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Old 06-03-2010, 03:27 AM   #1
AVANTI R5
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Default Honda Accord Crosstour shows tiny problems in the IIHS




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The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducted rollover tests on several vehicles and the Cross Tour was among those that didn’t do well.

Already, many observers expect this model to get an early refresh. The suggestions include a new face and a titanium-reinforced roof. In the latest tests, the IIHS didn’t exactly roll the vehicles. Rather, the IIHS pushed a metal plate against 1 corner of a roof at a constant speed.

To get a good rating, a roof must withstand a force of 4 times the vehicle’s weight before reaching 5 inches of crush. To get an acceptable rating, the minimum strength-to-weight ratio that’s needed is 3.25. A poor rating is given to those that have lower than 2.5.

Vehicles that did remarkably well are the Grand Cherokee, Highlander, Liberty, and Venza, which all withstood forces of almost 5 times their weights. The Crosstour can withstand 2.8 times its weight while the Endeavor and Pilot can endure only 3 times its weight.

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Old 06-03-2010, 07:34 AM   #2
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I've never really like the way it looks (from magazines), but I don't like the way the BMW X6 looks either. Anyway, I saw one on the road upclose yesterday and I figured out what's wrong with it. It's not really the overall shape or style. It actually does good much better in person, from the door handles up. What's wrong with it is the height. Honda tried to make it a cross between a Mercedes CLS and an Outback and it just looks ackward. If you lowered the suspension and reduced the wheel well gaps, it would look much better.
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Old 06-03-2010, 11:25 AM   #3
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Originally Posted by max_stirling View Post
If you lowered the suspension and reduced the wheel well gaps, it would look much better.
Then you have a regular Accord with a hatch.

Honda (and Toyota) are trying to compete with the Outback but Honda failed to make a proper wagon/crossover. It reminds me more of a Taurus.
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Old 06-03-2010, 12:21 PM   #4
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No, they are not trying to compete with outback with the Crosstour.

Venza maybe is.

Crosstour, and it's VDX cousin, are a direct answer to the BMW X6.

The practicality drawback of an aerodynamic roofline.
The aerodynamic drawback of a SUV body size, trying to be practical.

The worst of both worlds. Why not just buy a full SUV? The Porsche Cayenne now looks better.

Actual 5-door sedans, like Audi A5 Sportback, or Mazda 6 5-door, and such... that are normal mid-size sedans... The liftback adds practicality to a sedan roofline, and the car isn't as big as a house otherwise... so the aerodynamic profile isn't a defeated point...

We can't get those in the US...
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Old 06-03-2010, 12:34 PM   #5
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That's because nobody bought 626s that had it in the 90s; solid proof that Americans don't hatchback.
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Old 06-03-2010, 01:10 PM   #6
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The Crosstour looks pretty cool, I think, but I wouldn't buy it. They're marketing it I think correctly, at empty-nesters looking for a "sporty" car that can still suffice as a mini-hauler for road trips and such. But it's still less attractive as a package, in my opinion, than an actual sport wagon.
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Old 06-03-2010, 01:35 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by HipToBeSquare View Post
No, they are not trying to compete with outback with the Crosstour.

Venza maybe is.

Crosstour, and it's VDX cousin, are a direct answer to the BMW X6.

The practicality drawback of an aerodynamic roofline.
The aerodynamic drawback of a SUV body size, trying to be practical.

The worst of both worlds. Why not just buy a full SUV? The Porsche Cayenne now looks better.

Actual 5-door sedans, like Audi A5 Sportback, or Mazda 6 5-door, and such... that are normal mid-size sedans... The liftback adds practicality to a sedan roofline, and the car isn't as big as a house otherwise... so the aerodynamic profile isn't a defeated point...

