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REVIEW: 2016 Honda Accord Touring


We’ll just put this right out front – this is not your grandfather’s Accord anymore. As one of the United States’ top selling vehicles year over year, how do you improve something that’s already great? With new sporty looks & other visual tweaks for 2016, I think Honda’s got the job under control.

We took a drive in Honda’s 2016 Accord Touring sedan, thanks to our friends at Honda of Tenafly. With a powerful 3.5-liter V6 producing 278 horses, the get-up-and-go factor on this lightweight, mid-sized sedan is prevalent – getting up to 60mph in under 6 seconds. With a smooth shifting 6-speed-automatic transmission (only available on V6 models), the Accord Touring was a treat to drive. Although the Accord Touring comes standard with 19″ sport black-accented wheels, the ride was not very rough, all while taking turns like a champ.

The interior is complemented with leather-trimmed seats and a leather wrapped steering wheel, audio system with 7 speakers, a 7-inch touchscreen audio display with Honda’s Satellite-linked Navigation, Voice Recognition & Multi-View Rear Camera. Technology and other creature comforts include SMS Text Messaging functionality, USB audio interface, push-button start, Honda LaneWatch (camera mounted on passenger-side mirror), heated front and rear seats. Also included in the Touring is Honda’s Sensing Package, which has features like Collision Mitigation Braking System, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Assist, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning and Road Departure Mitigation.

On the outside, the car has 19″x8″ sport alloy wheels, LED headlights with auto-high beam, LED fog lights, rain sensing wipers, heated power door mirrors with turn indicators, LED taillights, remote start, front and rear parking sensors and rear decklid spoiler.

Overall, this was a stellar car and it definitely makes our recommended vehicles list. With the styling & power of a sports sedan and the comfortable ride of a luxo-barge, it combines the best of both worlds. If you’re looking for a fun sedan with plenty of room, that’s both fuel and budget efficient, you’ve found your match – at just under $35,000.

Pros: Great deal of technology and safety features, smooth ride, quick acceleration, great styling cues

Cons: Great deal of technology, torque steer

 

QUICK FACTS:

Base Price: $34,680 || Price as Tested: $34,680

Vehicle Layout: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive, five-passenger, 4-door sedan

Engine: 3.5-liter, 6-cylinder, 278-hp,  252 lb-ft torque || Transmission: 6-speed automatic, with sport mode

Curb Weight:  3,605 lbs || Length/Width/Height: 192.5/72.8/57.7 inches

0-60:   5.6 seconds || EPA City/Highway Fuel Economy: 21/34 MPG

 

RATING: 8.3/10

Exterior: 9

Interior: 7

Acceleration: 8

Braking: 9

Ride: 8

Handling: 8

Gearbox: 8

Audio: 8

Tech: 9

Value: 9

We’d like to thank Herbie Rosario and Arthur McCracken at Honda Of Tenafly for getting us into the 2016 Honda Accord Touring. For all of your Honda needs, go check out Honda of Tenafly in Tenafly, NJ and online at www.hondaoftenafly.com. Make sure you tell them Greg and Dave sent you!

 

Your Weekend Car Show Roundup: May 2-3

Every week, we’ll bring you a roundup of the best shows around New Jersey (and other locations to be announced shortly). Know of car shows near you? Let us know!

Corvette & GM Car Show 2014

Corvette & GM Car Show 2014

May 2:

Whiskey Cafe Car Show (every Saturday from May-September from 5-10pm)

4th Annual Park Ridge Recreation Committee Car Show (12-4pm)

Cars and Coffee High Octane South Jersey (every Saturday, 8:30am-until the last car leaves)

May 3: 

41st Annual Corvette & GM Show & Swap Meet (9-3pm)

Prestige BMW Cars & Coffee (8:30-11am)

64th Annual NJ Antique Automobile Club of America Car Show (9-3pm)

Cadillac & LaSalle North Jersey Region Spectacular Spring Show

Boy, they sure don’t make cars like they used to. The Autocracy spent a beautiful Sunday morning on the Palisades admiring Cadillac’s from the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s at the Cadillac Club of New Jersey’s Spring Show. In admiring these cars, you can truly appreciate the simplicity of the engines and interiors and the beautiful lines in their design, and of course, the iconic tail fins. Founded in 1902, Cadillac has stood the test of time and made some of their best vehicles in the 50s and 60s and it was a real treat seeing some great examples.

