2012 Honda Accord
The benchmark for midsize sedans.

Courtesy New Car Test Drive

Herb Chambers Honda Accord 2012

The Honda Accord is difficult to beat in terms of overall performance, efficiency and refinement. Accord comes in sedan and coupe body styles.

The 2012 Honda Accord is available with a choice of four-cylinder and V6 engines, and manual or automatic transmissions.

Accords are roomy, comfortable and very easy to live with, largely free of niggling annoyances that can make otherwise good cars less appealing. Honda Accord and Toyota Camry have long been the benchmarks for midsize sedans because both do everything well. The Accord has a hint of sportiness that adds appeal.

The Accord offers roomier front seats than the competition. And the Accord comes off more polished than most, with an emphasis on power, fuel economy and space efficiency.

The stylish Accord Coupe offers a 6-speed manual with the V6, for a rare combination in mid-size cars. It comes with a sporty suspension package and low-profile tires on 18-inch wheels.

With effectively five trim levels, the Accord can fit a wide range of budgets. There’s a no-frills sedan with plastic wheel covers, essential features and a solid stereo; and high-trim models with sumptuous leather, mega-watt sound systems, active noise cancellation and navigation. All variants deliver high engineering standards, excellent finish, good build quality and all the important safety equipment.

The 2012 Accord carries over largely unchanged; a USB port comes standard on all 2012 Accord models. The Accord benefitted from a facelift for 2011, and some new features and efficiencies brought improved fuel mileage ratings. The Accord sedan and coupe were last redesigned for 2008, when they grew in exterior dimensions and offered improved occupant safety.

Some of the Accord’s competitors have been redesigned more recently. Yet there may be none that match Accord’s overall combination of polish, refinement, efficiency and choice.

For that reason, the Honda Accord remains a benchmark among mainstream, midsize automobiles.

Model Lineup

Herb Chambers Honda Accord 2012

The 2012 Honda Accord line-up includes sedans and coupes, with three engine choices, 5- and 6-speed manual transmissions, and a 5-speed automatic. Rather than offering traditional options or option packages, Honda tends to mark upgrades in equipment with a different model designation. As a result, by Honda’s count, there are 21 different models or trim levels in the Accord line. (All New Car Test Drive prices are Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices, which do not include destination charge and may change at any time without notice.)

Accord LX Sedan ($21,380) is the entry model, powered by a 177-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. It comes with cloth upholstery; air conditioning; power mirrors, windows and door locks; a tilt-telescoping steering column; folding rear seats; and a 160-watt sound system with single CD, an auxiliary jack and, new for 2012, a USB port. The standard wheels are 16-inch steel with plastic covers, but the tailpipe sports a chrome finisher. The 5-speed manual transmission is standard, and the 5-speed automatic ($800) is available. The LX-P Sedan ($23,180) comes standard with the automatic and upgrades to alloy wheels, a power driver’s seat, illuminated power window switches with express up/down for the front passenger, and a security system.

Accord SE Sedan ($23,930) builds on the LX-P package with leather seating, heated front seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and driver’s power-lumbar support.

Accord EX Sedan ($24,305) gets a higher-revving, 190-horsepower version of the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, with standard 5-speed manual and no leather. It also adds a 6CD changer, 17-inch alloy wheels, power moonroof, heated mirrors and premium interior accents. The automatic is available.

Accord EX V6 Sedan ($27,280) features a 271-hp, 3.5-liter V6 with 5-speed automatic; fog lights come standard.

Accord EX-L ($27,555) and Accord EX-L V6 Sedan ($29,630) add leather on the seats and steering wheel, while the EX-L V6 also has two-position memory for the driver’s seat. The four-cylinder EX-L comes standard with the automatic transmission, just like the V6 models. The EX-L models also come with 270-watt audio, XM Satellite Radio, Bluetooth connectivity, heated front seats, compass and exterior temperature indicator, automatic on/off headlights and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. The Accord EX-L with Navi ($29,755) and EX-L V6 with Navi ($31,830) add a navigation system with rearview camera.

