November 2009

By John Davis

The 2010 Honda Crosstour is the latest coupe-like five-door utility vehicle to invade the niche crossover market. It will compete directly against the somewhat similar Toyota Venza. But, while the Venza is based on the Highlander truck chassis, the Crosstour has genuine Accord DNA.

Its car-like nature is obvious when you look at dimensions. Crosstour's wheelbase is virtually the same as the Accord sedan, while adding less than 3-inches extra length.

But, Crosstour's styling is a major departure from the ultra-conservative Accord. The Crosstour's thick-faced front-end is aggressive and polarizing with a big, blunt grille. While at the rear, a boat-tail hatch includes dual glass panels, similar to the Honda Insight Hybrid.

Since Crosstour is the new flagship of the Accord lineup, it is well equipped, with premium EX trim at the entry level. That translates into alloy wheels on all models and a multitude of standard features.

Inside, it is even more obvious that the Crosstour is part of the Accord family. The upswept dash, and smart, intuitive layout, adds unique blue gauge needles inside chrome rings, and premium woody dash and door trim.

The standard dual-zone automatic climate includes a new low humidity sensor that cycles the air conditioning to save fuel.

Seats are comfortable and supportive with 10-way power for the driver, and 4-way power for the front passenger. The standard tilt/telescoping steering wheel houses controls for audio and climate. The available navigation system includes a backup camera.

The rear seat is spacious enough for three typical teenagers. But, like all coupe-like utilities to date, getting in and out does require adults to bend low. Plus, if you are tall, both head and legroom are at a premium. The rear seat is a split design, with each section easily folded by release levers just inside the hatch.

With the seats folded, the Crosstour has a long, low cargo floor. A portion of the cargo floor is also reversible for carrying nastier items. And, by putting the spare tire under the chassis, Honda made room for a deep under floor removable tray.

The Crosstour is powered by Accord's 3.5-liter V6 with 271 horsepower, tied to a front-wheel drive 5-speed automatic transmission. A single speed four-wheel drive system is available.

The suspension design is also akin to Accord with double-wishbones in the front, and a multi-link setup at the rear. Stability control is standard, as are all-disc ABS brakes with dual-piston front calipers. So, the Crosstour driving experience is a solid one. It is an agile handler that basically feels like a heavy Accord.

Honda calls the 2010 Crosstour a "modern crossover". We call it a rock solid attempt at being a progressive blend of car and utility, and one that every Accord fan will love.

If you're intrigued by the Honda Crosstour, be sure to catch MotorWeek's exclusive video Road Test on episode #2911 which airs on PBS beginning November 13th and on SPEED beginning November 20th.

Click here to find out when your local PBS station airs MotorWeek.