovers. But I have to confess, parked next to Vern Parker’s great 1968 Mercury Colony Park for a photo op, you can’t call the Crosstour a station wagon. But the game’s the same – load up, head out, go anywhere – just refined and expanded.

Based on the Accord sedan and powered by the same 271-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 (the only engine offered) and five-speed automatic, the top-of-the-line Crosstour gets bolder looks, all-wheel drive and increased ride height for better go in the snow, and an Acura-like list of comfort and entertainment features. The main competition is the Toyota Venza and Subaru’s Outback, as well as a host of other crossovers.

With its bold new grille, wedged-shaped C-pillars, grooved sides and sloping stern, the Crosstour’s shape got bad mouthed early on by “friends” on Facebook where Honda, oddly, decided to do a sneak preview last September – totally wrong demographics for this vehicle. More negative remarks followed by some buff book critics when it was introduced to the press. But I say if you’re aiming at closet wagoners, why not kick out the jams style wise and give them a body that definitely sets the Crosstour apart from the frumpier Venza and Outback?

The tradeoff for Crosstour’s sleeker, more hatch-like design is less cargo area in the rear. Whereas the Venza and Outback both feature about about 34 cubic feet of storage and 70 cubic feet with the rear seats down, the Crosstour can only claim 26 and 51 cubic feet, respectively. Real likable, however, is the Crosstour’s reversible floor panel (carpeted on one side and plastic on the other when the going gets dirty) that flips up to reveal a removable, 1.9-cubic-foot plastic bin that serves as a handy hide-e-hole for small items and can double as an ice chest for tailgating.

Inside, the Crosstour is an Accord. With the exception of pleasing blue instrument lighting, it shares the same instrument panel, controls and seating. My only gripe was the narrow, split-glass hatch that crimps your rear visibility and must be manually operated. That was somewhat compensated for in the well-dressed 4WD EX-L with Navigation test car which included a back up camera in its lengthy list of standard premium goodies for $36,220 (plus $700 shipping). Crosstour also comes in front-drive, EX versions for a starting price just over $30K – about the same price range as Venza and Outback.

On the road, sedans have always had an advantage over wagons, and this one’s no different. The Crosstour AWD EX-L’s driver sits a couple inches higher than the Accord’s thanks mostly to big, 18-inch wheels. The view is better and the ride is quiet and composed, but the added bulk and weight (with AWD, nearly 500 pounds more than an V-6 Accord sedan) are apparent under duress, which shouldn’t happen often with this cruiser. The steering response has been purposely dialed down to make sure you know this is no sports car.

With 271-horsepower and 254-lb-ft of torque, the V-6 provides adequate and competitive acceleration in its class, and a 1500-pound tow rating allows you to pull a small boat or trailer full of recreational toys. The engine also deactivates to four or three powered cylinders and is EPA rated at 17city/25 highway MPG, just a tick worse than the Accord V-6. Although Honda chose to go with a five-speed automatic in Crosstour (Venza and Outback get 6-speed automatics) it operates seamlessly due to added wheel-speed sensors that adjust for cornering, or when going up or down steep grades.

Honda expects to sell about 40,000 Crosstour's this year, compared with some 400,000 Accord sedans. Shouldn’t be a problem. After a week of sporting and homebody use, I can testify to Crosstour’s versatility and pleasing drivability. It ain’t perfect, and it can’t match the jaw-dropping curb appeal of Vern’s mighty Mercury. But this is the Honda I would like own – if it didn’t cost more than that first bungalow.

Besides, they don't manufacture Mercurys any more.