Accord LX-S Coupe ($22,980) is the entry-level two-door version, powered by the 190-horsepower version of the four-cylinder engine with a 5-speed manual or automatic. The Accord coupes are generally equipped comparably to sedans with the same letter designation.

Accord Coupe EX ($24,655) also offers manual or automatic transmission, but the Accord Coupe EX-L ($27,305) come standard with the automatic. The Accord Coupe EX-L V6 ($29,930) offers a choice of 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic with paddle shifters on the steering column. Accord Coupe EX-L V6 with Navi ($31,930) adds navigation and rearview camera.

Safety features on all Accords include six airbags, with two-stage front airbags, front passenger side-impact airbags and head-protection curtains for all outboard seats. Other standard safety features include active front head restraints, electronic stability control, antilock brakes with electronic brake distribution and brake assist, and a tire pressure monitor. The optional navigation system includes a rearview camera, which can help the driver spot children and other hazards behind the car when backing up.

Walkaround

Herb Chambers Honda Accord 2012

All Honda Accord models got a mild styling makeover for 2011, and there are no significant changes for 2012. Known in the car business as a mid-cycle facelift, the 2011 changes are about as extensive as any car gets between complete redesigns. They re-emphasize the Accord’s conservative, upscale appearance.

The current-generation Accord sedan was introduced as a 2008 model, and it’s larger than any before it. Although it competes in the mid-size market segment, the sedan is classified a large car by the federal government, based on interior volume. The Accord is more than four inches longer that the Nissan Altima.

The two-door Accord coupe is smaller than the sedan, both visually and by exterior measurements. Every dimension, save width, is two to four inches shorter than the sedan. The coupe looks lighter, more lithe.

The 2011 styling updates for the sedan and coupe won’t be obvious from across a parking lot, but they’re noticeable in details at closer range. The sedan’s front bumper and grille, wedged between angular, jewel-like light clusters were re-shaped. The effect is a slightly more pronounced snout than before. In back, the lip of the trunk lid and the taillights have been tweaked for a crisper, even more substantial look.

In general, the Accords maintain their contemporary yet notably conservative design, highlighted by a strong character line that slopes down and forward like that of the Acura TL, though the Hondas are much less angular than the Acuras. All Accord variants maintain the Honda hallmarks of narrow windshield pillars and a low cowl that promote good forward visibility. The sedan’s rear door pillars have a pronounced kink popularized decades ago by BMW, and the four-door Accord might be mistaken from a distance as a BMW 5 Series or some other European luxury sedan.

Once seated, the Accord driver can see the hood and the top of the fenders where they meet the hood, but the forward edges of the car are not so visible. The swept-back headlight housings minimize protruding corners and ease maneuverability, though it takes some familiarity before the driver is certain exactly where the corners of the car are. Many of the Accord’s design elements are a product of auto/pedestrian collision standards. The wiper arm mounts are designed to break away when hit, for example.

Interior Features

The Accord cabin is spacious, light and airy, with a thoughtful layout and plenty of elbow room. Everything you touch feels right for the price. Everything you need seems to be where you want it, and everyone on board will be comfortable.

Accord LX models deliver pleasing design and materials, with a variety of storage areas for modern conveniences like iPods and old-fashioned vices like a bottle of Coke. Stepping up to the Accord SE model adds leather upholstery and heated seats, but the basics like seat design and driver ergonomics are shared by all models.

The leather is high quality and perfectly tailored, and the driver’s seat in most models has multiple power adjustments. There’s good support for the long haul, but the seats are easy to slide in and out of during around-town errands. EX-L V6 models add a two-position memory for the driver’s seat. Accord coupes make use of their longer front door panels by adding a return sweep and pull handle to the armrest trim.

Accord’s standard tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel provides a good range of adjustment and compliments the driver’s seat movement, so people of every size can find a good driving position. The shifter is right at hand, and the proper handbrake has short travel. The sunroof button, reading lights and a drop-down glasses holder are located in a mini-console above the rearview mirror.

There’s a clear view of what’s all around outside the Accord, and of the proven, extra-crisp dial-and-needle gauges inside. Accords equipped with the navigation system now come with a back-up camera, and it’s valuable. The information display or navigation screen is inset under a shade at the same height as the gauges, so glare is controlled, and the screen can be viewed with polarized glasses.

