Comparison review: Eight family sedans (eighth place)

It's a top-seller, it's well-respected, it's typically well-reviewed, and it's in last place?

The Honda Accord, which is wrapping up its third model year in its current form, is pleasant to drive and has lots of passenger space. With better handling than the Toyota Camry and more room than the Nissan Altima, someone who shops just those three might well find the Accord to be the best balance of practicality with sportiness.

And of those three flawed cars, it is. But in the broader, highly competitive family sedan market, the Accord's virtues don't take it far enough to offset a high price, a noisy ride, some iffy crash test scores and mediocre fuel economy.

The Accord does drive well, to be sure. It's a big car, but while it never feels compact it also doesn't feel bigger than its smaller competitors. The steering is light but responsive, and the car corners with a reasonably agile feel. And although the suspension will let some bumps punch their way through more sharply than some competitors, the ride's underlying firmness doesn't approach the unpleasant level of “stiff.”

There is some excess noise, however; tire roar, a common Honda issue, gets irritating even on smooth pavement. The 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine isn't too quiet either, but it's smooth-sounding. And although that engine has the second-highest horsepower rating in this comparison – 190 – its acceleration performance never exceeds “okay” in this nearly-3,400-pound sedan.

The Accord's fuel economy ratings of 21 miles per gallon in the city and 31 on the highway were competitive, if not outstanding, when the car came out in 2008, but since then a proliferation of six-speed automatic transmissions and other advances have bumped nearly every competitor past that mark. Honda has made updates to a 2011 Accord – just now appearing on dealer lots – that it says will boost EPA ratings to a stellar 23 city / 34 highway, while retaining the same five-speed automatic. It's not clear whether or how much this change will blunt performance.

SEE MORE PHOTOS OF THE ACCORD IN TODAY'S SLIDESHOW

Inside, the Accord's front seats are big, spacious and well-shaped, and upholstered in high-quality fabric. Some may find the cushions too hard, however. The rear seat is well-shaped and very roomy – the Accord is stretched out to a nearly full-size 194 inches long, mostly to the benefit of the rear passengers. The trunk behind them, meanwhile, is among the smallest in a family sedan at 14 poorly shaped cubic feet.

The tested car's tan interior is adorned with false wood trim on the dash and door panels, which is much brighter than the option of gray cloth with silver accents, but both use solid interior materials and pad key contact points like armrests. Even with the woodgrain trim, the Accord doesn't project an aura of luxury inside, not with its large swaths of hard plastics. Quality is there, but not luxury.

And luxury might have helped justify the Accord's relatively high price tag, for some, in the theory that you get what you pay for. So could any other standout virtue, in fact.

But in weighing this Honda against seven less costly competitors, it really is lacking such a selling point. It balances comfort and utility with driving dynamics, yes, but others do it too. And they do it while offering better safety scores, better gas mileage and lower prices.

Someone who buys an Accord on its reputation would probably be happy with it. Someone who gives a fair look to any number of strong competitors would probably find something else to be even happier with.

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Vehicle tested: 2010 Honda Accord
Vehicle base price (MSRP): $21,055
Version tested: EX
Version base price (MSRP): $23,830
Vehicle price as tested (MSRP): $25,340
Vehicle price as comparable (MSRP)*: $25,340 (auto)
Estimated transaction price as comparable**: $22,240
Test vehicle provided by: Jim Coleman Honda of Clarksville, Md.

Key specifications:
Length: 194.1 inches
Width: 72.7 inches
Height: 58.1 inches
Wheelbase: 110.2 inches
Weight: 3,362 pounds
Trunk volume: 14.0 cubic feet
Turning radius: 18.8 feet
Engine (as tested): 2.4-liter I4 with 190 horsepower
Transmission (as tested): 5-speed automatic
EPA city mileage: 21 miles per gallon
EPA highway mileage: 31 miles per gallon
EPA combined mileage: 25 miles per gallon
For more information: Honda website

*Prices as comparable reflect the cost of the car with a four-cylinder engine, automatic transmission, power windows, locks, mirrors and driver's seat, sunroof, and alloy wheels.

**Estimated transaction prices are based on online estimators and on quotes from dealers in the Washington, D.C., area.