2009 Honda Accord Crosstour 2.4L 5AT (192 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Despite the world financial crisis, which affected automakers’ sales, Honda pushed harder and in 2008 introduced a five-door version of the Accord, named Crosstour.

When Honda introduced the Accord in 1976, the Japanese automaker offered it as a hatchback only. Later, it added the Sedan, which boosted the model’s sales and created one of the most successful mid-size sedans on the American market. With the Crosstour version, the Japanese automaker tried to expand its presence into the crossover segment, slitting the new version between the CR-V and the Pilot. The car had a higher ground clearance than its sedan sibling and was available with an all-wheel drive system as an option. Unfortunately, the timing was bad, and sales plummeted. For the 2012 model year, the automaker removed the Accord nameplate from the car and left it just as the Crosstour, and then in 2015, it pulled the plug on it.

The Japanese automaker created the 2009 Honda Accord Crosstour with a similar-looking front fascia as the rest of the Accord range. It featured rectangular headlights, swept-back on the sides, which flanked a taller grille where the brand’s badge took center stage. On the lower side of the bumper, the automaker added an upside-down trapezoidal-shaped air intake and a pair of side scoops that housed the fog lamps.

While the front fascia looked appropriate for a crossover, the profile was controversial. Its tall lower body panels and the fastback-shaped greenhouse didn’t look like they were a match made in Heaven. Furthermore, the carved lines sculptured on the sides, resembling those from its coupe sibling, vanished halfway on the rear doors. However, the most intriguing part of the car was its back. It was tall, and the rearmost set of side windows behind the C-pillars followed an ascending line and ended by a sharp angle at the same level as the driver’s head. The sloped-down tailgate sported a horizontal spoiler that integrated the third brake light, while the taillights were corner-mounted on the rear quarter panels.

Inside, the dashboard followed the same design language as in the rest of the Accord range. Fronting the driver was a rounded-shaped instrument cluster filled with two large dials for the speedometer and tachometer and flanked by the temperature and fuel level gauges on the left and right, respectively. Above the center stack, neatly integrated into the upper side of the dash, the automaker placed an eight-inch color display for the infotainment system. It was available with a DVD-based navigation system, which made customers’ lives easier when traveling around towns. A plethora of buttons and switches cluttered the center stack, although they were logically arranged. Unlike the Sedan or the Coupe version, the 2009 Honda Accord Crosstour featured high-mounted front seats with mild bolstered areas. In the back, the split-folding (60/40) bench seat could increase the already generous trunk space. Despite the sloped roof, there was enough headroom for those in the rear seats.

Under the hood, the 2009 Honda Accord Crosstour was available with two engine options: a 2.4-liter inline-four and a 3.5-liter V6. Both were paired with a standard five-speed automatic transmission. At the sales start, the former was available exclusively with a front-wheel drive system, while the latter was available with an all-wheel drive system.