2012 Honda Crosstour Los Angeles

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For 2012, the Crosstour receives standard USB connectivity, Bluetooth hands-free, and a rear-view camera system. Honda has also adjusted a couple of its exterior paint hues for 2012. Crosstour features an easy-fold rear seat and a maximum 51.3 cubic feet of cargo space. The Crosstours come with a few more features than EX and EX-L sedans, including a new Active Sound Control noise-canceling system. The Crosstour EX-L 4WD features Honda's Real Time 4WD system.

Powering the 2012 Crosstour

Most of the time, AWD-equipped Crosstours operate like a standard front-drive car. Honda's system adds less weight than many AWD systems, and it can add a noticeable element of control when driving in the rain, snow or on unpaved surfaces. The Crosstour matches revs when the driver chooses to downshift manually, which makes it sound like the driver is a highly-skilled pro. It holds gears more aggressively in manual mode, and it's less likely to shift up to the next gear on its own.

2012 Crosstour Design

The Crosstour seats five, but is intended to be more versatile than the Accord sedan. The Crosstour wagon is very much like the sedan inside. The instrument panel is essentially identical in all Accords. The Crosstour isn't noticeably more spacious, and certainly not more comfortable, but it does have a slightly higher seat bottom, or hip point as it's called. The result is a slightly higher seating position, and perhaps a better view of the road ahead, with a bit less plop-down distance when occupants put their rear-ends inside. Accord's standard tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel provides a good range of adjustment and compliments the driver's seat movement, so people of every size can find a good driving position. The shifter is right at hand, and the proper handbrake has short travel. The sunroof button, reading lights and a drop-down glasses holder are located in a mini-console above the rearview mirror. There's a clear view of what's all around outside the Accord, and of the proven, extra-crisp dial-and-needle gauges inside. Accords equipped with the navigation system now come with a back-up camera, and it's valuable. The information display or navigation screen is inset under a shade at the same height as the gauges, so glare is controlled, and the screen can be viewed with polarized glasses. The Crosstour is a definite step up from the sedan in cargo capacity and flexibility. Hinges on its tailgate are designed such that the operator does not have to step backwards when it's opening or shutting. Cargo volume nearly doubles compared to the sedan. Crosstour provides 25.7 cubic feet of cargo space when the rear seats are up. With the seats folded, maximum cargo capacity increases to 51.3 cubic feet. The rear cargo area measures about 41 inches deep by 55 inches at its widest, and the carpeted floor can be flipped over to its plastic underliner, so wet or dirty items won't soil the carpet. There's also a couple more cubic feet of space under the Crosstour's cargo floor, divided into separate plastic bins. The largest measures two feet square by nearly a foot deep, with a built-in handle for easy removal. The Crosstour's rear seat is split 60/40, and each half folds forward automatically by flipping a lever just inside the tailgate. With the rear seats folded, there's nearly seven feet of length from the front seatbacks to the tailgate, with tie down points to keep objects secure.

Conclusions

The 2012 Crosstour has six airbags, including two-stage front airbags, front passenger side-impact airbags and head-protection curtains for all outboard seats. Other standard safety features include active front head restraints, electronic stability control, antilock brakes with electronic brake distribution and brake assist, and a tire pressure monitor. The optional navigation system includes a rearview camera, which can help the driver spot children and other hazards behind the car when backing up. For more on this model, visit the official Honda Crosstour website!

Some information for this review was obtained from NewCarTestDrive.com