What happend to Honda accord Euro CU2 in Drive and Carsguide car of the year 2010

[praja6]

Just random, is there any reason our Honda accord Euro CU2 didn't come up finalist in both Drive and carsguide car of the year 2010... I can't see last year as well. I can see Mazda 6, subaru comes up as finalist, Honda Odyssey is drive best people mover, but can't see euro at all..
What happend to Honda accord Euro? Didn't they participate or didn't quality?

[edras]

http://www.ozhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?137974-EURO-I45-KIZASHI-6-comparison

the euro has had no update in 2 years. that's maybe why they did not make the list.

[buddah51au]

Once a car is reviewed they do not generally do it again until there has been an update of that particular model

[tron07]

Once a car is reviewed they do not generally do it again until there has been an update of that particular model

Not in this.....



Richard Blackburn
November 25, 2010 - 9:52AM

Volkswagen's frugal Polo proves the adage that good things come in small packages.

As the car industry desperately tries to turn around its reputation as an environmental bad boy, it's perhaps no surprise that the car with the best fuel consumption won Drive's Car of the Year award for 2010.

What's more of a surprise, though, is that the tiny Volkswagen Polo delivers so many rewards for enthusiastic drivers looking to reduce their carbon footprints.

In the end it was the fun factor and not the frugality that endeared the smallest Volkswagen to the Car of the Year judges.

The 1.2-litre Polo's power output may look modest on paper, but its turbocharged engine delivers plenty of performance thanks to an abundance of torque, or pulling power.

Last year, the Polo's big brother and 2009 Car of the Year winner, the Golf, showed that performance and fuel efficiency weren't necessarily mutually exclusive concepts. Its 1.4-litre turbocharged and supercharged engine was more powerful but used less fuel than its predecessor.

The Polo repeats the feat, using 24 per cent less fuel than the bigger 1.6-litre engine it replaces, while producing better performance. Despite its smaller size, the new Polo completes the 0-100km/h sprint one-and-a-half seconds quicker. In our testing, the Polo was only two-tenths slower than the V6 Nissan Maxima.

Those impressive figures explain why so many manufacturers are turning to turbochargers. Of our 14 category winners, ten employ turbos. Even the locals are getting on board. Ford already has both turbocharged and supercharged Falcons, while from next year it will add a turbo four-cylinder Falcon and a turbo diesel to the Territory SUV. Holden is expected to follow suit with a turbocharged version of the Cruze small car.

Although the Polo's engine is a ripper, the car is by no means a one-trick pony. It is the only car in its class to have a sophisticated seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that shifts quicker than a manual and uses the same amount of fuel (autos are traditionally thirstier than manuals). Most competitors have four-speed autos that deliver slower acceleration and more pain at the pump, although Ford's Fiesta now has a similar dual-clutch six-speed.

The advances don't stop there. The Polo was the first car in its class to have six airbags and stability control as standard equipment. Others have since followed suit, but VW deserves kudos for being first.

Most judges agreed the Polo's cabin was a step above the rest as well, with soft-touch cabin surfaces and a feeling of solidity similar to larger VWs. The Fiesta has the German's measure in road-holding and steering, but the VW tends to soak up bumps more gracefully.

There was some discussion about the Polo's price premium, which amounted to $1350 over the Fiesta and almost $5000 over the Nissan Micra. At this end of the market, three judges argued, that type of price premium was unreasonable. But most thought the superior engine performance and better cabin presentation justified the extra dollars.

The Polo wasn't a unanimous choice in the overall award. Two judges voted for the Golf, which they thought was slightly more impressive. Drive's Car of the Year awards differ from some others in that they compare the best new metal with the best existing metal. The theory is that there's no point in giving an award to a car that is no better than last year's winner.

And that criteria was vindicated by this year's results. Of the 14 categories, ranging from city runabouts to supercars, nine categories were won by the car that triumphed last year. The result is a sobering one for the industry, and a timely reminder for car buyers that just because something is new, it's not necessarily better.
It has to be said that this year's crop of newcomers contained very few game-changers.

