The Honda Crosstour Hack: How To Get A Nicer, Bigger, Weirder AWD Honda Accord Without Spending More Money

Utility vehicles are hot right now. Too hot. So hot that the segment has been molting into new shapes, and turning into performance variants and hybrids to appeal to the masses. This is how sedans die, and why sports cars are growingly scarce. Sort of bucking the market trend in the strangest way came from the least likely source. Honda, with good intentions, was trying to grow its U.S. marketshare with a new body shape. This wouldn’t follow the boxiness of the CR-V, nor follow exactly the same formula that made the Accord so successful (though, it wouldn’t diverge that much). It would go down as a bit of a sales disaster for the company. I’m talking about the Honda Crosstour.

But does that make it a failure as a car?

What Is It?

The Accord Crosstour was an oversized wagony-sedan-thing that somehow wasn’t quite big enough to haul that many people or things. But then, I guess it wasn’t supposed to be if there was already a minivan and a three-row SUV in the lineup. What the Crosstour tried to do was become one of the first in-betweeners for those looking for something not quite so bulky. But it had to be more practical than the standard Accord. That, in my view, was Honda’s first mistake. Putting a nameplate that has a legacy attached to it onto an entirely new model can have repercussions and reflect negatively on the car from the start.

Honda tried to get prospective buyers excited by touting the premium cabin and practicality of the Accord platform-based “SUV”:

The Accord Crosstour combines the sophisticated refinement of a premium sedan with versatile characteristics of an SUV to create an entirely distinct concept within the Crossover Utility Vehicle (CUV) segment. Leveraging the many benefits of a car-based platform, the Accord Crosstour starts with the top-level refinement of the Accord V-6 Sedan and further expands utility with a sleek-yet-functional profile for increased cargo space.

A similar message was conveyed in Honda’s advertising at the time:

The thing is, the Crosstour sort of made sense given the context of the world at the time. It was the late 2000s, a different, weird time for the industry, going about every which way in dealing with the percussion of the Great Recession. 

The downturn saw global consequences, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t still risk-taking. Overseas, foreigners like BMW and Porsche were hard at work envisioning what the vehicle of the next decade could look like. This meant swaying from the traditional norms of three-box sedans and two-box SUVs and heading into the era of the unknown. Here, the two started to differ. BMW’s next move was a coupe-like SUV that we know as the controversial X6. Porsche went the more logical route of the sedan, but with a twist. This would be the ultimate fastback of fastback sedans that has since become a staple of the brand lineup called the Panamera. 

What the two have in common is that the Germans were trying them out for the first time. Neither company had figured how to make the X6 nor Panamera aesthetically pleasing to the eye and therefore, the styling is a miss from those early years, in my view. Meanwhile, Honda was also trying to grow its lineup. It too saw market potential for a new class of vehicle that was bigger than a sedan, but not quite blown up to full-size SUV. The compromise was somewhere in the middle. 

With Honda joined in the mix, what did the three have in common? 

I bet in your head, you’re thinking words like ‘hatchbacks,’ ‘humps,’ ‘hunchbacks,’ maybe ‘humpback whales.’ Actually, humpback whales are beautiful up close but that’s not what we’re talking about here. It’s clear that styling took a backseat, while practicality took a stronghold. That is, as long as we’re ignoring rearward visibility. Also, unlike the unusual Germans however, the Honda equivalent did not receive a sequel. Here’s why.

 An Expensive Offering

Honda was so intent on offering a more practical package without being as large as the Pilot. However, the starting price was announced to be just $300 less than a Pilot in 2010. To get your hands on an ordinary Accord sedan back then, it would have cost you about 10 grand less of your hard-earned money. How could that possibly be worth it?

To be fair, the Crosstour was never offered with a base trim, and 4-cylinder power wasn’t available until 2012. Still, $30,380 was a tough sell in 2009 when buyers were weary of an economy that was just beginning to recover. And the styling wasn’t a strong selling point.

What was a strong selling point was healthy V6 power in addition to what else was included in the EX trim. Things like 17-inch wheels, dual-zone AC, 360-watt stereo, moonroof, fog lights, chrome door handles, compass, and an outside temperature reader. Stepping up to the EX-L added leather seats, steering wheel, and shift knob, memory seat and side-mirror controls, upped the wheel size to 18 inches, auto-on headlamps, more speakers, and USB audio connectivity. 

Mind you, this was before active safety features became commonplace so there’s nothing to give you a beeping shit fit should you marginally stray out of lane. The only driver incompetence remained in you behind the wheel. And you, as the presumptive owner, can focus more on its perks as a Crossover Utility Vehicle — Honda’s term — and it would start to shine a little bit.

For starters, it came with increased ground clearance. At the very least, you saw 6 inches of clearance at the front end, and up to 8.1 inches to most of the underbody. That’s something for a car that never sat much more than five feet tall. Also impressive is the cargo capacity, which stretches from 25.7 cu-ft. of space with the seats up to a cavernous 51.3 cu-ft. once they fold down. Indeed, a Crosstour will have more than double the cargo space of an Accord sedan, but naturally, holds half as much as the Pilot.

This is not too far off the mark of what a compact crossover can get you today, such the recently refreshed Subaru Crosstrek. Even if you don’t regret buying a Subaru, it seems there was no buyers’ remorse about purchasing a Crosstour. 

Sales started strong, but quickly died down. Honda sold 28,851 units in 2010, but lost almost 11,000 cars the following year. Hype came and went faster than hormones on prom night. Changes had to be made.

