Hate The Honda Crosstour? You've Been Heard

by Edward Niedermeyer

Published: October 28th, 2009

No, Honda’s Accord-based Crossover sin-against-nature hasn’t been canceled, but it is being cannibalized (sort of). Acura has announced [via Autoblog] that a TSX Sportwagon will be offered beginning with the 2011 model year. In short, if you begged Honda to bring a Euro-spec Accord wagon to market, your pleas have been answered… as long as you’re willing to shell out at Acura prices. More information as it becomes available… meanwhile, notch up another promising sign in the Honda column.

#Accord #Acura #Crossover #Crosstour #Cuv #Honda #Tsx #Wagon

Edward Niedermeyer

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Carve on Oct 29, 2009

I've been clamoring for an Accord wagon for years. People looking for a practical haul-muddy-bikes-and-dogs around car are generally going to be looking at a lower price point. Plus, this'll have an ugly chrome beak on it. They really should've made it an Accord wagon with an entry price of about 20k, topping out at 30. I'm sure Honda will use this as "evidence" American's don't like wagons.

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AJ on Oct 29, 2009

I'll agree that Honda's designers have given weird looks (almost ugly) to cars over the years, I don't think this is too bad. If I was going to buy a four-door Accord, I could see buying a wagon instead. I hate trunks... I always have. This would be a good alternative to a mini-van for people that can't stand the thought of buying/owning one.

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Psarhjinian on Oct 29, 2009
I wonder where that number comes from. Honda’s own website says 346L/1332L. Which is impressive for a car that size. Honda Canada. Do they give you a bigger spare tire in Europe? 85% of European Passat buyers, 65% of 3-series buyers, 55% of E-class buyers, 70% of Mondeo buyers… would like to disagree. That's like saying 100% of Corvette buyers buy two-seat cars---it doesn't mean that two-seaters are more popular than four-seaters. Where a wagon and sedan are the only choices, people in Europe pick the wagon. WBut what about sales of the MPVs/Crossovers like the Sharan/Touran, X3, B- and GLK-Class, GLK or Kuga? As in North America, those are on the rise, and coming at the expense of the wagon and hatchback variants of the traditional low-roofer. They're sporty enough, cheap enough and cavernous enough to do what people want, and most people, even in Europe, are not buying discretionary cars. This is why wagons aren't going to be with us much longer, especially now that MPVs/XUVs really are very good. If you are a real person and need a car that does it all, hauling and a sporty driving experience, a traditional low wagon/hatch is your only choice. Those people are in the minority, and even then, the sporty feeling is just as much there in a well-sorted MPV/crossover as it is in a wagon, except that you get a seating position that people actually like, and a whole lot of room. I'm sure we'll still see wagons, but they're going to be relegated to specialty marques where the margin can offset the cost. In North America, this has already happened; in Europe it's well on it's way.

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Stuki on Oct 30, 2009

Mirko Reinhardt, Thanks for that info. Honda must be about the only maker out there shrinking their cars from one generation to the next. But maybe it was just the last Accord Wagon being too far removed from the sedan to be economical. Anyway, with no flat load floor, and no 5 size, that's one less car I'll have to consider. psarhjinian, even without gargantuan capacity, wagons are just sooooo much easier to load irregular shaped stuff into than sedans, due to the bigger trunk opening. A Segway simply won't fit through the mail slot in the rear of a 3 series sedan, despite there being plenty of volume to hold it with the seats down. Hauling Boxes and upright suitcases are another area where wagons really shine, despite not being that much larger than their now tall decked Sedan counterparts volume wise. Also, a 5 series and above sized wagon with a flat floor allows for sleeping in the back, which is problematic in a vehicle that gets its cargo volume from height instead of length. In general, for living in denser places at least, the "Euro way" of a midsize wagon, with a roof low enough to easily pack a top box when more space is needed, in combination with a trailer for those few times most people "need" a pickup truck, has a lot to recommend it over the gargantuan SUV / Pickup Truck that serves a similar need over here.

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