Good old Honda Accord gives you what you want

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews also can be seen on the Business page of The Sacramento Bee’s website – www.sacbee.com/news/business/article4005306.html

Sacramento, California ­– I almost didn’t know how to behave in the recently tested 2015 Honda Accord EX-L sedan, seeing as how my previous two Accord test drives were in a gas-electric hybrid and a plug-in.

Almost.

The EX-L’s 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine rated at a max 185 horsepower is pretty peppy in this weight class.  It’s quick off the line and smoothly runs up the rev ladder when you want to dispatch some commuter pokes.

So, I actually spent much of my time spoiling myself with aggressive accelerations and fun-filled open-road jaunts in this, one of America’s most favorite models.

No joke on that last part.  The Honda Accord dethroned the Toyota Prius as the best-selling motor vehicle in car-crazy California last year.  The Sacramento-based California New Car Dealers Association said 73,246 Accord registrations were rung up in the Golden State in 2014, topping the second-place Prius total of 71,210.

Despite my best efforts to waste gasoline, the tested Accord would have none of it, hanging in there at a steady-as-advertised 27 miles per gallon in the city and 36 mpg on the open road.

No wonder so many parents buy the Accord for their kids.  It’s like a four-wheel babysitter.

And a feature-loaded one at that.

Even with a navigation system thrown into my tester, the bottom line on my ride came in at less than $31,000.  And that also included standard offerings such as a lane departure-warning system, leather-trimmed seats with heat, four-wheel disc brakes, a ton of superior safety features and a power moonroof.

Hmmm, give the people what they want, and they’ll probably buy a ton of these.  What a unique marketing concept, huh?  Anybody else out there listening?

If not, you should be.

My take on the Accord is pretty much that simple.  Even my eyes glaze over at the parade of “discount” vehicles out there, each one trying to point out that they have a SINGLE feature that one of the best-sellers does not.

And don’t get me started on the marketing of luxury/sports cars, where the ad creators seem to be under the delusion that everybody can afford to plunk down $80,000 or a $100,000 or so on one those models, plus the wallet-crushing insurance and fuel costs that go with the deal.

Fine, spend it if you have it.  But sometimes, you just want it simple, basic, to the point.  The Accord is all about that, and more.  It’s an “A” car all the way, and that has been true for some time. My week in the Accord sedan did nothing to change that.

Kudos to Honda for knowing just what most motorists want, and giving it to them.