| 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour vs 2010 Toyota Venza | December 13, 2009 | AUTORIVALS.NET |
| Share |
|
|
|
| Automakers are getting sneakier and trickier when designing new models. Take the new Accord Crosstour and Venza from Honda and Toyota for instance. They want you to believe its some sort of an SUV but it's really a wagon. The problem with wagons is that no one wants to buy them for some reason despite their numerous benefits over SUVs. Sales data shows that once you do buy a wagon, you don't go back again. So this is what Honda and Toyota have come to. | ||
| 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour | vs | 2010 Toyota Venza |
 The Accord Crosstour debut was a debacle. Honda decided to present it to Facebook first where it met angry and disgruntled users who didn't find the design amusing at all. The Crosstour is based on the Accord but you would never know if they didn't stick Accord in the name. |
 Although the Venza is based on the Camry, Toyota chose a new name unlike Honda which was a wise choice. The look is completely different and like Honda, decides to put a oversized grille on the front. The Venza has a softer look than the Crosstour with smoother lines. |
|
 |
 |
|
| The front grille's may the most upsetting part of the front designs with the Crosstour's being especially oversized. | ||
 |
 |
|
| This is where Honda pissed people off. The sloping roofline made Facebook users ask "Where's the rest of it?" They have a good point considering it reduces interior volume and gains nothing but visual appeal. But if someone is shopping for a wagon in the first place, visual appeal isn't exactly their first priority. Toyota keeps a more orthodox profile but angles the rear rather than the roof. | ||
 |
 |
|
| Due to the reduced visibility of the sloping rear, Honda added a second tinted window like on the Insight and Prius. The Venza's tail lights might be the best part of the design with a unique shape that flow into the sculpted rear fenders. | ||
 |
 |
|
| The Crosstour's interior is pulled straight from the Accord with a few added features. It retains the button overkill theme on the center stack bulge but features an available black/tan interior, faux wood trim, and blue instrument lighting. The Venza's interior is original and completely different from the Camry. It's a more contemporary design and features two information screens, | ||
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| RECAP | RECAP | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
PROS +Um... cough +Oh yeah, it's based on the Accord so it should still be okay. I guess it's what's underneath that counts. CONS -Reduced cargo capacity -Oversized grille |
PROS +Has unique design elements rather than an entirely unique shape +Contemporary interior design CONS -Oversized grille |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Video Source: YouTube via Inside Line | Video Source: YouTube via Inside Line |
| NOTES |
| So what do you gain with the Accord Crosstour? 25.7 cubic
feet of cargo room (51.3 with the seats down) versus the sedan's
14.0 cubic feet but that falls well short of the Venza's 34
cubic feet (and 70 with the seats down). What's sadder is the
fact that the Accord Crosstour is approximately 8 inches longer and
2 inches taller than the Venza. What's more confusing is the exactly vehicle class that the Crosstour is in. It's approximately 3 inches longer, 2 inches wider, and 4 inches taller than the Accord sedan. If you go by the EPA's classification, it's a passenger car while the NHTSA classifies it as a light truck. Honda Accord Crosstour = Passenger car = Light truck? Something doesn't add up here. |
|
|