In the small car class, the Renault Megane was a disappointment, with sloppy road manners and an uninspiring engine-transmission combination, while the revised Mazda3, despite a better price and stronger safety story, didn't really challenge the Golf for refinement or performance.

The story was the same in the large car class, where the Nissan Maxima outpointed the mildly-revised Commodore Sportwagon. Two judges were so unimpressed with the contenders, they withheld their votes.
There was no changing of the guard in a host of other categories either, with the Honda Odyssey (people-mover), the Volkswagen Passat CC (Luxury car over $60,000), BMW 135i (performance car over $60,000), Porsche Boxster (convertible), Land Rover Discovery (4WD), Volvo XC60 (SUV over $60,000) and SS Commodore ute (utility) all retaining their crowns.

None of the carryover category champions was eligible for the overall award, the rationale being that they had already been knocked out of the contest by last year's overall winner, the Golf.

The mid-size class threw up the first of the six contenders for overall glory.

The carryover champion, the Mazda6, was pipped by Ford's new diesel version of the Mondeo, which has a more powerful yet more fuel-efficient engine, and a quieter cabin. Most judges did, however, rank the Mazda ahead of Toyota's Hybrid Camry, Volkswagen's Jetta and Suzuki's biggest car yet, the Kizashi. Toyota's Hybrid Camry was let down by its dowdy interior and less-than-perfect road manners, while the Kizashi was competent without excelling and the otherwise excellent Golf-based Jetta lacked the space to be a true mid-size contender.

The Mondeo was joined in the final five by the new Renault Megane RS250 Trophee, which came out on top in the most hotly contested, and highest quality category, Performance Car Under $60,000. The Renault hot-hatch knocked off the only car to have won its category every year since the awards started five years ago, Volkswagen's Golf GTI. The Renault's sharper handling and slightly more compliant ride gave it the nod over the impressive VW. It also outperformed the Subaru WRX and Holden SS-V on the track and road, while it was thought by most judges to be more liveable than the red-hot Focus RS, which got three votes.

The BMW 535i snuck past the Jaguar XF on the basis of road-holding ability, although five of the 11 judges scored the contest to the Jaguar. The surprise packet was the Kia Sportage, which was a comfortable winner in the best SUV under $40,000 class, beating established favourites from Subaru, Nissan and Honda. The Kia's strong equipment list, neat cabin and cracking diesel engine made it a clear winner.

But the Kia fell at the final post due to average road manners. The Kia is a vast improvement on the previous generation and better than some Japanese offroaders, but not a stand-out against a wider field of cars.

The Renault also dropped out because it was deemed as a little pricey relative to other hot-hatches in its class such as the WRX and Mazda3 MPS. The same goes for the fully-loaded BMW 5-Series we tested, which cost roughly $40,000 more than the Jaguar and considerably more than similarly equipped rivals from Audi and Lexus.

That left two Volkswagens to fight out the major award. The Polo got the nod from nine of the judges, who thought it shifted the goalposts of its class more than the Golf did - and for less of a premium over its competitors.

[tron07]

funny.... no mention of the Euro or Accord as well


------------------
Drive Car of the Year: Medium Car
Cameron McGavin

big filed of newcomers greeted the judges this year, but an old stager took the prize.

Ford’s Mondeo Zetec TDCi hatch punched the hardest in a heated five-way streetfight to dust the competition and stride off with the Medium Car laurels for 2010.

It’s the third win for the Ford in this category, adding to its victories in 2007 and 2008, and sees the crown return to Blue Oval territory following a 12-month stint with Mazda’s 6.

On paper at least, the feat could barely have been done in a more decisive manner. When the decisions were tallied the Mondeo had garnered a commanding 10 votes, leaving the defending champ with a paltry single supporter.

The 6 was always going to be up against it in 2010. There’s been some change this year, but it went into battle in essentially the same fettle as 2009 against a facelifted Mondeo bearing some significant mechanical alterations.

