The Accord Hybrid features not one but two sources of propulsion. One is the 2-litre,i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine and the other one is a dual electric motor set-up. All combine to deliver a peak power output of 215bhp and 315Nm of torque right from the word go. Honda calls its hybrid system as the Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD). Now this system works in three different modes - EV Drive, Hybrid Drive and Engine Drive. Under regular conditions, the Accord runs in Hybrid Drive mode, in which the petrol engine operates as a generator to charge up the batteries. However, the car can run on pure electric mode in stop-start traffic, slow speed cruising or when braking. All this while, the petrol is decoupled from the drivetrain to reduce friction. In full EV mode, one of the two electric motors alone powers the front wheels as the petrol motor (decoupled from the drivetrain) powers the electric generator which in turn charges up the battery pack. This allows the petrol motor-generator combo to supplement the battery by offering more electrical power to the propulsion motor. This rather complicated type of propulsion system can be found in most series hybrid models.
As you would expect, the Accord Hybrid is dead silent at slow speeds. In full EV mode you could even sneak up on other motorists, it’s that silent. There is a limitation to this convenience though - the electric-only driving range is just around 2km post which the petrol motor kicks in. With both the motors working together, performance is strong throughout the bottom end and midrange. It goes without saying that the Accord gets up to highway speeds with ease. The effortless acceleration, in fact, goes well with the laidback, comforting nature of the car. As for the gearbox, the e-CVT unit in here has been tuned in line with the relaxed nature of the car. As a result, it is a little slow to react and hardly engaging when you’re up for some fun behind the wheel. That being said, the rubber-band effect usually present with CVTs isn’t as obvious in this hybrid. Our first drive was mostly restricted to the super wide and smooth tarmac of the Outer Ring Road, Hyderabad. Even so, there was a lot of vertical movement over longer undulations. Make no mistake, the Accord Hybrid delivers a comfortable ride even on poorly surfaced roads but at high speeds, its ride quality can get bouncy though never to the point that it can be deemed uncomfortable.
Japanese auto makers such as Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Subaru are known world wide for producing high quality, efficient and durable cars. Car auctions in Japan give you the chance to buy and export a used Japanese brand car to your country, usually with big savings on similar priced cars you can find in your local dealership. But Japanese drivers also love foreign brands such as Audi, Bentley, Land Rover, BMW, Mercedez Benz, Porsche, Volvo and Volkswagon. It's possible to find these luxury cars very cheaply at Japanese car auctions and you can certainly make a very good saving on buying and exporting from Japan. Japanese drivers take care of their vehicles and because of rigorous safety inspections, taxes and other fees it is more cost effective for a Japanese driver to change their car to a newer model regularly. This means a large pool of well maintained used cars for sale and export. Your first step to finding a cheap luxury car is to find a reputable dealer.
Second hand car dealers don't have the most solid of reputations to begin with and there are cases of foreign buyers being ripped off by dodgey dealers, but these are definately in the minority. First, check out the dealers website and see if they have full contact and bank information and are members of the JUMVEA which is the Japanese government sanctioned trade body for foreign car exporters. Membership means that members have to abide by a code of best practice. Also, make sure that the company is registered with the local government - they should display a government trade license number. Second, test communication with the dealer by either sending an email or calling (many dealers have Skype or similar so you can do it for free). In your initial emails look out for quality of English, timely response and level of details in the answer. Unanswered or evasive answers and poor quality English may lead to misunderstandings later on.
Once you have contacted several dealers and filtered some out you can start to browse seriously for a car. Generally you can either buy directly from the dealers stock of cars (which they make have from spotting a bargin at auction and bought for later resale) or request they look for something for you at auctions. You can have a very specific or very general request and the dealer will try to find something and send you deatils of the cars. All the major car auctions are online and dealers have access to national daily auctions giving a choice of upto 40,000 cars a day! Once you get the car details you can decide to bid or not, send a maximum price you want to bid and sit back and wait for the result! The dealer will try to get the lowest price for you so you don't pay more than you have to. Once you have won a car then you also have to consider paying for paperwork fees, transportation, shipping, insurance and customs import taxes when the car arrives in your country. You also have to make sure the car complies with all local auto regulations. Some dealers may help you with this especially if they are in your own country, but others will probably not give much help. Therefore before you buy make sure you know what you will have to do to make the car legal in your own country. Japanese used car auctions are a great source of both Japanese and European/America brand quality used cars.
