New Accord Vies For Top Title

For several years, Honda’s Accord has been locked in battle with Ford’s Taurus and Toyota’s Camry for the title of best selling car in America. This year, Honda upped the ante with an Accord that’s larger, more powerful and more comfortable. What’s more, the coupe and sedan versions are almost entirely different at least from a cosmetic point of view. There are three engine offerings: a 135-hp 2.3-liter inline four, a 150-hp 16-valve V-6 and a 200-hp 24-valve V-6.

For the Civic, there are minor cosmetic changes, including new wheel covers, and the Civic del Sol is gone but not forgotten. Made over from scratch for ‘97, the Prelude motors into ‘98 unchanged.

Trucks and SUVs

1998 brings us an all-new Passport. It’s quieter, roomier, smoother and stronger than before and it looks cool, too, with a sleeker, more aerodynamic body style. The new rig is 7.6 inches longer, 2.5 inches taller and 1.9 inches wider.

Both the frame and body have been strengthened and lightened, while the body rides on a wider track. The base engine is new, a 2.2-liter four than makes 129 hp, and the 3.2-liter V-6 upgrade gets a 15-pony bump to 205-hp.

Proudly proclaiming itself a truck from the ground up, the new Passport features a redesigned suspension and new steering system, a variable-assist rack-and-pinion system that provides more control and responsiveness.

Honda tells us to expect several new CRV models, though details have yet to materialize.