Suzuki, too, lined up to take a hit with its first medium-sized car ever, the Kizashi, and there was also Volkswagen’s refreshed Jetta 118 TSI and Toyota’s Hybrid Camry to muddy the waters.

By the end of the week, though, it was clear none of the three new contenders would lay serious claim to the title.

The Kizashi was the furthest from the mark, despite the judges rating it a commendable first effort from the Japanese manufacturer. The 131kW 2.4-litre engine/CVT auto driveline drew positive comment for its competitive power, economy and driveability, and nobody had much bad to say about the way it cornered or its value for money.

It was about to get better, too, as some noted, with an updated model boasting (amongst other things) improved safety due for release by the time these awards are handed out.

But the widespread view was its attack on the Drive criteria was too inconsistent. All judges agreed the back seat lacked the space and comfort to cut it with the leading medium cars, the ride was too firm and noise suppression far from remarkable.

Many thought the cabin’s materials and presentation lacked sparkle in 2010, while the old-school internal-cable boot release and position of the head restraints attracted sprinklings of spittle.

The Jetta, perhaps surprisingly for a car that’s essentially a booted version of our overall DCOTY winner of 2009, also fell quickly out of the game.

Read why the judges chose their Drive Car of the Year on the judges blogs
View Drive's full coverage of the Car of the Year Awards
View all the winners and contenders of this year's Drive Car of the Year Awards
View Drive's complete video coverage of all the winners in this year's contest
It wasn’t for lack of trying. The 118kW 1.4-litre engine/DSG auto driveline got it off to a flying start - impressing all with its stellar performance, refinement and economy just as it did in the Golf last year - and nobody was inclined to complain about the way it drove, its safety, boot space or the cabin’s quality feel.

But the VW’s challenge evaporated when the focus turned to comfort and practicality. All agreed that the back seat was fine for a small car but well behind the eight ball when judged by medium-sized expectations. With such a key asset so conspicuously absent, its tilt at the title faltered even before issues like the DSG gearbox’s low-speed/hill-start stutters were brought into play.

The Toyota, contrastingly, was let down by details more than any one major flaw. The sophisticated 140kW petrol/electric hybrid driveline won praise for its strong performance, great economy and standard-setting emissions, and everyone approved of the modest price premium it demanded over other Camrys.

A line in the sand for the Australian industry, it was agreed, and a proper medium-sized car when it came to cabin space, too.

But the Camry also attracted a fair share of kicks. The biggest gripe was safety, with some judges incensed that Toyota could do the work needed to gain a five-star NCAP rating for its Aurion (essentially a V6-powered Camry) but not for a model being pitched as the most sophisticated Australian car ever.

The Toyota also copped plenty for its road manners, brakes and tyres, which were regarded as too soft, too spongy and too skatey respectively, and for missing out on must-have features like Bluetooth. Nobody professed much love, either, for the dash with its peculiar silver/aqua-coloured centre console section.

In the end, one judge summed it up best when they said the Hybrid Camry was a landmark but not a great car. All thought Toyota should be commended for chasing the big advances, even if the rest of the car doesn’t really live up to the hype.

So, for the third year running in this category, the Drive panel was left to referee an arm-wrestle between the Mondeo and 6.

Initially, at least, it had the markings of a close contest. Most thought the Mazda’s combination of handling and day-to-day comfort was very well sussed, its cabin competitively practical (if short on rear toe space and amenities), its quality excellent and its safety credentials on the ball.

As in previous years, the 6’s sub-par noise suppression was seen as the biggest pimple on a package that delivers consistently respectable results against the criteria. This year the 125kW 2.5-litre engine was added to the list. Keen and likeable, but behind the times in the areas of economy, refinement and in need of replacement was the general consensus.

