Honda Accord Crosstour Review

Over eight generations, the Honda Accord has morphed from a spunky compact hatchback into a critically acclaimed, best-selling midsize sedan. Along the way it's also managed to spin off coupe, wagon and hybrid-powered variants. More recently, Honda took the opportunity to catch the burgeoning fastback crossover wave with a novel Accord-based offering called the Accord Crosstour.

The Crosstour is a wagonlike conveyance that features increased ride height, extra room out back and available all-wheel drive (AWD). But despite its expanded cargo area relative to the Accord, the Crosstour delivers considerably less cargo space than most rivals. If you like the Accord sedan but need more space or all-wheel drive, the composed and carlike Honda Accord Crosstour is worth checking out. But if you aren't sold on the design or don't carry lots of stuff, there are better crossovers to consider.

Most Recent Honda Accord Crosstour
Note: After just two years of marketing this model as the Accord Crosstour, Honda renamed it just "Crosstour" for the 2012 model year. It's the same car, however, and a review of the 2012-and-up Crosstour can be found here.

The Honda Accord Crosstour was produced for 2010 and 2011. Two upscale trim levels of this crossover wagon were offered -- EX and EX-L. The EX came with a sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, power front seats, a 60/40-split-folding rear seat and a six-CD changer. The EX-L added bigger wheels, leather upholstery, heated front seats, Bluetooth and premium audio. A navigation system with voice activation and a back-up camera was the only option, and it was only available on the EX-L.

The Accord Crosstour was front-wheel drive by default, with all-wheel drive an option on the EX-L only. All Accord Crosstours were powered by a 3.5-liter V6 producing 271 horsepower. A five-speed automatic was the sole available transmission. In performance testing, a front-wheel-drive Crosstour went from zero to 60 mph in a class-competitive 7.5 seconds.

In reviews, we noted that while overall acceleration was adequate, off-the-mark performance was a little soft due to a lack of torque. Also, the transmission was reluctant to downshift at highway speeds. But despite the Crosstour's elevated center of gravity and extra 300 pounds compared to the Accord sedan, it was still pleasant to drive, with predictable steering and composed handling. The Crosstour's cabin was actually quieter over the road than the sedan's, a welcome upgrade.

Those familiar with the Accord sedan of the same time period will feel right at home in the Crosstour's cabin. The center stack had an attractive high-tech appearance, though an abundance of similar-looking buttons made it look overly busy. The optional navigation system only added to the clutter, but it was easy to operate using voice commands and the multipurpose controller. The Honda Accord Crosstour's sloping roof line ate into rear cargo space -- there was only a bit over 51 cubic feet with the rear seatbacks folded -- though rear passengers enjoyed ample leg- and headroom.

If you are looking for older years, visit our used Honda Accord Crosstour page.