Lights and wiper controls are stalks on the steering column. Honda’s graphics for the variable intermittent wipers are among the simplest: Rather than bars, lines or dots of differing size, the Accord uses one raindrop for long interval and three raindrops for more frequent wiping.

Controls for audio and navigation sit below the navigation screen and center dash vents. On lower-line models, the big round knob controls volume; on others it is the interface through which you work through various menus. Even on fully equipped cars with navigation, the layout is less daunting than the number of buttons first suggests. One row of switches controls audio input (AM, XM, CD, etc.) and another row has six audio presets.

Climate controls are located to the sides of the center stack, so you needn’t wait to approve the legal disclaimer on the screen before you can ask for heat or air conditioning. The climate switches were among the improvements made for 2011, with more frequently adjusted fan and temperature control positioned on the left side, closer to the driver, and less-frequently used buttons on the right side.

Convenience features aren’t exclusive to high-trim models. The door locks, for example, have multiple functions on all models. With the key inserted, the lock cylinders can raise and lower the windows and open or close the sunroof by turning clockwise for up and counter-clockwise for down. The unlock button on the key fob will lower the power windows and open the moonroof when it’s depressed for three seconds and then held. The available navigation system adds convenience with voice activation, which can handle a multitude of chores without a hand ever leaving the steering wheel.

Our complaints about the Accord cabin are minor: We wish there was more differentiation in the appearance of different types of controls (climate and audio, for example) for easier recognition while driving. The lumbar support on all front seats (regardless of power or upholstery) is stout, and several drivers wished for less of it. The front seats have lots of room around them, prompting some slender occupants to note that the door was too far away for a comfortable armrest or leg brace. To some extent, of course, this gripe is a function of a large interior space with room for large people. The width of the Accord translates directly into a wide cabin, especially in front. The center armrest is big enough for two adults to share.

Rear-seat passengers will have few complaints. Seat cushions and backrests carry right out to the door without wheelwell intrusion, and the rear doors offer easy ingress and egress. Six-footers can sit comfortably, even with one in the back seat behind one in the front seat. The center seat is well padded, and as such it loses a bit of headroom to the outer seats. There’s nothing particularly fancy in the back of the Accord: adjustable air vents on the back end of the center console and decent cupholders.

Trunk space in the sedan is a class-average 14.7 cubic feet, in a fairly useful shape, and the contents need not be heaved waist-high to load in. The rear seatbacks fold for more cargo room, and there’s a lock on the pass-through behind the armrest on some models. The navigation system’s DVD-drive is remote mounted on the upper edge of the trunk, but it’s protected by a stout steel band.

Honda’s Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) comes standard in all Accord models except the base LX sedan, but we were hard-pressed to notice the noise difference between LX and EX. The Crosstour has an upgrade called Active Sound Control (ASC), which is more sophisticated than ANC, according to Honda. Whereas ANC deals specifically with the elimination of low decibel noise entering the cockpit, ASC has a much broader range, including the elimination of unwanted high frequency noise. We still weren’t overwhelmed with the effect.

Vibration and engine buzz are minimal with the four-cylinder engine and negligible on the V6, so all Accords come across as very quiet. With everything off and the windows and roof closed, tire and road noise flow in first, but it’s never anything more than background. Bottom line: The Accord is smooth and quiet with or without noise cancellation technology.

Driving Impressions

Nearly all Honda Accord models are well-balanced cars that are good at just about everything. Just about every car in this class is well balanced, to be sure. Mid-sized sedans are usually crafted as all-things-to-everyone vehicles, intended to appeal to the largest possible chunk of buyers. It’s a question of which one gets the balance appropriate for a buyer’s taste, and again the Accord settles somewhere near the middle.

We find the Accord nicely mannered, polished, pleasant and steady regardless of model, engine or transmission. It’s comfortable, and perfectly predictable, regardless of body style. In general, the Accord comes across as firmer and a bit livelier than the Toyota Camry.

