2013 Honda Accord V6 Touring: Driven
The Honda Accord is now in its ninth generation, and as we reported in our First Drive of the 2013... Read More
- #2LEADERBOARD RANK
- 2657ARTICLES CONTRIBUTED
- 108COMMENTS POSTED
Around The Web
six-speed automatic that teams with the V-6 can be hesitant to kick down when you need more power
the steering is a world or two better
The Journey's brakes have an odd feel to them
PERFORMANCE | 7 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
six-speed automatic that teams with the V-6 can be hesitant to kick down when you need more power
Kicking Tires
the steering is a world or two better
Motor Trend
The Journey's brakes have an odd feel to them
Kicking Tires
The new six-speed automatic's shift quality? Give it a mulligan for now. In the Journey, and both the related Avenger and Chrysler 200 sedans, we picked up on some shuddery shifting that betrayed some glitchy programming. Call for a downshift, and the transmission doubts you're ready for it—then it slides through a long shift action, stripping out the potential for tossing the kids around in the backseat like a summer seasonal mix. The manual shift mode doesn't always listen, and it's actuated on the shift lever—so you'll be driving one-handed if you're trying to drive with some pizazz, which is exactly wrong.
Handling is reasonably responsive in the Journey, and some of the changes to the suspension—like stiffer, better-responding shocks and lowered ride height—have honed some of its duller responses. Braking is strong, and wheel sizes range from 16-inchers on base vehicles up to optional 19-inchers. It's the steering feel that's still gone awry: numb before, the Journey now zips off-center quickly, weightlessly, without much effort or feedback. For a hydraulic-power-steering setup, it's eerily electric in feel, and not an improvement except for people who aim cars, instead of driving them.
Conclusion
Although the new Pentastar V-6 brings much-needed responsiveness and refinement, the rest of the package isn't quite up to the task.