It took time for judges to warm to the Ford. The big silver panel on the dash was a deal-breaker for one fired-up panel member and others found the undignified rasp of the handbrake off-putting. Most agreed it wasn’t quite as fun to drive as the Mazda or as well presented. The price premium of its diesel drivetrain relative to petrol equivalents also set the argument-meter bouncing.

But as the key criteria were ticked off one by one the Mondeo’s all-round competence became ever more apparent.

The new 120kW 2.0-litre diesel drivetrain attracted plaudits all-round for its unburstable flexibility, quietness and very competitive economy. All but one thought the trick new double-clutch auto (a la VW’s DSG) a great match, with less low-speed hesitation than its
German equivalents.

Even the doubters, too, had to concede that the Ford was very nearly as much fun as a 6 to drive while offering incrementally better ride comfort and vastly superior on-road refinement.
Inside, its vast space, great comfort and massive boot were considered by most to be more than enough to balance the odd bit of scrappy presentation.

And no safety snags to talk of, either, even if the Zetec isn’t a patch on to the standard-setting topline Titanium model not represented here.

If you’d been a fly on the wall you’d know that splitting the 6 and Mondeo was far from an easy task for the Drive team. But with all bar one judge siding with the Ford, we can confidently say the balance of power in the medium-car segment has shifted once again.

[Golf_R]

euro is just too good....and these writers hate honda......i have seen a review saying that..mazda 6 interior is better than euro (furk that)...bS!!

totally dislike....what they have wrote..they all xxxking big head small coccck

[felixd]

lol maybe the standard are just not uptodate ?

[buddah51au]

I agree that the Mazda 6 interior is not up to the standard of the Euro, but the 6 it is a class above VW interiors that do not stand up to harsh Australian conditions & never have. Look at any of the older VW models & you will find warped & cracked trims. It is a problem VW have had for many years in hot climates.

[praja6]

I don't know why most reviewers like Mazda 6 over liberty and Euro... Is it may be price is cheaper for base model Mazda 6?

[HunterZero]

Euro was Wheels Car of the Year 2008 ahead of the Mazda 6... So obviously some reviewers have taste.

- HZ

[antony]

And in Australias best car awards,which is where all the authorities join up,the Volkswagen Jetta TDI won the best medium car under $50000,which is amazing,considering that car is nearly 5 years old,and will be replaced next year....

VW seems to be on a big roll at the moment.

[minircc]

I believe fuel efficiency may be a major influence now days and i must say the VW group are doing very well in that space.

The new Polo GTi does 0-100kms in 6.9s and has a fuel consumption figure of 6.1L/100kms. Similar size to the older gen Golfs and is starting to look nice. Price? only $27,790 for CivicR performance.

And the TDIs are just so fuel efficient with tones of torque.
Even the large German Prestige cars now are fuel efficient. The massive Audi A6 uses about the similar amounts of petrol as Euro and less than a Camry but has 0-100kms of 6.4s.

i am still a Honda fan though :)

[buddah51au]

Like most road test reviews opinions will differ between different people - http://www.themotorreport.com.au/50771/2010-honda-accord-euro-luxury-road-test-review

[tron07]

Honda really needs to roll out newer and better engine choices, else it will get left behind

[buddah51au]

I don't understand where your coming from with that statement, the K24Z3 in the current CU2 is the class leader for power & economy, I doubt you could go much further without the addition of a hair drier

[tony1234]

I don't understand where your coming from with that statement, the K24Z3 in the current CU2 is the class leader for power & economy, I doubt you could go much further without the addition of a hair drier

I think he means smaller capacity but turbo/supercharged(like VW).IMO biggest problem with CU2 is weight.

[buddah51au]

But having a turbo or supercharger will more than likely change Honda's customer market. If you need or want more power you can step up to the V6 Accord. I have no problems with the weight of my car, it goes hard enough when required & is ultra economical.