The Accord has gotten bigger and heavier over the years, and it shows. The Accord sedan feels more like a mid-size luxury car on the road, less like a perfectly sorted, well-finished compact car. That evolution is hardly a bad thing.

Across the many Accord trim levels, the ride-handling balance varies over a narrow but distinguishable range. The softest-riding model is the Accord LX, by virtue of the softest suspension settings and 16-inch tires with a larger sidewall. The LX is also the lightest and best balanced model. Not as mellow as the Camry but gentler than much of the competition, the Accord LX handles bad roads with aplomb and basically goes where it’s pointed. Electronic stability control helps get it back in line if it’s pointed wrong.

The Accord LX stays relatively flat in the corners. It doesn’t nosedive under braking, and it remains stable during left-right transitions on a winding road, or working through city clutter. Steering is light, direct, and makes quick work of a U-turn.

Accord EX models have slightly firmer suspension calibrations, but most of what you’ll notice comes from the lower profile tires on 17-inch wheels: more noise and vibration from lane divider dots, expansion joints, bridge seams, manhole covers. Apart from slightly quicker response to steering and braking commands, the EX is essentially the same easy-going Accord. Trips of any duration are accommodated comfortably. Enthusiast drivers could live happily with an Accord sedan serving as a spouse’s daily commuter, or they could opt for a V6 manual coupe.

The Accord Coupe trades a smidge of ride comfort for greater handling precision. Most of the change comes from larger anti-roll bars and lower weight. Tire specifications mirror those on the sedans.

Honda Motor Company is known as one of the world’s fine engine manufacturers, and not one of the engines in the Accord line disappoints. Honda is also known for efficiency, and in that regard, every Accord sedan and coupe gained in fuel efficiency thanks to 2011′s revisions. Improvements to vehicle aerodynamics, reductions in engine friction and new transmission gear ratios all contributed to higher mileage ratings. Fuel economy ratings for four-cylinder Accords improved by 2 mpg in the city and 3 mpg on the highway, and about 1 mpg for V6 models.

Fuel economy is an EPA City/Highway rating of 23/34 mpg for any four-cylinder Accord sedan, regardless of engine tune or transmission choice. Accord V6 sedans get an EPA-estimated 20/30 mpg. Four-cylinder coupes rate 22/33 mpg with automatic, 23/32 with manual; V6 coupes rate 19/29 with automatic, 17/26 with manual.

The Accord LX’s 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine matches Nissan’s 2.5-liter for horsepower, if not torque, with less fuss or raucousness. Compared to the 2012 Camry’s four-cylinder, the Honda delivers one less horsepower and a bit less torque. But even though the Accord is the heavyweight of the three, its base engine’s 177 horsepower is plenty to keep up with the Joneses, whether you choose the manual or automatic. The manual, though, makes for the livelier car.

Accord EX models get the same basic 2.4-liter engine with some minor changes and a higher rev limit, delivering 190 horsepower and besting nearly all the competition with no degradation in fuel economy. With the automatic this engine delivers instant downshifts and response for passing, but it upshifts at full-throttle well before redline.

The 5-speed manual requires low clutch effort, and the engine engages smoothly. The shifter offers good action, if not the short, crisp movement of some smaller Hondas we’ve driven. The manual allows a driver to get the most out of either four-cylinder engine, which will cleanly rev right past the marked redline. That lets a 177-horsepower 2.4 manual keep up with a 190-horsepower 2.4-liter automatic.

Of course, the 190-horsepower 2.4-liter and 5-speed manual are the most entertaining of all four-cylinder models, and this combination will appeal to that segment of the Accord audience that enjoys driving and believes shifting is done with hands and feet, not thumbs. If you don’t know whether to choose the 177-horsepower or 190-horsepower version (setting aside trim considerations), ask yourself how often you floor the throttle and run your engine to redline. If the answer lies between never and seldom, then the 177-horsepower four will prove quite satisfactory.

The Accord’s optional 3.5-liter V6 is rated 271 horsepower and 254 pound-feet of torque. That’s more horsepower than both the Camry and Altima V6 engines. The Honda V6 is smooth and quieter than the Altima’s, and it has the latest version of Honda’s Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) to improve economy.