Electric Vehicles Take Charge

Call it what you want to call it, hybrids & electric vehicles are taking over.

If you haven’t heard, today is Earth Day and we’re at a point in society where you can now see a hybrid or electric-drive car almost anytime you turn a corner. Nearly every car manufacturer has a hybrid or electric vehicle in its’ lineup. With vehicles from the Fiat 500e, Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid and Ford Focus Electric to the McLaren P1, Porsche 918 and BMW i8, there’s a car for every personality and budget. In 1993, not even 2,000 electric cars were sold. Fast forward 20 years later and that number has, dare I say it, surged to over 490,000.

This past weekend, we stopped at the Electric Hybrid Car Show in Englewood, NJ and got to take a peek at car manufacturer offerings ranging from Smart, Toyota & Honda to Cadillac, BMW & Porsche. Here’s what we saw:

Top 8 Cars I’m Most Excited About

With the Auto Show now in our rearview, we saw a great amount of what’s to come for 2015 and 2016. Here’s what you should be looking forward to:

Buick Avenir Concept

Buick Avenir Concept

Meaning “future” in French, the Avenir is sure to be a next-generation car. Although details are far and few between, we do know that the concept model has a V6 engine (with auto stop/start and cylinder deactivation), mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. With classic good looks and curves reminiscent of Buick’s big bodied sedans, driver-selectable suspension damping and 21-inch wheels make this car a show stopper. Rumored to be built on the Cadillac CT6’s Omega platform, GM’s product-development chief Mark Reuss says the CT6 uses “a mixed-material architecture and is very flexible” — so mum’s the word for now.

Volvo XC90

Volvo XC90I’ve always been a fan of the XC90, for some reason. I’m not too sure what it is – maybe it’s the looks, maybe it’s the brand, but whatever it is, the 2016 XC90 made me an even bigger fan. Ranging in price from just under $50,000 to an est. $62,000 for the T8 model, Volvo’s crazy enough to use a turbocharger, supercharger and electric motor – all in one vehicle. The range-topping T8 model features a turbocharged, supercharged, and intercooled 2.0 liter inline-4 creating 316 hp and 295 lb-ft. of torque, with permanent magnet synchronous AC electric front and rear motors. Combined, they make 400 hp and over 470 lb-ft. of torque. It’s brutish looks also help it’s case.

Mazda MX-5 Miata

Mazda MX-5This I’m more excited about for the obvious — it should be a fun little car to drive. Keeping it’s weight down at just barely one ton, the MX-5 Miata does 0-60 in 6.5 seconds, all from a 2.0 liter, 155 hp I4.

Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Concept

Chevrolet Colorado ZR2Although only a concept, the ZR2 is based off of the all-new Colorado with beefier styling, a stronger frame and extreme off-road performance. “From the bold stance to the trail-ready special equipment, the Colorado ZR2 is all about the fun of driving where the pavement ends”, says Tony Johnson, the Colorado’s marketing manager. A four-inch wider stance courtesy of a front and rear suspension lift, King off-road racing shocks, electronic front and rear locking differentials, integrated skid plates and 35″ off-road tires make the ZR2 the perfect mid-size truck to take off road. Even better – the concept truck is powered by a 2.8L Duramax Diesel engine, pushing 181 horses and nearly 400 lb-ft. of torque.

