It’s one of the great motoring mysteries of our time. Why, when it has everything going in its favour, is Accord apparently overlooked by the German glitterati?

BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz first spring to mind when you think of executive expresses, followed, perhaps, by Lexus, Jaguar and even Infiniti.

Honda, with its enviable sporting pedigree and incredible performances in customer satisfaction surveys, seems often to be an afterthought in this segment.

Quite why, I’m not sure. But I have a theory. BMW has a macho sporting image. Audi is renowned for leading-edge design, Mercedes-Benz is synonymous with quality. Honda, meanwhile, is simply a very good all-rounder which hides its light under a bushel.

It’s only my theory, but I suspect Honda suffers for not being the outstanding player in any one of those fields, which is a great pity. It does, however, give Honda drivers a feeling of exclusivity. While everyone else in their price bracket drives a common car, they have the joy of being just a little different.

Here we have one of Honda’s best-kept secrets, the Accord Tourer (from £22,700). If there’s a smarter, better-built estate in this market, I have yet to drive it. It drives wonderfully and has a great sense of class.

This market has its share of under-rated cars such as Citroen C5, Mazda 6 and Skoda Octavia which are worthy of greater attention, but none of the kudos of the Honda.

Faced with competition from segment-conquering models such as the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4, Ford Mondeo and omnipresent Vauxhall Insignia, life can be tough for the undeserved also-rans.

That’s not to say it is perfect. The Accord Tourer isn’t the biggest estate car and neither is it the cheapest.

But for sheer driveability and quality it’s hard to criticise. It is perfectly balanced and feels more like a high-quality saloon car with a proper racing pedigree than a load-lugging estate.

The test version was highly equipped, too, as befits a premium model.

The satellite navigation system, for example, should serve as an example to other manufacturers because it’s so simple and effective. It even told me that I was sitting outside my house (down to the house number). Just imagine how useful that could be. This wasn’t a particularly fast version of the Accord but it felt perfectly swift and gathered speed effortlessly.

Ride and handling was a fine balance between being firm enough to hold the road and soft enough to be comfortable.

The cabin, too, could serve as a template for others, too. Every switch felt comfortable and every button had a quality feel to it, while the overall feeling was one of understated luxury.

Underneath the exterior the Accord is worthy, neat and accomplished D-segment fare.

It would be a stretch to call it sporty, but there’s certainly enough feedback through the steering and responsiveness from the engine to keep things entertaining.

Composed when cornering thanks in part to a long wheelbase, it also benefits from a highly adjustable driving position, allowing the driver to opt for a low slung position if desired.

The other four occupants are unlikely to feel hard-done-by, either. It even has a powered tailgate so it can be opened and closed at the touch of a button. It’s hardly needed in this class of car but it does cause raised eyebrows at the golf club or where ever Accord-type owners congregate. It has adaptive cruise control, lane wandering and seatbelt-tugging crash mitigation system, meaning there are few options boxes to tick. The model is comprehensively equipped with luxurious equipment, including a voice recognition system that controls functions from the sat-nav and radio to the air conditioning.

Given the Accord’s exterior stature, the interior does not feel as roomy as some rivals, but there’s no acute shortage of space.

With the rear seats folded the load carrying potential is impressive and rear passengers do OK for leg and headroom. Build quality is also very strong, and the interior looks as though it will both date and age well.

In a sector where offering something a little special alongside the bread and water is key, the Tourer manages to add some well-equipped appeal to the range. Strong on style and extremely well equipped, it’s more, much more, than an also-ran.

Meanwhile, Civic has just arrived in showrooms, supported by television ads and a Youtube campaign. Martin Moll, head of marketing, said: “Our dealers are incredibly excited about taking the launch activity to the next phase and get customers in the car. Everyone here at Honda (UK) is looking forward to receiving customer feedback.”

In its ninth generation, the 2012 Civic is available from £16,495 for the entry-level 1.4-litre i-VTEC SE.