BRAND loyalty has been challenged by recession as consumers look to cut costs.

Yet Honda, the Japanese car manufacturer has maintained a strong following thanks to its established reputation for safety and reliability, according to Richard Holmes, sales manager at Horizon Honda Christchurch.

Its eighth generation Accord model has received five stars in the Euro NCAP independent crash test and the Which? car survey named it the UK’s most reliable car of last year, after it achieved 99 per cent – one of the highest scores to be recorded.

“I’ve just sold one to my father,” says Mr Holmes. “He’s had seven Accords in a row.”

On driving the 2.2 i-DTEC Type S, it is easy to appreciate why Mr Holmes’ father has a penchant for Accords.

The driver slides into sumptuous electrically heated and adjustable black leather seats and there’s a well-positioned leather steering wheel, giving one of the best driving experiences – not dissimilar to the Nissan 370Z, two-seater sports coupe, an all-time favourite.

It’s easy to forget that the Accord is a four-door family saloon.

A thoughtfully designed, curvaceous dashboard is appealing if a little dull with its mix of black plastics. If you tilt your head to the left, the dash replicates part of the H of the Honda logo.

The driver feels at one with this car and is able to adjust everything from wing mirrors to seats at the flick of a switch.

Its six-speed gearbox is in exactly the right position as is the armrest, which provides welcome support when changing gear. The handbrake is close to the driver’s seat for maximum control – it’s so refreshing that Honda has decided to stick with the traditional handbrake when so many manufacturers have deserted it, preferring a switch or forgetting about it altogether.

On starting the engine there’s an audible rattle from the diesel engine and once on the open road this is drowned out with the help of road noise from the low profile tyres.

But you can live with this because it delivers a surprising performance, often on a par with a petrol car.

It’s generally very responsive, too, reaching 60mph from standstill in under nine seconds, with reasonable low down torque for overtaking.

But there are two drawbacks.

At very low revs in second gear, there is a slight power delay, making it a little lethargic and requiring a hefty boot but it’s not long before it leaves the traffic behind.

And when driven at over 5,000 revs the engine stutters, demanding to be changed up a gear.

This is to be expected of smaller cars but not a mid-range one.

It is a dependable car, though, and your typical mature 60-year-old Accord owner, who is sure to drive with more respect, will in turn be delighted by its overall performance.

This £27,965 vehicle comes with a sophisticated cruise control system, which is very similar to the one that Bentley fits to its £180,000 plus, 200-mph Continental GTC Speed. It keeps the car within a decent distance of the car in front, automatically accelerating and braking as required.

The marvellous revelation with this fairly large car is its economy, returning an average of 37.2 miles per gallon over the test and meaning that the Honda has been returned with half a tank of fuel despite covering around three hundred miles.

From the outside, Honda’s designers have worked their magic too, creating a distinctive car with more straight lines than curves, which is quite unusual these days.

Premium white paintwork and chrome door handles finish off the package nicely.

Guide price: £19,945 to £29,965

Average fuel consumption: 31.0–50.0 mpg

CO2 emissions: 148–215 g/km

Car tax band: F–K (range is A to M)

Insurance group: 10 to 12 (range is 1 to 20)