We can't get those in the US...
I see your point on the CrossTour may not directly competing with the Outback but it more closely competes with the Outback and Venza than anything else in its price range. It has a raised suspension, 4cyl and 6 cyl engine options, available AWD, more wagon-like/hatch than traditional crossover/suv design (if that makes sense). I'm sure Honda wanted something to compete with the successful Outback and newly released Venza. It was easier for Honda to take it's Acura counterpart and revamp it for themselves.

The Mazda 6 5-door was available on the last gen 6 but didn't sell.

EDIT: The CrossTour does not come with a 4cyl engine. Just Std 6cyl.

Last edited by subyski; 06-03-2010 at 01:42 PM.
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Old 06-03-2010, 02:18 PM   #8
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To get a good rating, a roof must withstand a force of 4 times the vehicle's weight before reaching 5 inches of crush. To get an acceptable rating, the minimum strength-to-weight ratio that's needed is 3.25. A poor rating is given to those that have lower than 2.5.
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Old 06-03-2010, 03:15 PM   #9
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Oh man, the festivus pole!
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Old 06-03-2010, 03:21 PM   #10
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Seinfeld was awesome.
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Old 06-03-2010, 03:57 PM   #11
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outback > that
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Old 06-03-2010, 03:58 PM   #12
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Another Festivus Miracle!
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Old 06-03-2010, 04:04 PM   #13
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it looks better in person for sure... still not sure if id say i like it though
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Old 06-03-2010, 04:21 PM   #14
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I looked at a Mazda 6 5-door, as well as the then-smaller A4 sedan when I bought my Legacy years ago...

IF it had come with the Mazdaspeed package, I probably would have picked that over a Legacy GT.

The Audi was more expensive, and that generation was a bit too small. I thought that Legacy and Mazda 6 were just about the right size.

FWD just wasn't enough to overcome the AWD/manual gearbox and better power rating of the Legacy GT at the time. So Subaru it was. And I don't regret it at all.

I can't make the same choice today. The Legacy looks worse inside and out, is now too big... Mazda 6 is also bigger, and no longer offers me the 5-door... and A4 is now closer to the right size, more attractive, but still $$$ and less power for the 2.0T, and no manual for the 3.2.

Subaru starving the Legacy wagon to death, or Mazda starving the 5-door and wagon versions of the 6 to death are unfortunate, but a growing trend.

When you offer a 4-door 6 and a 5-door 6, and stock the 4-door much more, of course the 5 door isn't going to sell as well. Cars that don't sell well get cancelled, while companies try to sway their CAFE averages toward CUVs and the easier "light truck" classification. Cars that don't sell quite well get canned quick, but it would be glaringly obvious if a company had no 4-door sedans.

But Mazda and Subaru have no true coupes. Mazda has RX8 (pseudo-coupe, but 4-doors) and Miata (convertible, no turbo anymore). But they wouldn't consider canning the sedans. They just mainstream, bloat, and de-content their sedans.


It isn't as if the Volvo S60, or Mercury Milan were offered as 5-door sedans only, while 6, Fusion, and MKZ were 4-door sedans... and let the 5-doors get some press push, and some marketing effort... and some INVENTORY. That might have been a bit more of a fair-shake for 5-door sedans, instead of trying to split hairs within single model lines, between 4 and 5 doors.

Also, just because the appliance buyers stick to the same-ol'-same-old boring stuff, doesn't mean that it is wise to kill product diversity. The bottom line looks attractive on paper, but it costs enthusiasts options in the marketplace.

Audi won't import the A5 Sportback to compete for the buyer pool that the A4 sells to. Because it costs twice as much to federalize two models, rather than just one. That plays an unfortunate role, too. Government regulation and it's costs clamping down on market supply diversity.

I would SO replace my Legacy GT with an A5 or S5 Sportback, if Audi were to bring it over. I'd also jump at a 3-door, rather than 2-door for the A5 coupe. The TT is too small, and faux-wheel-drive, not their longitudinal AWD.

The A5 Sportback would be the practical benefit that the 6 5-door had, with the AWD and manual gearbox or DSG technical advantages in the same car, rather than having to choose between them, as I previously did.
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