Like GM and Chrysler systems designed to save gas on big V8s, VCM changes the number of operating cylinders at any given time to save fuel. The Honda V6 can run on six, four or three cylinders, depending on how much power the car needs to do what the driver wants it to do. The system is completely automatic and unnoticeable to the driver except for two things: an Eco light that illuminates on the dash when the system is on, and a slight hunting sensation as it switches back-and-forth between four and three cylinders at certain speeds. You’ll need to be paying attention to notice that, however.

Accord coupes offer only the 190-horsepower version of the four-cylinder engine. It, and the V6 in coupes with an automatic, is identical to the engines in the sedan. The V6 used in the coupe with the manual transmission is different. Size and output are the same, but the unique coupe V6 has a different intake system that packs most of the power in the middle of the rpm range, and it eliminates the VCM fuel-saving system. The target buyer isn’t springing for the sportiest model to save gas by letting pistons coast along for the ride.

The Accord EX V6 Coupe with manual transmission is the closest successor to Acura’s defunct CL Type-S coupe, and it has a character all its own. This is most definitely the raciest car in the Accord line-up. The engine snarls and growls under a heavy foot, the shifter and clutch have more weight behind them, and the 235/45VR18 wheel and tire package adds another level to crispness and handling grip.

Summary
The Honda Accord is big on efficiency, whether that means getting the most power and range from a gallon of gas, delivering the most interior space for the exterior dimensions or providing the smoothest, quietest ride and highest level of crash protection with the least weight. Accord offers a range of four- and six-cylinder engines Every Accord is easy to operate, well-engineered and well-mannered. Moving four people comfortably or enjoying the long way home, any Accord is up to the task.

NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent G.R. Whale filed this report from Santa Monica, California. J.P. Vettraino contributed from Detroit, and John F. Katz from south-central Pennsylvania.

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TOP PLACES TO WORK | Herb Chambers

A personal note from Herb Chambers

Dear Valued customer,

Last, year at this time, I wrote to you about an important workplace distinction of which, I was very proud.

The Herb Chambers Companies were recognized as being amongst The Boston Globe’s Top 100 Places to Work for 2009. I am so proud to tell you, we have just been notified by the Boston Globe, that we have earned this distinction again for 2010.

This year we are ranked eighth in the Large Employer category. We were selected from more than 1,000 employers who participated in the survey. In fact, we are the only automotive dealer ever to have received this award and now we’ve earned it twice.

What I love so much about this is that it was the enthusiastic recognition of our employees’ that made this possible when they nominated our company as a Top 100 workplace.

There is no higher privilege in business than to have your employees emphatically state, “What a great place to work”! … And then, want to tell the whole world…amazing!

Thank you.

Herb Chambers

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The soul of a leader

Three top executives who all inspire loyalty among employees reveal their personal goals, leadership methods — and deepest fears

November 7, 2010

To be one of the Globe’s Top Places to Work, an organization’s employees must believe the people at the top know what they’re doing and care about providing a rewarding work experience. Anthony Consigli of Consigli Construction Co., Kathleen “Kit’’ Tunney of Associates for Human Services, and Herb Chambers of Herb Chambers Cos. all run organizations that ranked high in our survey for employee faith that the organization is in good hands. Top Places editor Michael Warshaw asked them what good leaders do.

• Globe: Anthony, what does it mean to you that your name is on the company?

Consigli: It might make the accountability that much greater. But I don’t think that it is the end all, be all. The reason the name is important is because I have three generations preceding me. If I screw up, I feel like I let somebody down.

• Globe: Herb, what about your name on your company?

Chambers: Well, I think it is different for me because I was the guy that started the company. I think that the pressure on you, Anthony, is five times greater than it is on me.

The company I have today is not what I envisioned 20, 25 years ago. At the time I sold my first company, I was 38 years old. I said, ‘What am I going to do now?’ and I went down to buy a car, and instead of buying the car, I bought the dealership.

Tunney: That is a great story.

Chambers: I realized how bad that particular dealership was. It just looked like the guy wanted to get out of it. I bought it right on the spot.

In the automobile business, you don’t necessarily have to be great. You have to be good. If you are good, you are great. Because most people say they hate car dealers.

