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After waiting four years to provide the first glimpse of its new baby, the ’94 Accord, Honda chose to do so by running one into a barrier to show the media how tough its new offspring will prove to be.

Honda opted for a concrete wall rather than run the new Accord into a Ford Taurus, the car that knocked it on its keister in 1992 and ended Accord’s three-year reign as industry sales champ.

For ’94, Honda brings out its fifth-generation Accord, a car that was supposed to resolve any and all gripes about the fourth-generation model.

It didn’t.

One complaint since Accord was redesigned in 1990 was bland styling that made it difficult to distinguish from a Civic. Ford made eyes pop when Taurus appeared in 1986. But the ’94 Accord is a yawner.

Perhaps that’s apropos because the stylists had to be asleep at the drafting boards in penning this long-hood, short-and-raised-deck look once sported by the Chevy Celebrity. From the side the Accord looks like a Saab 9000CD, from the rear the two bulging taillights make it look like a Pontiac Grand Am.

The short deck gives the impression that trunk capacity is limited to just the irons in the golfer’s bag. Once the tiny lid is opened, trunk space is massive; the rear seat folds down to make for an opening from trunk into the cabin that allows you to carry skis or even 2×4’s.

Another gripe was the absence of a V-6 engine, such as Toyota offers in its Camry, Nissan in its Maxima, Ford in its Taurus. No V-6 in the Accord until the ’95 model year. For now there’re only two 4-cylinder engines.

All Accords-all Hondas in fact-come with driver and passenger air bags as standard for ’94, long overdue since arch rival Taurus offers two, too. However, antilock brakes are only standard in the top-of-the-line EX models and optional in all other Accords. Why? To keep the sticker price down at a time when the rising value of the yen against the dollar is forcing most Japanese prices skyward.

However, side-door guard beams that meet government impact regulations for 1997 are standard three years ahead of time.

The ’94 Accord is actually three vehicles-an economy car, a performance car, a luxury car. Which you end up with depends on letter designation- DX/LX/EX. DX and LX only offer a 130-horsepower, 2.2-liter, 16-valve, 4-cylinder engine and 14-inch tires. The EX only offers a 145-horsepower, 2.2-liter, 4-cylinder engine and 15-inch tires. A 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic is available in all models.

Those who drive the 130-horsepower, 2.2-liter probably will be more prone to complain about the absence of a V-6 than those who try the peppier 145-horsepower version. The 15 horsepower makes a big difference.

As you move up from DX to EX the suspension settings improve from soft to firm, handling becomes more nimble and steering more precise.

All ’94 Accords are 3 inches wider an d a half-inch taller, yet a few millimeters shorter than the ’93 version. Those added dimensions make for ample leg, hip, arm and head room front and rear. The shorter length is the result of a smaller bumper, so no people/cargo capacity is sacrificed.

We drove the LX with 5-speed manual and the EX with automatic and 5-speed manual.

LX with the 130-horsepower automatic and 5-speed is an economy car. Press the pedal and it delivers pure vanilla. If the slow uptake isn’t clue enough, a trip through the serpentine handling course provides more evidence. You ride the sidewalls as the tiny 14-inch tires squeal back at you while leaning into sharp corners. Shift quickly from second to third coming out of the turn to build steam and the 130 horses stumble.

With the EX’s 145-horsepower teamed with automatic you have a luxury car. Kick the pedal and you press flesh against supple leather seats, an exclusive option for the EX and far more comfortable th n the stiff backs on the cloth seats. All Accord seats are wide and offer large side bolsters for added support.

In the handling course, the 15-inch tires, which like the leather seats and overhead power sunroof are offered only on the EX, grip the pavement far better than the 14-inchers. Less lean, pitch or roll than with the LX. Better power out of the turns, too, but with automatic the EX is designed for you to sit back and relax in quiet on the trip to the club.

Finally comes the EX with 5-speed manual. This is a performance car. Press the accelerator and the machine leaps forward. The 5-speed shifts smoothly without balkiness or notchiness, and squeezes all 145 horses from the gears.

The EX is spirited yet sure-footed on those 15-inch treads; speed increases into and out of corners. The car is in more control of its environment than the LX and more aggressive than the EX with automatic.

Last stop for the day was a braking course over Tarmac covered with a soupy fluid to test the antilock brakes. We attempted the course in the LX without antilock brakes, and in the EX with antilock brakes. In both cases the car stopped in a straight line, though the LX required steering effort to keep the car in plumb with the pavement, and took greater distance to stop. Honda boasts less antilock brake pedal chatter for ’94. Not in the car we had.

Other notable Accord goodies are dash coinholder, dual cupholders in the center console, shoulder-belt adjusters in the roof pillars to avoid belts kissing chin or nose, large inside/outside mirrors for excellent visibility, galvanized metal in 90 percent of all body panels to fight corrosion, non-chlorofluorocarbon air conditioner refrigerant and a “grade logical” automatic transmission that downshifts or upshifts based on the steepness of hills traveled.

Changes we’d still like to see: spring-held hoods rather than props; 15-inch tires on all models; power sunroof available on all cars, not just the EX; and traction control, though it can wait until 1995 or after when the V-6 is added.

The ’94 Accord sedan goes on sale Wednesday. A coupe will be added in November, the wagon in February.

Prices on the ’94 DX were frozen at ’93 levels. The DX sedan with 5-speed starts at $14,330, with automatic at $15,080. The LX with manual starts at $17,230, with automatic at $17,980, both up $300 from last year. Add $950 for antilock brakes in both DX and LX. The EX starts at $19,750 with manual, $20,500 with automatic, up $400 from ’93. Antilock brakes are standard, but add $1,050 for leather seats.