Best Of

Ok. The Accord Sport 2.0T.

The dealer experience was night and day better than Acura. It was actually fun. The sales guy and SM both came out fawning over the Viggen (SM has a 9-5 Wagon and just sold a 9000 CSE). They were super pumped to have an enthusiast looking at the Accord. It’s like a badge of honor. Could have been salesmanship, but it felt genuine and made me feel good so - kudos!

The car itself is really impressive for the money.

Aesthetically it reminds me a lot of my CC. Low coupe roof in the back, long, with a stubby front end. But I liked it and I really like it in White or the blue color they offer. It is LONG though and I do wonder if that would get annoying over time. My garage isn’t huge so I’d need to double check it.

The interior is pretty simple and plain, but well appointed with tons of soft touch plastic and leather wrapped surfaces. The seats are a heated leather cloth combo that felt very comfortable and supportive - not like the TLX but also 15k cheaper on paper. I love the infotainment system - it’s easy to use, responsive, and just all around a pleasure. The stereo is definitely meh but didn’t seem all that different from the beats audio in the GLI. The backseat has air vents and soft touch plastic and is like a studio apartment. No concerns about space whatsoever.

The drive was really very nice. It maybe wasn’t as fast as the GLI, but it was still quick. The shifter was nice and notchy with short throws. I actually liked this better than the GLI gearbox. The clutch was nicely weighted with a good spring action. Definitely took some getting used to because the engagement point is much higher than I’m used to. Steering was tight and responsive. The car I drove was a demo with 4K miles and it was tight as can be with no rattles (praise god) which is a complaint on the Jetta. The suspension was definitely softer than the GLI, but it was still more than nimble feeling for a car of its size.

I’d definitely be giving up some of the sportiness of the GLI and some of the tech (digital cockpit, DCC, cooled seats etc). But it just felt more well rounded and very solid. A good balance. They’re both priced comparably but I’d likely be able to get the GLI for a bit less.

It’s going to be a tough decision.