The Honda Accord is entering the fifth year of its current model cycle. An all-new one is just over the horizon. Meanwhile, Toyota has just launched an all-new Camry for 2002, while Nissan has introduced an all-new and much larger Altima. And there's no shortage of competition from other automakers that compete fiercely for buyers of mid-size sedans. The volumes are high so a lot is at stake here.

In spite of all this, we feel the 2002 Honda Accord is the best mid-size sedan available today. Simply put, it does everything well.

The interior is roomy and comfortable, the chassis is responsive and well damped, the brakes are excellent, and both of its VTEC engines (a 3.0-liter V6 and a 2.3-liter four-cylinder) are incredibly smooth. It is remarkably easy to drive and every aspect of it is user friendly.

Honda sold 414,718 Accords during calendar year 2001, making it number one in passenger-car sales, and it has been one of America's best-selling cars for the past 10 years.

Not much has changed with the Accord since last year. For 2002, Honda has added a new SE trim level that adds popular features to the value-oriented LX.

Another thing that hasn't changed is its quality, durability, and reliability. J.D. Power and Associates ranks the Accord's mechanical quality and body and interior quality as "better than most." An entire generation has grown up with Hondas, and 26 years of Accords have proven it to be a safe choice, a car that a family can buy and more or less forget, turning their attention to the other concerns of a daily life. We feel the Accord offers a bit more driving excitement than the Camry or the Taurus and a higher quality interior than the Altima.