The engine is smaller but it has a bigger heart

Honda Accord 2.0 VTEC

When car companies design a car, they usually have one engine that is the optimum for the particular model and that variant is the one that perfectly matches their design brief.
The latest Honda Accord was designed to be more luxurious than before because Honda wanted to move it further along the luxury scale while still maintaining some of the driver satisfaction that has long been the car’s major selling point.

To achieve this higher level of refinement they needed an engine that feels relaxed and composed most of the time and in this sense, the bigger the engine, the closer they would hit the target.
A few weeks ago we tested the 2.4 VTEC variant and found it to be a refined drive but this same sense of laid back means that the car feels less urgent than the 2.0 VTEC we are driving this week.

This is not a criticism of the 2.4 version, rather it is a way of explaining why we find the smaller engine car to be the more exciting to drive.
With only two litres to move the same amount of metal, Honda had to tune the motor to be more urgent and responsive and as a result you get a car that pulls slightly more tightly on the leash and this probably suits younger and more energetic buyers.

Thankfully the lower price of the 2.0 compared to the 2.4 means that it is more affordable to younger buyers. It works out perfectly doesn’t it?
In the real world, there difference in engine size does not mean that the 2.0 is less capable than the 2.4, the only price you have to pay is in terms of cabin calmness throughout the entire engine operating range.
Of course there are some differences in the specifications, such as the lack of a five speed gearbox and cruise control but these are not really performance enhancers but luxury additions.

Apparently I don’t know how to count anymore, and failed to spot that the 2.0 Accord has a five speeder and is only lacking in cruis control. Some of our readers gave me an earful for it, sorry guys

Obviously it would be great to have a five speeder in the 2.0, and it does have it but even the four-speed auto  and it works well enough to generate sufficiently brisk acceleration without losing anything in terms of fuel economy, at least not when compared to the 2.4.
During our test, we managed just a shade over 320 kilometres on half a tank of petrol, which is great news in today’s high energy price world. (Which should ahve been a clue for the car’s five speed ‘box, really)
While the 2.0 will accelerate the car nearly as strongly as the 2.4, it does make a bit more noise when gunned hard so this is where it loses out in terms of refinement. When cruising the difference in noise level is not noticeable as the engine is just as quiet under partial and light load.

Taking into account the price, driving pleasure, performance and refinement level, the 2.0 offers better value for money than the 2.4.
However, this is a segment where price is becoming less important and buyers of a certain age much prefer to enjoy higher levels of specifications in their executive car and here is where the 2.0 would be found wanting.
In conclusion, the Accord with the smallest engine feels more suited to younger drivers who simply want an executive car that offers decent levels of equipment but would rather not stretch their budget.

In short, it is the perfect entry level car for the new Accord range because drivers would find very little to complaint about and at RM141,800 it is a full RM30,000 cheaper than the more prestigious 2.4 litre.