Our long-term Honda Accord Tourer continues to endear itself with solid dependability, strong performance, practicality and handsome good looks.
But it disappoints on two fronts, one subjective the other objective. Firstly, the comfortable and reasonably spacious interior lacks the intuitive ergonomic cohesion and inherent class of an Audi A4, while secondly, fuel consumption stubbornly refuses to be manipulated upwards from 41mpg.
A check on the estate’s weight, a hefty 103kg more than the equivalent but larger Ford Mondeo, goes some way to explaining the fuel figures, which officially should read 48mpg.
On the plus side, the 150PS 2.2-litre diesel engine provides brisk motoring, although cruising refinement could be better. The traction control coped well with the recent snow and packed slush, too.
However, other little things that irritate include the time it takes to demist the windscreen on cold or damp winter mornings, and how the instruments fog up, particularly obscuring the external temperature indicator.
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