We don’t build cars. They roll in, and we have to find a home for them. Our people are so important because the product is unimportant. If you like Honda, you’re going to buy a Honda whether you buy it from me or somebody else. The question becomes: Can we fulfill the need of delivering that car to the customer better than somebody else can?

I hold a training meeting once a month, and we have 300 or 400 people there for breakfast, our whole sales organization. Salespeople have got to be kind of cheered up all the time, because they have a tendency to fall down. Technicians are a kind of a different breed. They have a different level of motivation than salespeople do.

• Globe: Do you speak to each group differently?

Chambers: I do. When I am in the dealerships, I talk to the guys and ask, ‘How is everything with the shop? Anything we can do for you?’

All of our shops are now air conditioned. That came out of one of the comments I got from one of the guys.

• Globe: Kit, you came up differently, from being a staffer.

Tunney: I fell in love with the work that we do — with the staff that I was working with. And over time, wanted to make some changes there, took some courses to get a little bit of credentials in management. And happened to be at the right place at the right time.

• Globe: How did the experience of being a staff member affect your leadership?

Tunney: Having been there and done that makes me more approachable. I try to involve them in problem solving and decision making, because that was important to me when I felt like I didn’t have that voice.

I go out to a group home and say to the staff, ‘How’s it going?’ and I stop to listen to the answer. But I also provide formal opportunities for them to participate in focus groups and surveys to tell me how good of a job we are doing.

• Globe: Tell us something that surprised you that came out of that.

Tunney: Lack of natural light. We had staff in cubbies with no windows. When I decided to build our building, and we interviewed staff to ask them what they wanted, what I heard was: light. Now our building has windows right across the top. It is all one level. And there are suites set off at angles, so it doesn’t look like a motel.

• Globe: Anthony, what are you looking for when you tour your construction sites?

Consigli: I am looking for them to talk to me like I am a normal person, vs. a company president. I think there are some incredibly smart people out there that are building these buildings. They are equally important to this deal as I am. I don’t think they understand that sometimes.

• Globe: Kit, how important is the staff dedication to your mission?

Tunney: It is essential. You train, train, train. I don’t have a breakfast every month for 400 people, but it is the same thing. You’ve got to find out what their needs are, and you have to meet those needs. If I have a staff that didn’t do a good job because I didn’t provide the opportunity to gain the skills that they need, then I am the one at fault.

For instance, if you have an individual that lives in a group home, in a wheelchair, and then is maybe visually impaired, you need to provide training for that particular staff. How do you present a meal to someone that is visually impaired? How do you get them to a table if they are in a wheelchair? So you really have to be very thorough putting together orientation for staff. And follow up, follow up, follow up.

Chambers: In the automobile business, I am embarrassed to say how simple it is. The manufacturer provides you with information on all of the technicians, all the salespeople, the individual dealerships, how they all perform. We know where the problems are.

• Globe: Herb, you bought that dealership, it seems, almost on impulse.

Tunney: That is confidence, and I admire that.

Chambers: I don’t think I am smarter than anybody else. On the same token, I don’t think I am a lot dumber than anybody else. Believe me, I live on fear. I am always worried about everything all the time.

• Globe: Fear of what?

Chambers: Fear of failing in anything. I don’t want to fail.

• Globe: Kit, do you have fear?

Tunney: We’re federally and state funded. I am always wondering whether or not our contracts are going to get cut. And they do. Then I need to figure out, ‘How am I going to do more with less?’ I am always afraid it’s going to get cut so much that I am going to have to look at laying off staff.

• Globe: Anthony, is fear a motivator?

Consigli: Fear and regret. I stay up all night thinking about the things that could go wrong. Construction is a dangerous business. People die, and I am fearful of that. Quality problems, reputation — all those things.

I would say regret is equal. I hate thinking that I am going to regret decisions I made or didn’t make 10 years out, 30 years out.

• Globe: How do you avoid it?

Consigli: Thinking a lot about it. The greatest regret would be tanking a company that has been around for 105 years. I think that fear and hard work hold off that danger of making a decision that you’ll regret.

