Honda Crosstour History
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The Honda Crosstour--formerly known as the Accord Crosstour--is a hatchback wagon variant of the popular mid-size four-door sedan. A successor of sorts to the well-loved Accord wagons of the 1990s, the Crosstour was introduced in the 2010 model year and has been largely unchanged since then. It hasn't been as well-received as those beloved wagons, though, in part because of its physical size and the relative lack of space under its rear roof.
Mostly an Accord underneath, the Crosstour has its own look--a somewhat bulbous shape that's amplified by a tall grille and a drawn-up rear end. Honda's tried to mitigate the ungainly look for the 2013 model year by "Outbacking" the Crosstour, adding a slimmer grille and bodyside cladding that does clean up the shape somewhat. Like the upcoming 2013 Accord sedan, it's not dramatic change, but it's welcome nonetheless. The interior's a high-quality place to work, though a raft of buttons and controls flies in the face of Honda's logically organized, low-cowl cockpits of old.
The Crosstour's performance stays fairly true to today's Accord, despite some thorough reworking of its suspension. The Crosstour has a few inches more in ride height than the sedan, and the roofline's nearly 8 inches taller. In theory, that creates much more interior space. In practice, it also adds a few hundred pounds to the sedan's base curb weight, and the extra pounds are tough to disguise once the Crosstour is keyed to life. The Accord sedan's nimble feel is gone, but the ride quality is still very good.
In the first two model years, Honda offered only its tried and true V-6 in the Accord Crosstour. In 2012, it added a four-cylinder drivetrain, and both return for the 2013 model year. The 3.5-liter V-6 is upgraded to a six-speed automatic with paddle shifters, though, and gas mileage should improve; the four-cylinder still retains a five-speed automatic. All four-cylinder Crosstours are front-wheel drive, by the way, in case you're cross-shopping a Subaru or Audi; all-wheel drive is offered on the V-6.
Back to interior space. While the Crosstour's taller body implies more room, its actual improvements seem less convincing. Entry and exit are better, but the curved roofline doesn't improve headroom for back-seat passengers. The cargo hold suffers from the sloping glass, a high cargo floor and rear suspension strut towers that make for a narrow space. The rear seats do fold down for longer objects, though.
Honda hasn't released all the details on the updated 2013 Crosstour, but a new infotainment is expected to become standard equipment, along with USB and Bluetooth connectivity and a rearview camera. Options will include safety technology including a lane-departure warning system.
