News Source: topspeed.com

The Honda  Accord has been around for what seems like forever, and it has undergone more changes that I don’t care to count. After a nice redesign just a year ago, the Accord  carries into the 2014 model year with no changes at all. I got my hands on a range-topping Touring version of the 2014 Accord  , which had just about every gadget and gizmo imaginable in a mainstream, midsize sedan  .

The Accord has long had one of the most boring cabins in its segment, and the redesign takes care of some blandness, but it remains pretty blah. Besides the sleepy design, the Accord Touring’s cabin was very nicely equipped, thank to standard leather, 360-watt audio system, blind-spot camera, Bluetooth and heated seats.

Under the hood, Honda continues with its tried and true 3.5-liter V-6 that nets the sedan just under 300 horsepower. That’s decent power for a midsize sedan, but automakers are now moving toward smaller, turbocharged engines to increase fuel economy, but maintain power output, and Honda is still missing this boat.

So how does the Accord stack up to the likes of the Hyundai Sonata  and Toyota Camry?

On the outside, the Honda Accord V6 Touring is nothing too special, as it looks like your plain-Jane Accord V6. Of course, the Accord was recently revised, so at least it has a pretty sharp look for a midsize family hauler. One huge downside to my tester was the fact that it was white, which is not a very flattering color for the Accord, as it makes it look fresh off of the Enterprise Rental fleet. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to choose the color, so it is what it is.

One really neat feature were the new LED headlights that really gave off loads of light at nighttime and gave the sedan a striking look in the dark.

Inside the cabin, the Accord Touring was anything but your typical midsize sedan, as it was better loaded than the Acura I had before it, which was rather odd considering they are built by the same company. The leather seats are soft, supple and very supportive, the steering wheel feels good, despite relative numbness, the rear seat is very large and the blind-spot camera is simply fantastic.

One thing I didn’t care for was the learning curve on the infotainment system, as some features are buried within the various menus and I sometimes felt lost. Also, though it was well-equipped, I felt that the interior was pretty bland and lacked any real character.

Back to good stuff though; the rear seats have 38.5 inches of legroom, which is plenty for most adults, and the trunk holds a respectable 15.5 cubes of cargo.

Under the Accord Touring’s hood is the 3.5-liter V-6 that we’ve seen in so many Honda and Acura models. This engine is getting a little tired, and is really due for an update soon. Fortunately, it remains competent for moving the sedan around, thanks to 278 ponies and 252 pound-feet of torque. The engine mates to a six-speed automatic transmission with "Sport" mode. While this "Sport" mode is a cool feature, don’t expect anything other than a revised shift point for more effective powerband use.

One thing that I loved about the Accord, despite its dated engine, is that it is still pretty quick. Sixty mph happens in just over six seconds, making it one of the quickest in its class, and it is rated at 21 mpg city, 34 mpg highway and 26 mpg combined. It’s no sports car, but it is still a hoot to hammer the throttle and feel this family hauler turn to an ass hauler.

When the fleet guys dropped of the Accord, I was pretty excited, as I hadn’t taken a close look at one since my mom had a 1999 Accord Coupe. By the looks of things on the inside, not much has change — save for the technology — since then. The cabin was still overly simple. Maybe this was Honda’s intention, but it was just a little too "blah" for my taste.

Once I got into the features, however, my tune began to change,. I found that the audio system was spot on, the gauges were well laid out and everything was well placed. I also found the standard blind spot camera a delight during my time with the Accord. I did kid of hate the infotainment and navigation system’s interface, as things tended to get buried in the submenus, but I am sure that I would have caught on if I had more time with the car.

In terms of actually driving the car, I walked away pretty pleased. I always knew that the 3.5-liter engine was pretty balanced in SUVs and vans, but I didn’t realize that it would get the Accord moving as well as it did. My estimates put the Accord at 60 mph in the 6.2- to 6.4-second range, and the handling was okay for a family rig. Road noise — or lack thereof — was likely the best part, as the Active Noise Cancelling system really kept the cabin nice and quiet.