If you’re over 50, you can’t help but be amazed by the major evolution of the Honda Accord over the last 30 years or so. In 1976, the Accord was positioned as the largest car in the Japanese automaker’s lineup… even though it was the size of a 2009 Civic and aimed at budget-minded consumers!

In a span of 30 years, the Honda Accord went from a 2009 Civic-sized sedan to a rival of the Chevy Impala!

More than three decades later -- and 12 million units sold -- Honda is offering the Accord as a sophisticated midsize sedan. And if you care about your budget, well, expect to save at the pump, not at the dealership.

Much like its arch nemesis, the Toyota Camry, the Accord has replaced the traditional big American sedan. As it stands now, the Chevrolet Impala -- not the Malibu -- is closer in size!

Long live smaller engines...
North Americans have also understood one thing: with volatile gas prices, a thirsty V8 engine is no longer necessary to power a car of this stature. A six-cylinder or even four-cylinder engine can prove to be an efficient and pleasant substitute. My tester, a 2009 Honda Accord EX-L, is a vivid example.

In addition to the 3.5-litre V6, this large sedan can be motivated by a more humble 2.4-litre, 4-cylinder mill which, oddly enough, is available in two variants. The base Accord LX develops 177 horsepower, while a higher-flow muffler and reprogrammed ECU help both the Accord EX and EX-L produce 190 horsepower.

Standard is a 5-speed manual transmission, something that Toyota, Chevrolet and Chrysler fail to offer with their midsize sedans. That said, the majority of Accord buyers will opt for the 5-speed autobox, which carries a premium of $1,200.

… but why the two variants?
One has to wonder why Honda would offer two different variants of its 4-cylinder. After all, they generate the same amount of torque (give or take one pound-feet), allow equally fast accelerations from 0 to 100 km/h (about 8 seconds) and their fuel economy ratings are identical (7.9 L/100 km for the manual Accord, 8.2 L/100 km for the automatic).

In addition to the 3.5-litre V6, this large sedan can be motivated by a more humble 2.4-litre, 4-cylinder mill which.