Christian Wardlaw’s Opinion of the 2006 Honda Accord’s Quality:
The Honda Accord’s interior is luxury car quality. The moment you get behind the wheel, you can see, smell, and touch the quality of the construction, the materials, and the design. Only the somewhat rough and stiff leather couldn’t pass muster in a typical Japanese or European luxury car. Otherwise, the Accord is decked out in a cloth mesh headliner, soft-touch upper dash pad, low gloss plastics, convincing faux carbon fiber trim, and subtle chrome accents. The shift knob appears to be real aluminum – not the fake plastic stuff. For an example of Honda’s attention to detail when it comes to interior materials, check out the coating on the voice-command buttons on the steering wheel. They offer just a hint of rubbery grip and just in the right spot. Dashboard control buttons move with the fluid dampening of a luxury ride, though too much pressure on them reveals a bit of a creak in contrast to the switchgear on the driver’s door panel, which exhibits the heft and solidity of the best Lexus or BMW.

I confess that I did not subject the Accord to my usual inspection of gap tolerances and panel fits, but I did note that the car was free of rattles and squeaks. However, I drove our first test sample and the front passenger’s door was jammed shut. You could open it from outside, but not from inside. Highly uncharacteristic of a Honda with 500 miles on the odometer. Turns out Honda mistakenly lent that particular Accord out before a repair was made, but still, this is a rather egregious issue with a vehicle otherwise known for providing decades of trouble-free service.

Thom Blackett’s Opinion of the 2006 Honda Accord’s Quality:
Honda has built a reputation on reliability and quality craftsmanship, the latter being quite evident in the 2006 Accord. Our tester’s seats wore leather that was durable yet a bit stiff, though befitting a $30,000 family sedan and not a $60,000 Jaguar. Adding a nice, upscale touch is a mesh material on the headliner, visors, and pillar covers, while cowhides are affixed to the door panels, shift knob, armrests, and steering wheel. Padded plastic resides on the upper dash and window sills, with the hard but substantial stuff reserved for the center console and lower dash. Those oft-used radio and climate buttons feel ready for millions of clicks and twists without any complaints.

While the materials got a thumbs up, I noticed a few issues with the 2006 Honda Accord’s interior build quality. Though consistent, the gaps on each side of the dash were quite wide, the joint between the lower A-pillar and the left dash looked sloppy, the multiple pieces that comprised the dash didn’t fit completely flush, and one of the doors showed welding splatter under the paint in a plain-as-day spot by the window. Otherwise, the exterior was free of problems. On a more positive note, all of the bits and pieces felt tight and secure, with a subsequent absence of squeaks and rattles.

Brian Chee’s Opinion of the 2006 Honda Accord’s Quality:
Quality? It’s an Accord. So you can count on the quality of the car’s construction and the overall design. If you get one that suffers from poor build quality, why, do yourself a favor and DON’T try the lotto, and do something nice for someone else. Buying a bad Accord is a sure sign of lousy karma. Aside from issues with the seat, in fact, the thing you will surely notice when you sit inside the Accord is the quiet of the cabin, the logical approach to controls, the refined plastics, and the quality of the cloth or leather materials. This is a well-made car that holds its value well, which is why it sells so successfully with nary a rebate or a dollar back.

Ron Perry’s Opinion of the 2006 Honda Accord’s Quality:
It is almost impossible to find fault with the Accord. After all, it is a Honda and they didn’t get to be industry leaders by building junky cars. All switches and dials and panels have a quality feel to them. Panel fit is tight and no squeaks or rattles were apparent. Outside, fit and finish is exceptional as expected with Honda products. The Accord was everything I expected it to be in the area of quality.