wordplay: Greg Bloom

For as long as I can remember, Honda Accord has rolled with the stigma of being one of the longest lasting, most reliable cars on the road. Not only that, but it was the first car I’d ever come across as a kid that rocked front wheel drive and could do amazing things in the snow. It was a pioneer in the fuel economy arena and has teased a crossover into the luxury category since the mid to late ‘80s.

            Now, with almost every automobile manufacturer out there offering up more options than you can shake a stick at, even the most economically and environmentally conscious rides can seem luxurious to the layperson. In Honda’s top of the line sedan, there has been an exception for two decades, as she already has a head start in the midsize class paying first homage to the baby boomers.

            The base model, Accord LX, gives you all the standard features, exists mainly for the wallet-watcher, rivals every other economy car for the title of “most sensible” car on the road, and comes in at just a hair over $20k.

Skipping all the other steps on the ladder straight to the top… The Accord EX-L V6 encompasses the pennywise characteristics of the LX but floods the sticker with a plethora of bells and whistles for only another $8k on top of the LX base price. It has a 268hp 3.5 liter SOHC i-VTEC® V-6 engine. It has a 100k mile no scheduled checkup program. It has XM Satellite radio, Satellite Navigation, all the leather interior options and exterior lighting and design options. It matched the safest of all midsized sedans with optimum airbag presence and gets you where you want to go fast and looking good.

So, for just a smidgen over $30k you’ve got a long lasting, gas-sipping, snow-loving, crowd pleasing chart topper of an automobile in the 2008 Honda Accord.

Honda.com