2008 Honda Accord Sedan 2.4L i-VTEC 5AT FWD (201 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Honda opened a new chapter for the European version of the Accord when it introduced the eighth generation of this nameplate at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show.

While other automakers had already started to have problems due to the world financial crisis that started slowly in late 2007, Honda charged the European market with the eighth generation of the Accord. The Japanese automaker studied customers’ profiles and understood that they needed a more comfortable vehicle. Furthermore, they asked for more amenities, better infotainment units, and more comfort. As a result, the 2008 Honda Accord came with enough features to be considered as an alternative to the premium segment. The automaker said the car was a pre-premium vehicle, with enough amenities to get in the upscale segment but priced as a mass-market mid-size sedan. The only downside of the car was the lack of a wide engine range, even though those offered were good enough for most customers. Unfortunately, the world financial crisis struck Europe hard, leading to the disappearance of some brands and forcing Honda to retire the Accord nameplate from the Old Continent after a few years since it wasn’t worth it to make the vehicle Euro 6 compatible, an emission standard that was due to enter in 2014.

At the front, the car tried to resemble the look of an angry samurai. Its angular-shaped and tilted inwards swept-back headlights flanked a broad grille with three V-shaped slats. The brand’s badge took center stage and also concealed the radar for the advanced safety features. On the lower side, the wrapped-around plastic bumper sported a broad lower air intake in the apron with an upside-down rectangular shape. It was flanked by a pair of scoops for the available fog lamps. The car had a wider stance thanks to the enlarged front wheel arches.

From its profile, the 2008 Honda Accord showed a muscular but elegant appearance. The automaker offered the car with standard alloy wheels across the range and a few subtle aerodynamic enhancements, such as the profiled side sills. Its chromed door handles were standard and resembled the shape of a dagger, similar to those fitted on the European version of the Honda Civic hatchback. The ascending waistline underlined the car’s greenhouse, shaped in a cab-rearward styling. At the back, the automaker continued the idea of a single or double exhaust system, with the pipes placed on the sides, depending on the engine version.

Inside, the mid-size sedan provided ample room for the front occupants with comfortable and mild-bolstered seats. Between them, the automaker placed a center console that housed the gear stick (or the gear selector), the buttons for the heated seats, and the handbrake. A curved-shaped element went upward, making a connection to the center stack where the 2008 Honda Accord Sedan had the stereo or the infotainment unit, depending on the version. However, the color display for that was placed higher, integrated into the upper side of the dashboard, and was not touch-sensitive. Instead, it could be controlled via a rotary knob or by voice commands. Fronting the driver was a generously sized instrument panel with large dials for the speedometer and tachometer and an LCD integrated into the middle of the former. In the back, the bench seat provided enough room for two adults, while the middle-seated one had to deal with the tall center tunnel that crossed the vehicle front to back, even though the car was not available with an all-wheel drive system.

Under the hood, Honda installed a choice of three Euro 5 gasoline or turbodiesel engines ranging between 150 and 201 PS (148 – 198 hp). These were paired with either a six-speed manual transmission or a five-speed automatic. Like its predecessors, the 2008 Honda Accord relied on a platform with independent suspension in all corners.