The Work Begins

Honda’s not the type to throw in the towel on the first try. It lost the battle, but there’s still a war to clammer newfound market share. The updates began with the 2012 model year. For starters, the ‘Accord’ would be dropped to lessen the confusion between the esteemed sedan and the adventurous Crosstour. The next step was lowering the base price. For that to happen, it gained a new engine.

This was a good move because it was the K24Y2 inline-4 that was part of a motor family already with a legacy. This was a refinement of the VTEC bangers that came about in the 1990s with a spin toward fuel economy. Flatfooters didn’t miss out on a higher redline that came with more power, and the controls for variable valve timing could utilize the two camshafts to squeeze out a few more MPGs.

As a result, the price dropped almost three grand to $27,755 before any destination charges were applied. You could still get a well-equipped EX as the base model, only now, your K series engine produced 192 horsepower and 162 lb.-ft. of torque. What it lacked in acceleration, even by Jason’s metrics of what determines a fast car, you got up to an EPA-rated 29 MPG on the highway.

The One You Want

For 2013, the improvements continued to roll in. Changes included a revised front fascia, new wheels for the higher trims, upgraded interior materials, new tech safety features, a standard reverse camera to address rear visibility along with adjusted headrests so you can see out the back easier. The inline-4 could now see up to 31 MPG for a two-wheel-drive Crosstour, while the J series 3.5-liter V6 got an upgrade.

Transitioning from a J35Z2 to a J35Y1 mill saw power jump from 271 to 278 horsepower. Torque dipped by just two to 252 but it peaked at lower RPMs. The inline-4 saw continued use out of the five-speed automatic while V6 variants saw an extra cog. The six-speed auto means fuel mileage jumped to 29 highway MPG for a two-wheel-drive Crosstour. Equipping Honda’s RealTime 4WD system only saw 1 mile per gallon lost on the highway and two in the city. The worst the Crosstour saw in its lifetime from the EPA was 18.

Should you need to get anywhere in a hurry in a Crosstour, the V6 is a healthy asset. In critical testing, acceleration times are all over the place. The slowest launch time I can find recorded is 7.6 seconds to sixty. One source points out a zer0-to-sixty time as little as 6.6 seconds.

Honda’s efforts to enliven the Crosstour’s appeal came to no avail. It saw just 16,847 units moved in 2013 before tumbling down to 11,000 and 9,000 units in the following two years. The Crosstour saw its demise in August 2015, when the last model rolled out of the assembly plant in East Liberty, OH. In all, production totaled 108,716.

What It Means Now

As cars get more electrified and complicated as a whole, vehicles like the Crosstour find appeal. This generation of Hondas was the last before oft-dreaded CVTs started to make a prominent appearance in the lineup. The bulletproof K series engine production ended to make room for the 1.5T four banger that’s popped up with issues.

Not that the Crosstour was ever perfect. It saw premature wear on the brakes and there were troubles with the V6. Still, once you’re aware of what it takes to maintain a Crosstour, gems do come up in the classifieds. Here’s a 2012 example with a V6 in Illinois with just 91,000 miles. One owner, four-wheel-dive in the top shelf EX-L trim level; the dealer is asking $12,995. Similarly priced is a 2013 Crosstour with the K24. As someone who owned a Honda Accord with this engine for six years, I can attest to its durability. Stay on top of services and this engine, and the V6, can last you over 200,000 miles.

Speaking of Accords, the Crosstour’s relatively waning popularity means that it has dipped to around the same value (or even lower) of the Accord sedan produced in the same timeframe despite a $10,000 difference in initial base price. Sure, compare the equivalent trim levels, the difference only shrinks to about $5,000, but still, a 2015 Accord EX-L with 95,000 miles can be found online for $16,585 with a similar CarFax report to the 2012 $12,995 Crosstour mentioned above. Even a 2014 Accord LX base model with similar miles in Florida is commanding more money than either Crosstour.

In the area where I live now, some two hours north of Phoenix, it seems all of the Crosstours that were produced in the 2010s made their way up here. In town, I can’t turn a corner or cross the aisle in the grocery store lot without encountering a Crosstour. And I’ve seen what people do them. Some wear roof racks with the occasional kayak strapped down, others wear stickers on the back plastered with progressive political slogans. The warranty may be long expired, but it’s clear they see prolonged use just like any other Honda.

If I can’t get my Clown Shoe Miata, it wouldn’t be a massive project to modernize a Crosstour. Later Accords shared a similar dashboard if I could incorporate an OEM display that supported Apple CarPlay. Then I’d be one of the locals who installs his own choice of useful accessories.

Since the Crosstour bowed out, Honda has brought back the Passport from the dead, and I believe if the Crosstour was brought from the dead, it would do well…enough.

A $31,000 Subaru Crosstrek is nothing to sneeze at in 2024. Hell, even a Crosstrek Wilderness, which can cost a pretty penny, can get you some bang for your buck as we found out last year. Adventure cars like the Subie and the Honda and Toyota TRD Pros whatnots and renovated VW Vanagons are high on the emotional quotient.

Just as the Honda Crosstour was on its way out, the Subaru was coming in. It was only a lifted Impreza hatchback at first conception, now it’s considered a class lead and has a dedicated fanbase. The Honda Crosstour may not have worked the first time, but the industry has since evolved, and that goes for recreational vehicles as well. Keep the V6 that’s in the Passport, commit to a price tag of under $40,000, maybe add some cladding, and it could have a place as the Accord’s evil cousin, I think.

Even if I’m wrong, these things seem like a good deal on the used market. They’re basically nicer, bigger Accords for roughly the same money.