Overview
Ah, the Accord. Honda’s long-serving midsize sedan is as inoffensive as a bran muffin, serving buyers of all types with its spacious cabin, easy driving dynamics, efficient powertrain, and reputation for apocalypse-surviving reliability. What this sedan lacks in excitement it makes up for with its all-around likability. Seriously, daily drivers don’t get much more well-rounded than this.
This particular model is brand-spankin’-new. The 11th-generation Accord is longer and wider than before, though it rides on the same wheelbase, hence the hideously elongated overhangs. The biggest change is a revised hybrid drivetrain—a two-motor system that pairs with a 2.0-liter in-line-four to deliver 204hp and 335Nm of torque, and is estimated to return some pretty awesome fuel economy numbers: 21.7km/L city, 18.7km/L highway, and 20.4km/L combined. That’s super good.
What if I don’t want a hybrid?
Honda won’t force you into one, but you’ll be stuck buying one of the lower trim levels. In these more spartan variants, the Accord uses a 1.5-liter turbocharged in-line-four – the same one you’ll find in the Civic. Matched with a continuously variable transmission and front-wheel drive, this powertrain delivers 192hp and 260Nm. Fuel economy with this engine is fine, but isn’t nearly as good as the hybrid, with the EPA estimating 12.3km/L city, 15.7km/L highway, and 13.6km/L combined.
And yes, the 2.0-liter option is gone, daddy, gone. It used to offered on higher Accord trim levels, and for a time, you could even pair it with a slick six-speed manual. But Honda decided to focus on refining its higher-volume powertrains for the 11th-generation Accord, hence the larger focus on electrification. Even the Accord Sport is a sports sedan in name only.
How much does the Accord cost?
In the US, anywhere from $28,990 (P1.61 million) to $39,635 (P2.2 million), including a mandatory $1,095 (P60,830) destination fee. If you want hybrid power, you’ll be spending at least $33,640 (P1.87 million) for the Sport. Considering all the car you get for the money, these prices aren’t too shabby at all.
Honda Accord on the road
While not quite the driver’s car it once was—especially with the now-dead 2.0T/6MT combo—the Accord is nevertheless more engaging than the average midsize sedan. Honda has always made chassis and steering development a priority in the Accord, and this continues to shine in the 11th-generation car.
Depending on the trim level, the Accord rides on either 17- or 19-inch wheels. The former definitely look a little puny—especially combined with the massive overhangs—but they provide a better overall ride quality.
Behind the wheel of a fully loaded Touring tester, the Accord is simply serene. This car makes you remember that not all drivers prioritize sporty antics or a rowdy good time. Sometimes you just need to run a few errands in peace and quiet and without any hassle. That’s the Accord: a hassle-free experience.
How’s the hybrid powertrain?
It’s incredibly easy to get mega mileage out of it. The throttle is nicely tuned to let you accelerate smoothly without goosing it and blowing your efficiency, and the transition between electric-only power and internal combustion assist is imperceptible—other than audibly. No, the Accord doesn’t offer any legit electric-only range like a proper plug-in hybrid. But goodness, 20.4km/L is a stellar spec—and one that’s easy to achieve in real-world driving.
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Do a bunch of driver-assistance features come standard?
Sure do. Pre-collision braking, lane-departure warning, forward-collision warning, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keeping assist are included on every single Honda Accord. Blind-spot monitoring is standard on all but the most basic variant, which seems like a weird omission given all the other no-cost features.
Even better, these features are easy to turn off if you don’t fancy using them, and when they’re activated, none of them are so annoying and overprotective that they’ll drive you crazy. The entire suite of software is called Honda Sensing, and it fades into the background of daily driving.
Are there better-driving cars in the class?
Not really, but it depends on what you prioritize. Are there more powerful midsize sedans? Sure. Are there more-expensive variants of the competitors that have a sharper edge? Yep, Hyundai and Kia both offer more potent Sonata and K5 variants. But no other midsizer is as all-around competent as the Accord. This sedan has long been the benchmark for refinement in its class, and that continues with this 11th-gen model.
Honda Accord on the inside
Much like its exterior, the Accord’s interior won’t blow you away with outstanding styling. But spend some time in this car and you’ll see it for what it is: a well-built, super comfortable, surprisingly spacious sedan with plenty of room for people and their things.
Every single thing inside—from the air vent toggles to the gear shifter to the steering wheel buttons—is immediately easy to locate and use. The Accord just works. That might seem obvious, but as carmakers offer more and more needlessly complicated ‘solutions’ to problems that don’t exist, this is refreshing.
How’s the backseat?
This has always been one of the Accord’s strong suits: maybe that’s why so many people press these things into ride-sharing duty. The Accord has ample head- and legroom, so much so that even taller adults will be totally comfortable.
What about the trunk?
Every Accord has 473 liters of cargo space, which is among the largest in the midsize-sedan class. The low load-in height makes it easy to get stuff in and out of the trunk, too, and if you need to carry longer items, the rear seats fold flat so you can pass things through into the cabin. Well, assuming you don’t have back-seat passengers, of course.
How’s all the infotainment tech?
Honda doesn’t have the most modern or robust set of software, but the Accord’s multimedia system is nevertheless serviceable and intuitive. The lower variants have a seven-inch touchscreen in the middle of the dash, which is definitely pretty small as far as displays go these days. Every other Accord gets a much nicer 12.3-inch screen, and this better tech setup lets you use wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. That’s a must-have.
On the other hand, all Accord variants get a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, so that’s nice. Touring variants come with a six-inch head-up display, as well. Neither is particularly noteworthy for its colorful graphics or reconfigurability, but in this day and age, a digital IP is quickly becoming a new standard.
Final thoughts
Like sand through the hourglass, so is the Honda Accord. Honda’s stalwart sedan has been the benchmark for midsize four-doors since its inception decades ago, and with each new generation, the Japanese carmaker continues to tweak and refine this well-to-do package—even if the enthusiast spirit of some older models is now long gone.
The 11th-generation Accord impresses with its efficient hybrid drivetrain that returns stellar fuel-economy figures. Combine that with an absolute ton of space for passengers, a huge trunk, lots of standard tech, and generally comfortable and well-built surroundings, and the Accord is once again poised for success.
More photos of the Honda Accord 2024:
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