Do you screw up? Yeah. Everybody screws up. But you man up, you admit it, and you move on. If there are three things that I aspire to, they are humility, empathy, and accountability — just doing what you said you were going to do. I think that if I can do that more often than not, generally speaking, things will go well.

Tunney: If people have a healthy work ethic, they want to come to work and they want to be respected for what they do. And they want to do their best and they want to be rewarded for that. They want to have decent pay checks. And that is what we try to do.

Consigli: If we are the people behind our organizations who are responsible for that, we need to be doing the proper planning and working hard to make sure we’re putting things in place for that to happen for people.

Chambers: Everybody likes to believe they have good integrity. They all like to believe that they work hard. Who is going to set the pace of the organization? The pace of the organization is the speed of the leader, right? They look at you and say, ‘He really puts his heart and soul into everything that he does, or she does.’ So what are you doing to do? You’re going to put your heart and soul into it.

Consigli: The day that I stop doing that is the day I have to get out and let someone else take over. I have seen so many organizations where that doesn’t happen. If I get hit by a bus tomorrow, I want the organization to keep going just like nothing happened. That’s success.

© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company

Roaring through Mass. in the McLaren F1

I was about 12 years old when I saw my first McLaren F1. Saw, not as millions of others did from the cover of a Road & Track issue, but saw, as in hearing my father say, “Hey, what’s that coming behind us?”, turning around, and watching the blessed Messiah of all exotic cars pass our Mercury Sable and literally part the interstate traffic.

We were mere miles from our home in Connecticut, and I was freaking out for another 20. No, Mom, that is not a kit car! It’s the fastest production car on earth.

At that time, I knew I had seen one of just seven McLarens in the entire United States, and I knew I would never see one again. I found out later that a company in Danbury, about 35 minutes away, was importing all the F1s from the factory in Woking, England, proof that Connecticut was the center of the universe.

In 2005, I witnessed the second coming of the F1 at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, which was holding an exhibition of Ralph Lauren’s cars. I hardly moved from the velvet rope, despite Lauren’s impressive collection. Two sightings in one lifetime? This had to be the last time I would see an F1.

McLaren made roughly 100 road and race versions between 1993 and 1998, and it’s impossible to cite the exact number in the US today. Some people say there are more than 20; Chambers thinks there’s about a dozen. (And he should know. Jay Leno bought one after taking a ride with him.) Facebook groups and message boards claiming to document each McLaren try their hardest, but the owners of these cars rarely come up in the news unless one catches on fire or gets sold at auction for more than $4 million.

Herb Chambers Car Collection - McLaren F1

Last month, Chambers decided to drop his McLaren at his new BMW showroom in Sudbury, just 20 miles west of Boston. So I asked what anyone would in this rare moment, short of begging: can I please, please, please go for a ride? Chambers obliged, and on a sunny November I found myself holed into the F1′s left side, yanking the butterfly door shut, and trying to resist a hyper fit of feet stomping and flailing arms.

To be assaulted by such a high power-to-weight ratio, deafened by a 627 horsepower V-12, and stared at by every driver on the road is the car enthusiast’s reason for living. What, I wondered, would I do now for the rest of my life? The afterlife won’t be able to match being inside a McLaren at full-bore, running and running while the planet stands still.

For Herb and all the well-heeled car lovers with McLarens, here’s hoping, then, for a long life.

2010 Honda Insight

 All-new hybrid gets good fuel economy.  

Honda appears finally to have learned how to play in the hybrid game. Simply putting a hybrid powertrain in a regular car doesn’t cut it. If a carmaker wants to be taken seriously, it had better deliver a hybrid that looks like what the market has said it wants a hybrid to look like.

Herb Chambers Honda of Burlington is one of four Herb Chambers Honda Dealerships.

Honda of Burlington is conveniently located in Burlington Massachusetts, just minutes away from Boston. Herb Chambers Honda of Burlington has the areas largest selection of Honda and certified pre-owned vehicles from cars and trucks to vans and SUVs.