[furythree]

But having a turbo or supercharger will more than likely change Honda's customer market. If you need or want more power you can step up to the V6 Accord. I have no problems with the weight of my car, it goes hard enough when required & is ultra economical.

yeh, exactly. the baby runs hard when it needs to, and all other times it saves so much fuel. After driving my mum's car for 3 years. I was so falbbergasted that i could get 600kms+ on a single tank, and still cant get over it to this day. Perfect balance of looks, class, value for money, performance and quality imo
i had enough money to go for a mazda, subaru, lancer or euro. Money went to the best car in the end and dont regret it one bit

I bet those reviews are being paid off behind the scenes. If a year is going well for a brand, usually a ton of marketing cash is being thrown behind it with a carry on effect of everyone wanting to jump on the band wagon, which = extra free hype.

its the "apple effect"

[tron07]

You guys know that there is a 3.5 V6 TSX in the US market right???

Also there is a reason why everyone harping about VWs these days, with their turbo and twin charger enginess.... its just sad that we dont get to see the scirocco here, one of my friend have it overseas and its such a nice car.

For power and ecconomy figures, check out the hyundai.... pwn the euro, but good thing is when it comes down to driving, euro is still miles ahead.

CU2
Power: 148kW @ 7000rpm
Torque: 234Nm @ 4300rpm
Economy (official): 8.9 litres/100km
Economy (tested): 8.1 litres/100km
http://www.carsguide.com.au/site/news-and-reviews/car-reviews-road-tests/honda_accord_euro_review

i45
Power: 148kW @ 6300rpm
Torque: 250Nm @ 4250rpm
Economy: 8L/100km (man), 7.9 (auto)
http://www.carsguide.com.au/site/news-and-reviews/car-reviews-road-tests/hyundai_i45_first_drive

[buddah51au]

We have the V6 Accord, so for marketing reasons a V6 in a Euro would not be feasible.

My actual fuel consumption figures to date with a CU2 Auto are 33,396kms / 2,365.73 lts = average 7.08L/100. I would like to see a Hyundai or any other medium size car achieve those figures.

Well Finally a car that can match the Euro for power, but cant match it for anything else, build quality / handling / NVH & the list goes on. You can't even service the Auto transmission on a Hyundai as it is a sealed unit. So a throw away car.

[tony1234]

You guys know that there is a 3.5 V6 TSX in the US market right???

Also there is a reason why everyone harping about VWs these days, with their turbo and twin charger enginess.... its just sad that we dont get to see the scirocco here, one of my friend have it overseas and its such a nice car.

For power and ecconomy figures, check out the hyundai.... pwn the euro, but good thing is when it comes down to driving, euro is still miles ahead.

CU2
Power: 148kW @ 7000rpm
Torque: 234Nm @ 4300rpm
Economy (official): 8.9 litres/100km
Economy (tested): 8.1 litres/100km
http://www.carsguide.com.au/site/news-and-reviews/car-reviews-road-tests/honda_accord_euro_review

i45
Power: 148kW @ 6300rpm
Torque: 250Nm @ 4250rpm
Economy: 8L/100km (man), 7.9 (auto)
http://www.carsguide.com.au/site/news-and-reviews/car-reviews-road-tests/hyundai_i45_first_drive

Impressive for a Hyundai but as above ride and handling there is no contest.In saying that Hyundai is a manufacturer to watch,they are the big inprover

[MKI4EVA]

I think he means smaller capacity but turbo/supercharged(like VW).IMO biggest problem with CU2 is weight.

totally agree!!!......

200KW+ in the CU2 would be a dream. Hope they bring it to OZ one day : ).

[buddah51au]

It will be strictly U.S market only where the TSX is marketed under the Acura Brand which is supposedly upmarket Honda. Same as we get Toyota & Lexus. Honda Australia already market a V6 Accord with 200+KW & it would not be financially feasible in a small Market such as Australia to Have both a V6 Euro & a V6 Accord. I believe the Euro ticks all the boxes as it is, as well as being able to more than double our legal speed limit.

