08 Apr 03
'Lifestyle' estates - we're all a bit sick of them by now. Well, not necessarily the cars themselves, but the endless corporate-speak about people into 'active leisure pursuits' (which always sounds slightly kinky, somehow), the illustrations of smiley happy couples with windswept hair and glittering teeth, the photos of said estate swallowing up surfboards, mountain bikes, skis and smart camping gear... do these buyers really exist? All the surfers and bikers I know have ancient Volvo estates or VW camper vans. But even if this demographic is nothing but a figment of the marketing departments' collective imagination, the projected image must be selling cars, as there's no shortage of smaller estate cars out there with the emphasis as much on style as on load-lugging abilities.
Honda's Accord Tourer looks a little bit more useful than most, however. Honda claims class-leading load space, and it certainly compares favourably to the trendier end of the market (Lexus IS200 Sport Cross, Alfa Romeo 156 Sportwagon, BMW 3-Series Touring and even the Volvo V70) in terms of both size and price. The space is well thought-out, too, with the flat rear tailgate allowing for a well-shaped boot, a flat load floor, clever one-touch flat-folding rear seats and a usefully sized lockable underfloor compartment (in lieu of a spare wheel, if you can trust the idea of tyre sealant spray). The tailgate has an extra gimmick in its fully-electric operation - it can be opened or shut by remote control, rather like an up-and-over garage door - and although this might seem a little superfluous, it does away with the usual obstructive gas struts and should raise a few eyebrows in the supermarket car park.
It looks attractive, as well; whilst the resemblance to the Stream compact MPV and Civic hatchback is notable, the discreet tailgate spoiler, swept-back side profile and subtle alloy wheels emphasise a sporting character without being loud and lairy. It's neither as purposeful-looking or as elegant as the late-'90s Civic Aerodeck, though the optional roof bars will do a lot to address the former shortfall. But its main advantage is that it is not bloated or bulbous like the Citroen C5, Peugeot 307 SW), and - for buyers who care about these things - it's not at all Teutonic.
