What cars best cars?

There is a veil of sameness draped over the Accord that comes from racking up 300, 000 to 400, 000 annual sales, year after year. Who would imagine that such an exceptional car could be hiding in plain sight, mimicking a lowest-common-denominator family appliance? Many Accord owners are unable, or do not care, to spot what makes their car better than the rest. Most just get in and drive. But that hasn’t stopped Honda from treating its bestseller like a flagship. Indeed, they are one and the same.

Accords are not pimped out to shabby rental fleets, so the cars go home with real customers, those who ran a gantlet of salespeople and dealership-finance goons to get their cars. Buying or leasing the car, even if you have a good experience, will certainly be the worst part of Accord ownership. Once home, owners will find that their Accords are dependable, no-fuss devices. Whether sedan, coupe, or hybrid, an Accord ingratiates itself first by delivering on its family-car promise: Five humans fit comfortably, it’s easy on fuel, and the trunk is ready for Costco. There is more, however.