[Irving]

Skoda Superb Estate is Fifth Gear's Family Car of the Year
13 December 2010

Skoda Superb Estate described as “faultless” by hit Channel 5 show
Latest accolade marks 20th major award for Škoda UK this year
Škoda on target for record year in the UK

Škoda UK is celebrating a Superb ending to 2010 as the brand’s flagship model was named Family Car of the Year by Channel 5’s hit show Fifth Gear.

“Right at the beginning of the year, I crowned this the greatest estate ever – and I stand by that even now. The mixture of space, speed, refinement, value, economy, comfort - it’s a beaut,” said Fifth Gear presenter, Jonny Smith. “Honestly, if you’re a dad and you need a car to carry all the flotsam and jetsam that comes with it, this is the car you need. It’s faultless. I love it.”

This latest accolade represents the 20th awarded for Škoda UK this year, with the Octavia, Yeti, Superb and Superb Estate racking up a raft of product awards across a wide range of publications and organisations. The Superb alone has this year won two Auto Express gongs, for Best Family and Best Estate Car; Best Large Car and Best Estate Car from Diesel Car; The Caravan Club's class winner and Towcar of the Year; and Fleet News' Best Upper-Medium Car to name but a few. The Superb Estate was also named Top Gear's Luxury Car of the Year 2009. Meanwhile, the brand was named Which? Manufacturer of the Year and given the What Car? Reader Award for Best Manufacturer 2010.

Škoda also recently came top in the Auto Express Driver Power Survey, while the brand was yet again ranked in the top 10 manufactures of the J D Power Customer Satisfaction Survey for the 17th consecutive year.

These accolades are reflected by record sales, with more than 39,000 sold in the UK so far this year, increasing overall market share to over 2%.

Source: http://briskoda.net/forums/blog/1/entry-197-skoda-superb-estate-is-fifth-gears-family-car-of-the-year/

Video is here http://fwd.five.tv/fifth-gear/videos/features/great-estates-skoda-superb

[Irving]

Fifth Gear has revealed its favourite cars of 2010 at the Fifth Gear Awards, which were staged during the season finale last Friday.

Just three gongs were handed out at the Fifth Gear Awards; Small Car of the Year, Family Car of the Year and Fast Car of the Year.

Winner of the Small Car of the Year award was the Citroen DS3, which was described by the show as ‘a brilliant little package’.

“It’s sharp looking on the outside, beautifully styled on the inside and comes with a great range of fast, but frugal engines. What surprised us the most is just how good it is to drive... it simply doesn’t put a foot wrong.”

Presenter Vicki Butler-Henderson also pointed out that the DS3 supermini beat two more expensive rivals – the Honda CR-Z and Alfa Romeo Mito Cloverleaf – round its test track on the show this year.

Fifth Gear gave honourable mentions to the Renault Wind and Skoda vRS, while Nissan’s Juke mini-crossover was the runner-up in the small car category.

Meanwhile the Skoda Superb Estate, dubbed ‘the greatest estate ever’ by Fifth Gear presenter Jonny Smith, drove away with coveted Family Car of the Year award ahead of the all-electric Nissan Leaf, which was commended as the runner-up.

Smith lauded the estate for its ‘mixture of space, speed, refinement, value, economy and comfort’ adding that he believes this is the car to abolish any of Skoda’s dodgy reputation that may remain.

The Fast Car of the Year award went to the Ferrari 458 Italia, which fended off competition from the Noble M600, Pagani Zonda R and Mercedes SLS AMG. The Porsche 911 GT2 RS – the most powerful road-going Porsche - was the runner-up however.

Despite being in the headlines for slightly different reasons of late after incidents where the car burst into flames, Fifth Gear presenter Jason Plato describes Ferrari’s 458 Italia as ‘a beautifully-engineered bit of kit’, going as far as to say: “I’m not kidding when I say this is the best car I’ve ever driven, by a good way. It’s just amazing!”

http://motortorque.askaprice.com/news/auto-1012/fifth-gear-crowns-the-best-cars-of-2010.asp