Honda Car Forum

Overview

The 2008 Accord chassis was developed to maximize driving enjoyment as well as passenger comfort. It features highly developed double-wishbone front and new multi-link rear suspension systems, along with 4-wheel disc brakes and new Variable Gear Ratio (VGR) steering.

The 2008 Accord offers a solid, agile and tight feeling with well-controlled roll and pitch characteristics. It all results in a precise and nimble-handling vehicle that intuitively connects with the driver's commands. As a result, every 2008 Honda Accord is both refined and fun to drive.

Low Center of Gravity

Careful attention to detail resulted in a reduced height for the engine's center of mass (10mm lower for the V-6 engine and 8.5mm lower for the inline 4-cylinder engine). The center of gravity for the entire vehicle was also lowered by 10mm. To further flatten the Accord's handling in the turns, the roll-centers (the theoretical points around which the vehicle body "rolls" during cornering) were raised incrementally. Combined, these changes result in less body roll and increased passenger comfort. The flatter roll characteristics also improve tire contact patch during hard cornering, increasing grip and lateral acceleration.

Front Suspension

The 2008 Accord's front suspension is a modified version of the double-wishbone system used on the 2007 Accord, with stabilizer bars, spring and damping rates optimized to provide the best combination of ride and handling. Front lower control arms are forged steel and connect to a stamped steel box-section sub frame. A stamped-steel upper control arm complements a forged-steel knuckle, and nitrogen gas-filled coil-over dampers are used. A key improvement to the 2008 Accord's front suspension geometry is increased anti-dive under braking. This affords occupants a more stable feeling under severe braking conditions.


Front Suspension Tower Brace

A tubular steel front suspension tower brace is standard on all Accord models except the base 177-hp Accord LX. It adds chassis stiffness to accept the additional torque and increased grip of the 190-hp 4-cylinder and V-6 models.


Rear Suspension

The 2008 Accord utilizes a new compact multi-link rear suspension. Each side features a nitrogen gas-filled coil-over damper, a newly designed stamped steel upper A-arm, two tubular steel lower links, a single toe-control link, and an aluminum knuckle. The arms and links are mounted to a floating sub frame to reduce road noise, vibration and harshness (NVH).


The body structure around the suspension is stiffer, permitting more ideal tuning of the suspension. Compared to the previous generation Accord, the 2008 model's rear suspension has 40% greater lateral rigidity. The new rear suspension geometry enhances ride comfort and overall handling and braking.


Reduced NVH

In addition to the front floating sub-frame, a floating tubular and stamped steel rear-suspension sub-frame, isolated by specially tuned bushings, also helps isolate the body from road NVH on all 2008 Accord models.

4-Cylinder and V-6 Engine Mount System

The 2008 Accord has a new engine mount system to further reduce engine noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) and to improve powertrain isolation, ride smoothness and steering response. The new side-mount system reduces low frequency vibration compared to the previous-generation Accord arrangement.

The new engine mount system also provides a more linear steering feeling. When the driver turns the steering wheel, the body and the engine now move more precisely together, contributing to enhanced steering directness. Additionally, when driving over choppy roads the engine and body move in the same direction - providing a more composed and refined ride quality.

4-Wheel Disc Brakes with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist

For the first time in Honda Accord history, every Accord Sedan and Coupe model includes 4-wheel disc brakes with EBD and brake assist. The Accord brake system uses single-piston calipers front and rear, and is designed to provide confident, secure stops. The system is all new and features the following upgrades and improvements compared to the 2007 Accord:

• The master cylinder has a high-rigidity mount for a more responsive and precise pedal feel.


• An increased brake pedal ratio (2.9:1 for 2008 vs. 2.6:1 for the previous generation Accord) increases braking force without raising pedal effort.


• The parking brake uses a variable link that permits full application of the parking brake with a shorter handle stroke.


• A lighter vacuum booster unit and a smaller and lighter VSA unit help reduce vehicle mass.

Active Safety

Active safety features on the 2008 Accord Sedan and Coupe include an Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), EBD and brake assist. Of particular note is that for the first time all Accord models now have VSA as standard equipment. VSA is an electronic stability control system that measures lateral acceleration, steering wheel angle, wheel speeds and yaw rate, and then modulates individual brakes and engine power to help the driver retain directional control of the vehicle.

Variable Gear Ratio (VGR) Steering

The 2008 Accord's new VGR steering system uses a variable mechanical ratio that provides solid on-center feel and intuitive responsiveness.

In a traditional rack and pinion steering system, a helical pinion gear on the steering shaft meshes to a toothed rack that is attached to steering links that control the front wheels. When the steering gear turns, it pushes the rack - and thus the wheels - either left or right at a constant ratio. But in the 2008 Accord's VGR system, the teeth on the rack are closer together near the center and farther apart near the sides. Simply put, when the driver turns the wheel only a small amount - such as when making a lane change on the freeway - the wheels turn very little. But when a large steering input is made - such as when maneuvering in a tight parking garage - the wider spacing of the teeth at the ends of the rack deflect the wheels proportionally more quickly. The result is high precision at highway speeds and quick maneuverability at low speeds.

The 2008 Accord steering requires 2.56 turns lock-to-lock compared to 2.98 turns on the previous generation Accord. This quickness is more reminiscent of a sports car than a typical mainstream sedan.

Turning Radius

Both the 2008 Accord Sedan and Coupe feature a tighter turning radius for improved low-speed maneuverability. The turning radius is 18.9 ft. for the Sedan and 18.21 ft. for the Coupe. This is impressive considering that the 2008 Accord is a larger vehicle with a longer wheelbase.

Wheels and Tires

The larger standard wheels and tires on the 2008 Accord Sedan and Coupe significantly enhance the car's appearance, while increasing tire contact area for enhanced grip during acceleration, cornering and braking.

All Accord Sedan models have either 16- or 17-inch wheels, and all Coupe models have either 17- or 18-inch wheels. The original-equipment tires include Dunlop for the 16-inch and Michelin for 17-inch applications on Accord Sedan, and all-season Michelin tires for the 17- and 18-inch applications on the Accord Coupe.

Specific tire and wheel sizes include:

Accord Sedan

• P215/60R16 94H Dunlop XP Sport 2000 All Season (LX models)


• P225/50R17 93V Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 (EX models)

Accord Coupe

• P225/50R17 93V Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 (LX models)


• P235/45R18 94V Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 (EX models)

The spare tire is a space- and weight-saving T135/80D16 101M temporary unit for both Sedan and Coupe. It is trunk mounted under the carpeted floor.

Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)

Every 2008 Honda Accord includes a TPMS. Please see the Safety section for more information.