Remember those tiresome twits on the television program "thirty-something" who spent all their time fretting about the meaning of their existence? I think the Honda Accord wagon probably struggles with the same issues.
It appears caught halfway between a sedan and a real station wagon, and the question is whether that is good or bad.Honda redesigned the Accord for 1994, and last winter the redesigned wagon joined the sedans.
Two models are available, the LX and the fancier EX. Honda had a 1994 EX available with a base price of $21,720.
Major standard equipment included a four-speed automatic transmission, anti-lock brakes, air conditioning, power door locks and windows, cruise control, a 60/40 fold-down rear seat, an AM/FM/cassette stereo, a rear-window defroster, wipers with an intermittent feature and a power sunroof.
The interior's styling doesn't try to be sporty or break new ground. It has a clean, simple and very grown-up appearance.
The driving controls are all typical Honda, which means you can actually find them easily, and they have a pleasing, quality feel.
The car has dual air bags, and the height of the front seat belts can be adjusted. The wagon meets the federal government's 1997 regulations for side-impact protection.
The interior space up front and in the second row is virtually identical to that in the sedan. That means four adults could be carried, assuming the people up front will compromise slightly on legroom. But the Accord's interior does not set new standards for roominess.
If you favor having the seatback fairly upright, pay close attention when you test-drive the Accord wagon. On the test vehicle we tried, the range of adjustments was limited, so there was more tilt than some people might like.
Station wagons are made for toting stuff, and the Accord's cargo volume is 25.7 cubic feet. That is not quite twice the capacity of the Accord sedan's trunk.
Furthermore, that is significantly less than that of some major competitors, such as the Taurus station wagon. While the Taurus is only 5 inches longer overall than the Accord wagon, its cargo capacity is rated at 38.2 cubic feet.
Nevertheless, if maximum cargo is not your priority, other things are appealing about the Accord wagon.
In particular, it is exceptionally civilized. The ride is never harsh. With moderate body lean and a slight overall softness, no one would describe its handling as sporting, but it is capable and pleasant to drive.
Speedy it is not. The 1994 Accord wagon is available only with four-cylinder engines. Now, Honda makes some of the finest four-cylinder engines in the world - slick, quiet and relatively powerful. But in the end, they still have only four cylinders.
The fuel economy is 23 miles per gallon in the city and 29 on the highway, according to Environmental Protection Agency estimates.
With one person on board, the Accord wagon's performance is more than acceptable. But add two or three adults and some luggage, and the Accord is S-L-O-W.
Our test vehicle had a four-speed automatic transmission that was intrusive, regularly making little jerks as it did its work. It was not intolerable, but it clearly fails to match the world-class, smooth automatics currently found on some Big Three offerings.
Reliability: Reliability should be much better than average, based on Consumer Reports' frequency-of-repair survey and J.D. Power and Associates' customer-satisfaction surveys.
Crash safety: The wagon meets all federal safety requirements. It has not been tested in the government's optional, more demanding 35-mph barrier crash.
The Accord wagon gets good marks for anti-lock brakes, dual air bags and meeting 1997 regulations for side-impact protection.
Conclusion: Like the Accord sedans and coupes, the wagon is an extremely competent and civilized package, and it's easy to see why Accords are so popular. But it falls short of other station wagons in the cargo-hauling category. Instead of a traditional station wagon, it is more like an Accord sedan with a huge trunk. Also, some consumers may not want to pay $21,000 for a car with a four-cylinder engine.