Honda Vehicles

If you are looking to buy a new or used vehicle and need financing, Herb Chambers Honda of Burlington is the dealer for you. Our finance team can assist you with securing affordable options on any new Honda Accord Coupe, Accord Hybrid Sedan, Accord Sedan, Civic Coupe, Civic GX NGV, Civic Hybrid Sedan, Civic Sedan, Civic Si Coupe, Civic Si Sedan, CR-V SUV, Element 5-door, Element SC, Fit 5-door, Odyssey Minivan, Pilot SUV, Ridgeline or S2000 Roadster.

In the years we have been in business our clients have come from communities like Worcester, Taunton, Framingham, Burlington and Auburn as well as throughout the state of Massachusetts.

Best of all, Herb Chambers Honda of Burlington has a great staff on hand to assist you with your all of your needs when it comes to Honda parts, factory service and OEM accessories for your vehicle

Visit our showroom today or CALL 877-205-6406 for immediate assistance.

Herb Chambers Honda of Burlington
33 Cambridge Street
Burlington, Massachusetts 01803

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Honda Vehicles – Herb Chambers of Seekonk

Herb Chambers Honda of Seekonk is conveniently located in Seekonk Massachusetts, just minutes away from Worcester and Taunton.

Herb Chambers Honda of Seekonk has the areas largest selection of Honda and certified pre-owned vehicles from cars and trucks to vans and SUVs.

Honda Vehicles – Seekonk

If you are looking to buy a new or used vehicle and need financing, Herb Chambers Honda of Seekonk is the dealer for you. Our finance team can assist you with securing affordable options on any new Honda Accord Coupe, Accord Hybrid Sedan, Accord Sedan, Civic Coupe, Civic GX NGV, Civic Hybrid Sedan, Civic Sedan, Civic Si Coupe, Civic Si Sedan, CR-V SUV, Element 5-door, Element SC, Fit 5-door, Odyssey Minivan, Pilot SUV, Ridgeline or S2000 Roadster.

In the years we have been in business our clients have come from communities like Worcester, Taunton, Seekonk, Framingham and Auburn as well as throughout the state of Massachusetts.

Best of all, Herb Chambers Honda of Seekonk has a great staff on hand to assist you with your all of your needs when it comes to Honda parts, factory service and OEM accessories for your vehicle

Visit our showroom today at:

Herb Chambers Honda of Seekonk
185 Taunton Avenue, Route 44
Seekonk, Massachusetts 02771

Please Visit these other Herb Chambers Sites!

Herb Chambers Feedback

Go Ask Herb

Herb Chambers Smart Pricing

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Herb Chambers News

Herb Chambers Customer Service

Herb Chambers Hybrids

Herb Chambers Honda

Herb Cares

Herb Chambers BMW

About Herb Chambers

Herb Chambers TV

Herb Chambers.com
Herb Chambers Complaint or Commentary to the Corporate Office

Herb Chambers Honda of Westborough is an award winning Herb Chambers Honda dealership.

It is conveniently located in Westborough Massachusetts. Herb Chambers Honda of Westborough has the areas largest selection of Honda and certified pre-owned vehicles from cars and trucks to vans and SUVs.

Honda Vehicles

If you are looking to buy a new or used vehicle and need financing, Herb Chambers Honda of Westborough is the dealer for you. Our finance team can assist you with securing affordable options on any new Honda Accord Coupe, Accord Hybrid Sedan, Accord Sedan, Civic Coupe, Civic GX NGV, Civic Hybrid Sedan, Civic Sedan, Civic Si Coupe, Civic Si Sedan, CR-V SUV, Element 5-door, Element SC, Fit 5-door, Odyssey Minivan, Pilot SUV, Ridgeline or S2000 Roadster.

In the years we have been in business our clients have come from communities like Taunton, Seekonk, Framingham, Auburn and Westborough as well as throughout the state of Massachusetts.

Best of all, Herb Chambers Honda of Westborough has a great staff on hand to assist you with your all of your needs when it comes to Honda parts, factory service and OEM accessories for your vehicle

Visit our showroom today at:

Herb Chambers Honda of Westborough
350 Turnpike Road
Westborough, Massachusetts 01581

or CALL US at 877 – 205 – 6405 to speak to a sales representative.

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