'You Need This for Your Wife:' Expert Goes to Junk Yard. Then He Spots This Rare Honda In Perfect Condition

In a sea of wrecks and rusted fenders, one car at this Illinois junkyard shouldn’t even be here. The engine hums. The paint gleams. And when the camera pans closer, the surprise is almost comic: a 2012 Honda Crosstour, one of the most unloved cars of its era, running like it just left the showroom.

In a viral TikTok, which has been viewed more than 144,000 times, the unnamed social media manager from Auto Parts City (@autopartscity) in Illinois zooms in to showcase a black Honda Crosstour that defies all logic. Pristine and well-running, it’s already found a new owner at the end of the video, thanks to its large cargo area that’s well-suited for stowing a relative’s wheelchair on trips.

“I don't know who woke up one morning and was like, ‘I want to go out and buy a Honda Accord Crosstour,’” the narrator remarks before introducing new owner Rolando. “Seriously, do you know anybody that ever owned one of these things?”

The narration continues with bemused curiosity—observing the gleaming black paint, the crisp body lines—and a dash of disbelief: “I have absolutely no idea why this Crosstour ended up at the junkyard because it seems to run and drive just fine.” At that moment, the video transforms from a scrap-yard salvage hunt into a subtle redemption story: a once-derided car, still alive and useful.

Why the Honda Crosstour Was a Misfire

To understand why this moment is so arresting, it helps to revisit the Crosstour’s oddball origin. Honda introduced the Accord Crosstour in late 2009 for the 2010 model year, marketing it as a hybrid of a sedan and a “tall wagon,” featuring a sloped fastback hatchback attached to the Accord’s platform. The styling, however, proved polarizing. Critics ridiculed the crossbred proportions: a long hood, short rear overhang, and a rear profile that didn’t clearly align with sedan, coupe, or SUV identities.

Sales struggled. After a few years under the “Accord Crosstour” name, Honda dropped the Accord prefix in 2012. Honda refreshed its styling and offered more equipment, including a standard backup camera and optional features such as Forward Collision Warning. But in the U.S., the Crosstour never caught on. By August 2015, Honda ceased production due to weak demand. Total U.S. sales dropped precipitously in later years, with just over 9,100 sold in 2015.

Despite the styling backlash, the Crosstour shared many of its mechanical bones with the dependable Accord, which explains why some still regard it as a bit of a sleeper. Early versions used a 3.5-liter V-6 producing around 271 horsepower, paired with a five-speed automatic, with optional all-wheel drive in some trims. 

In 2013, the car received an update: a more efficient J35Y1 V-6 engine, a six-speed automatic transmission, improved fuel economy, and revised styling. 

The 2015 model was officially rated at 19 city/28 highway mpg (combined ~22 mpg). Cargo capacity with seats folded can reach about 51.3 cubic feet, making it more versatile than a typical sedan trunk.

Still, many owners and enthusiasts admit drawbacks. Online forums discuss the vehicle’s added weight relative to a typical Accord—sometimes up to 1,000 lbs—and criticize the sloped hatch’s height, which limits usable cargo height. Some say the interior felt borrowed from earlier Accord generations with minimal fanfare.

Gallery: 2012 Honda Crosstour gains four-cylinder engine

How the 2012 Honda Crosstour Found a Home

In the video, the car never looks like a parts donor, since it’s intact and arguably functional. As the video ends, we meet Auto Parts City employee Rolando, who will be the new owner. His wife, who uses a wheelchair, needs a vehicle with a cargo area that can accommodate it. The Crosstour’s hatch and spatial layout apparently suit that need well.

A company spokesperson said via email, “This Crosstour is one of those cars that I just can’t understand why the people junked it. Our employee, who purchased it has driven it absolutely trouble-free for the past 30 days. We just shrug our shoulders.”

It’s one thing to find a working car in a junkyard; it’s another to see that car solve someone’s mobility problem. For readers who live in the fold-and-haul world of SUVs and crossovers, it underlines how design decisions for the hatch and its low lift-over with a wide opening can matter deeply beyond stylistic debates.

In the broader context of car culture on TikTok, the resurrection of niche models is becoming a recurring theme. Just as the Pontiac Aztek, Saturn Ion, or Dodge Magnum have undergone social-media re-evaluations, the Crosstour is enjoying a second life in the public imagination. 

These platforms allow enthusiasts and curious viewers to dig up the “odd ones” and ask: What if this weird car was secretly good? In this case, the clip is a reminder that parts lots and salvage yards are the final checkpoint for vehicles society casts off. From those ashes, you sometimes find hidden utility.