Ram Rebel

Ram RebelIf you can’t tell by now, I really like trucks and especially ones meant to go off-road, which brings us to the Ram Rebel. Although I’m not incredibly fond of the large 5-inch letters on the tailgate, I have warmed up more to the front grille design. With fenders from the current Power Wagon and 33-inch tires from Toyo, this truck means business. The Rebel comes with specially tuned Bilstein shocks, linked to the current Ram’s air suspension system. Two engines are available – the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 (305 hp) or the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 (395 hp), mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Inside, seats are covered in a Sedosa fabric with Toyo tire tread embossings, bringing some of the outside influence, inside. I just really love the way it looks – I have a current-gen Ram 1500 and can attest to the power it puts down and the thrills it brings.

Cadillac CT6

Cadillac CT6Cadillac is making its entry back into the big-bodied rear-wheel-drive platforms. Armed with sharp angles and elegant design, Cadillac sets their sights on their German competitors. With all sorts of technology in the car including 4-wheel steering, multiple performance driving modes, night vision, magnetic ride control and an HD Rear Camera Mirror that allows 300 percent more vision that an ordinary standard mirror allows, the CT6 defines luxury merged with technology. Three engine choices will be available: a 265 hp turbo four cylinder, a 335 hp V6 and a 400 hp twin-turbo 3.0L V6; all will have an eight-speed automatic driving the rear wheels, with available all-wheel-drive.

Ford Focus RS

Ford Focus RSFinally, a hot hatch that comes to the states! We’ve been waiting for a Focus RS for a while, and since our friends across the pond have been hooning them for years, we get ours (hopefully) soon. Ford has released few details BUT they did tell us it has the new Mustang’s 2.3L turbocharged EcoBoost four cylinder engine, although it has been uprated and promises to deliver “well in excess” of 315 horsepower. The EcoBoost’s turbo has been changed to a low-inertia twin-scroll turbocharger with bigger intercoolers. Torque-vectoring is also standard, with twin electronically controlled clutch packs on both sides of the rear drive unit; up to 70% of the output can be sent to the rear axle, allowing us “the ability to achieve controlled oversteer drifts at the track”, according to Ford. With all-wheel-drive and a six-speed manual as the only available transmission, 0-60 in the RS should absolutely be in the sub-5 second range. We can’t wait to get our hands on this.

Ford GTFord GT

Ahh, the Ford GT. The pièce de résistance. The unicorn.

Simply put, the Ford GT just needs to get here already. Yesterday, if possible. The GT features an EcoBoost twin-turbocharged, direct-injected 3.5 liter V6, with an estimated, rather, a promise by Ford, to produce over 600 horsepower with noted “EcoBoost” and “Powered by Ford” branding. With the GT, Ford’s game plan is all about power-to-weight ratio – the carbon fiber in the GT’s chassis tub and bodywork will be hand-laid and Chief Engineer Jamal Hameedi said they want to have “the best power-to-weight ratio of any car on the market”. Ford also has taken the time to car about the details. The rear spoiler has the added function of being an air-brake, rising vertically and tilting to capture extra downforce and drag when needed. The taillights act as heat exchanges, where, after passing through fender-mounted intercoolers, newly heated air then flows to the GT’s tail where it exits through the centers of the taillights. A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, carbon-ceramic brakes, and 20-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sport Cup 2 tires keep this car on the ground. Sign us up for the waiting list.

2015 New York International Auto Show: Part Two

The Autocracy went back to the New York International Auto Show because we apparently didn’t get enough of the hundreds of new cars and trucks from the first weekend! Round 2 of the event brought us the DUB Show, showcasing customized vehicles ranging from a BMW i8 & Mercedes SLS to a Saleen S7 and an Acura NSX. Also on display was Ken Block’s Ford Fiesta, famous from his Gymkhana videos. Additional new vehicles included the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2, a Jurassic Park Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, the Land Rover Discovery Sport, and Ford’s much-anticipated GT & Mustang GT350R. Stay tuned for more updates this week on our Top 10 Favorite Cars from the show and a spotlight on electric vehicles!

