Is the Crosstour the same as an accord?
No. The Honda Crosstour is a distinct model built on the Accord platform, but it is not simply an Accord sedan. It was produced from 2009 to 2015 as a hatchback/crossover variant and has a different body style, cargo layout, and market positioning from the Accord sedan.
What is the Crosstour?
The Honda Crosstour is a mid-size crossover/hatchback that Honda introduced as a variant of the Accord lineup. Sold in the United States and other markets from 2009 through 2015, it featured a taller ride height, a sloped roofline, and a rear hatch, aimed at combining sedan interior comfort with more versatile cargo access. Engine options typically included a 2.4-liter four-cylinder or a 3.5-liter V6, with all-wheel drive offered on certain trims.
Platform and design notes
While it shared the Accord’s mechanical roots, the Crosstour differentiated itself with a unique exterior silhouette and a hatch setup designed for more flexible cargo use than a conventional sedan.
How the Crosstour relates to the Accord
The Crosstour is not an identical version of the Accord; it is a derivative that uses the same core engineering and many components, but it executes them in a different body style and with a distinct market identity. This means the Crosstour can share engines, transmissions, and interior features with the Accord, while offering different practicality and styling.
Shared DNA
The two models benefited from Honda’s mid-size strategy during their modern-era runs, sharing platform elements, engine options, and many interior components that kept maintenance and parts familiar for owners of either model.
Similarities
Below are the common traits that the Crosstour and Accord typically held in common during their production years. They indicate where the Crosstour inherits Accord engineering rather than standing apart in every respect.
- Platform linkage: Both are built on Honda’s mid-size architecture used by Accord sedans in the same era.
- Engine options: Availability of a 2.4-liter inline-four or a 3.5-liter V6 across various trims.
- Transmission basics: Automatic transmissions paired with front-wheel drive or available all-wheel drive on select configurations.
- Interior features: Similar seating layout and many infotainment/safety features carried over from Accord interiors.
- Safety options: Comparable safety equipment and tech features were offered across both models.
In short, the Crosstour shares fundamental engineering with the Accord but diverges in body style, practicality, and branding.
Differences
The Crosstour and Accord differ in key ways that affect ownership, practicality, and everyday use. The list below highlights the main contrasts.
- Body style: The Crosstour is a hatchback/crossover with a sloped rear roofline and liftgate, while the Accord is a traditional four-door sedan (and in some markets, a coupe). This affects cargo access and silhouette.
- Cargo and practicality: The Crosstour emphasizes versatile cargo space with a hatch and higher load floor, whereas the Accord sedan prioritizes trunk space and conventional luggage access.
- Market positioning and trims: The Crosstour was marketed as a distinct, somewhat premium variant with its own trim lineup, whereas the Accord has a broader sedan-focused range across generations.
- Ride and handling: The Crosstour’s higher ride height and hatchback dynamics yield different handling characteristics compared with the more sedan-like feel of the Accord.
- Production window: The Crosstour was produced from 2009 to 2015 and has since been discontinued, while the Accord continues to be a core Honda model with ongoing generations and updates.
- Direct replacement: There was no direct, one-for-one replacement for the Crosstour; Honda’s crossover lineup evolved with models like the HR-V, CR-V, and Passport filling different roles in the brand’s range.
Overall, the Crosstour is not the same as the Accord—it's a separate model that shares a technical backbone but diverges in styling, cargo practicality, and market strategy.
History and current status
The Crosstour debuted in the late 2000s as part of Honda’s effort to broaden its mid-size offerings with a crossover-styled variant of the Accord. It was produced for model years 2010 through 2015 (initial introduction began with a 2009 concept/market rollout). Honda discontinued the Crosstour after the 2015 model year, and there has been no direct successor that replicates its exact combination of hatchback practicality and Accord DNA.
Launch and discontinuation
Introduced as an Accord-based crossover for the 2010 model year (marketed at times as the Accord Crosstour), the model aimed to appeal to buyers seeking more cargo flexibility without stepping up to a larger SUV. Production ended after the 2015 model year, with Honda shifting emphasis to other crossovers and SUVs in its lineup.
Current lineup context
Today, Honda’s crossover/SUV family includes models like the CR-V, HR-V, Pilot, and Passport. The Accord remains a mainstay in Honda’s sedan lineup, but the Crosstour itself remains discontinued and is not a current offering.
Summary
The Crosstour is not the same as the Accord. It is a distinct model that sits on the same fundamental platform as the Accord but presents as a hatchback/crossover rather than a conventional sedan. For buyers, this means different styling, cargo flexibility, and market positioning, along with a limited production run that ended in 2015. If you’re shopping today, the Accord and Honda’s current crossovers (like the CR-V and HR-V) occupy different roles, while the Crosstour remains a historical footnote in Honda’s lineup.
Why did Honda discontinue Crosstour?
Honda stopped making the Crosstour primarily due to slow sales and its controversial, polarizing design. The company also needed to free up production capacity at its Ohio plant for more popular models like the CR-V and Acura RDX, and believed its new HR-V would be more successful in the evolving crossover market.
Key reasons for discontinuation
- Poor sales: Sales of the Crosstour were low, peaking in its first year (2010) and declining steadily afterward. By 2014, sales had dropped significantly compared to previous years.
- Unpopular design: The Crosstour's "slanted hatch" design was divisive and was a major factor in its unpopularity. Many critics found its appearance awkward.
- Production efficiency: Ending production allowed Honda to reallocate the plant's resources to building more popular and higher-volume vehicles like the Honda CR-V, Acura RDX, and Acura MDX.
- Market evolution: Honda stated that the crossover market had changed since the Crosstour's introduction and that its new HR-V would be better positioned to attract crossover buyers.
- Competition and price: The Crosstour faced competition from other vehicles, and some felt it was overpriced for its utility. The more traditional and popular CR-V was often seen as a better alternative.
What is special about the Crosstour?
All Crosstour trim levels had a removable bin under the cargo floor with a reversible lid (carpeted and rubber) for extra storage. A large grille, a wide-opening tailgate with a low loading height, and a well-made cabin with lots of analog controls are notable highlights.
What is the Acura version of the Crosstour?
The closest Acura equivalent to the Honda Crosstour is the Acura ZDX, although the two vehicles are not mechanically related. The original ZDX, which was produced from 2010-2013, was based on the MDX platform, while the Crosstour was based on the Accord. The ZDX nameplate was revived in 2024 for a new electric model.
You can watch this video to learn about the Acura ZDX and Honda Crosstour: 51sOluwatobi Jethro CarsYouTube · Mar 23, 2025
First-generation Acura ZDX (2010-2013)
- Platform: Based on the Acura MDX, not the Honda Accord platform like the Crosstour.
- Drivetrain: All models came standard with Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD).
- Engine: A 3.7L V6 engine.
- Positioning: A more luxurious and performance-oriented, yet niche, crossover-coupe with polarizing styling.
Current-generation Acura ZDX (2024-present)
- Platform: Shares the GM Ultium EV platform with the Honda Prologue.
- Drivetrain: Available in both electric all-wheel drive (AWD) and rear-wheel drive (RWD) options.
- Engine: Fully electric.
- Positioning: Acura's first all-electric vehicle, focusing on modern luxury and performance.
This video reviews the 2025 Honda Crosstour: 58sAuto insider YouTube · Apr 9, 2025
Is a Honda Crosstour and Accord the same?
The Honda Accord Crosstour had numerous positive attributes due to being based upon the critically-acclaimed Accord sedan and coupe, while having almost double the storage space of the sedan thanks to its hatchback design. The Crosstour's passenger room was largely identical to that of the spacious Accord sedan.