Your New Favorite Cruising Playlist

It’s been a little delayed, but decent weather seems to be finally be upon us (at least, in the Northeast). With good weather, you also get the opportunity to roll your windows down and turn the music up. To get you ready for that, we’ve come up with our Top 5 Spring/Summer cruising playlist.

1. Martin Solveig & GTA – Intoxicated

2. A-Trak, Milo & Otis – Out The Speakers

3. Florida Georgia Line – Sun Daze

4. Major Lazer & DJ Snake – Lean On (feat. MØ)

5. Jason Aldean – Just Gettin’ Started

 

Not your average Passat…

You may know Tanner Foust from his show, Top Gear America, or you might know him from from his racing history. Well, now there’s a new reason to know him — his new Formula Drift car is a 900 horsepower Volkswagen Passat.

Speaking from the Horse Thief Mile at Willow Springs, Foust goes into his race history, what brought him to the sport, and the technology that makes the car. “When drifiting came around, I just fit with the sport – I owe a lot to the sport of drifting”, says Foust.

He races for Volkswagen and Rockstar Energy, and this marks his return to Formula D events for the first time since 2010. Foust continues, “I think the sport has changed a lot in 5 years” and it’s true — steering angles are greater, horsepower ranges from 40-60% more and drivers are taking different lines.

Speaking of car technology, Foust’s Passat features a 7.4L V8 pushing 700hp (900hp on nitrous) to the rear wheels. Exhaust headers utilize an eight-into-one sequential collector designed by AEM which, according to Foust, “give the car such a wild scream”. 3D printing is utilized via the handbrake and other car components.

Whether or not he has concerns about his entry back into Formula D after 5 years, he says he’s “going to have a blast doing whatever it is frankly”.

Photos: Rockstar Energy

2015 New York International Auto Show

We’ve conquered yet another year at the Jacob Javits Center’s 2015 New York International Auto Show.

This year’s show had it all — celebrity meet and greets, new cars and trucks, test drive experiences, modified imports and muscle cars, one of my all-time favorite cars (the BMW 850CSi) and probably more car debuts than before. Cars seen at the show include the new Nissan Titan, Murano and Maxima; Ram Rebel; Ford’s all-new aluminum F150, Raptor and Focus RS, and their redesigned Explorer and Expedition; the Hyundai Santa Cruz Concept; and Buick’s new Cascada convertible and the Avenir Concept (thanks for throwing it back with Buick’s original tri-color emblem). Also at the show was the all-new Honda Pilot and Civic Concept; Mazda’s highly anticipated MX-5 Miata; Acura’s NSX; the Lincoln Continental; Aston Martin Vulcan and Cadillac CT6.

Catch us again at the Auto Show this weekend for more coverage!

Special thanks to James Cole for the photos.

Vengeance Hits Home with Furious 7

NOTE: There will be no spoilers, so long as you have seen the trailer

As Vin Diesel put it, “I don’t have friends. I’ve got family”; and family is undoubtedly the most prevalent theme in the film.

With Paul Walker’s passing in 2013, people weren’t sure how the movie would incorporate his absence, or even if the movie would continue at all. With Walker having filmed about 80 percent of Furious 7 before he passed, his brothers, Cody and Caleb, were brought on to finish the film. In a most fitting and respectful farewell to Paul, the cast and crew of Furious 7 truly pulled off an excellent movie.

This film is guaranteed to take you on a ride, both emotionally and physically, with gravity-defying stunts, high-octane fights, oh… and merely flying(?) a $3+ million hypercar between 2 3 buildings in Dubai. With their jet-setting escapades, the crew travels from Los Angeles to Azerbaijan to Dubai and back to LA, and are aided by Tyrese’s quick wit, Ludacris’ tech skills and The Rock’s plaster-cast-breaking biceps.

The film stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Dwayne Johnson, with The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift star Lucas Black, and newcomers Kurt Russell and Rhonda Rousey.