New Accord improved,
sticks to winning formula

By Jim Prueter
MotorwayAmerica.com

(May 9, 2023) The Honda Accord is as familiar along the American roadside as Mc Donald’s and Starbucks. It should be as it’s been America’s best-selling car over the last 50 years. Now for 2023 Accord gets redesigned, it’s sleeker outside, has a more high-tech interior yet isn’t the type of car that will turn heads or have anyone follow you home to ask you what it is you’re driving.

For the most part the Honda Accord can be best summed up as an appliance — like a refrigerator if you will. There’s nothing exciting about it, nothing complex, nothing distinct just a rock-solid history of reliability, a lot of car for your buck, and enviable resale value. It’s well built, doesn’t break often, and the lights go on when you open the door.

Despite a sluggish U.S. economy with supply chain woes, sales of the Honda brand are up 7% this year, far outpacing the industry average and key competitors in Toyota, Ford, Hyundai and Nissan. Further, Accord is America’s retail #2 midsize car and accounts for more than 25% of all segment sales.

Somewhat unconventionally when compared to competitors, Accord hybrid models account for half of Accord Sales with the top four trim levels only available with a hybrid powertrain while the entry level LX and Ex are powered by a 1.5-liter four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine. Most manufactures do just the opposite with entry level trims in hybrid variants. Honda discontinued the optional 2.0-liter gasoline engine for 2023.

We recently spent a week with the mid-level trim 2023 Accord Sport Hybrid L, with a base price of $33,875 before shipping charges. It comes well equipped with standard leather-trimmed seating, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, self-opening trunk, 8-speaker, 180 watt- audio system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, built in Alexis, Honda’s largest-ever touchscreen with better image quality, and noticeable refinements on Honda’s tile-based user interface. Heck, Honda even added a physical audio volume knob although the audio system on our Sport trim delivered a mediocre sound quality at best. The top trim gets a Bose-branded system.

We were pleased to note that every Accord comes standard with the Honda Sensing Suite of driver assist features including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, automatic high-beam headlights, adaptive cruise control and lane centering assistance. We weren’t a fan of the lane centering assist that had our test car “ping-ponging” side to side between the lane lines.

Our Sport Hybrid is powered by a combined 146-hp Atkinson-cycle 2.0-liter four-cylinder with a 1.1kWh battery pack, and two clutched electric motors, one spun by the engine as a generator and the other providing power to the ground. Combined output is 204-horsepower with a 4-mode drive system including Sport, ECON, and individual modes and front-wheel drive.



Inside, the new Accord mimics the same interior theme as the latest Civic, CR-V, HR-V and Pilot with simple, straightforward controls, loads of physical buttons and knobs and an overall minimalist look and feel. There’s nothing exciting here but the look is overall attractive with noticeable evidence of hard plastics and cost-cutting applications. We did like the all-digital instrument cluster standard in all Accord trim levels.

The interior is especially roomy, front seats are comfortable with ample seat adjustments for drivers of all sizes to find a desirable drive position. The back seat is exceptionally roomy with loads of hip and legroom and the seats are just as comfortable as those up front. We did find headroom was at a premium and the sloping roofline returns a claustrophobic feel in the back seat. The trunk is huge and rear seats fold forward for more space.

On the road we found acceleration to be sluggish and there’s little if any “Sport” in our Sport L test Accord. Our Hybrid Sport rides on 19-inch wheels, which are larger than the EX and tends to compromise ride comfort than the smaller wheels. Visibility is excellent. The Sport remained stable and confident through turns and curves with the suspension soaking up rough pavement with aplomb. Brakes have excellent stopping power.

Overall, the new Accord is a formidable family sedan that will have mass appeal to those looking for a smooth, quiet fuel sipping sedan with ample room for five adults. The new Accord is a familiar winning formula for a well-built, comfortable sedan that won’t break the bank with models that span a variety of price points. The Accord remains an excellent choice and is sure to remain a class leading best seller and one of the most satisfying family sedans.

Vital Stats

Base Price: $33,875
Price as Tested: $35,425
Engine/Transmission: 2.0-L four-cylinder with a 146-hp Atkinson-cycle hybrid with a 1.1kWh battery pack and two clutched electric motors for a combined 204-horsepower, with a 4-mode drive system.
EPA Fuel Economy: 46/41/44 – MPG City/Highway/Combined
Seating: Five

Crash Test Safety Ratings: Highest Possible 2023 Top Safety Pick+ from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Where Built: Marysville, Ohio

Competes With:
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
Toyota Camry Hybrid
Toyota Prius

Likes:
Roomy, comfortable, well-built family sedan
One of the best hybrid cars available
Easy to like, easy to drive
Superb reliability and resale value

Dislikes:
Nothing sporty about the Sport L
New Accord doesn’t break any new ground
Ho-Hum new design, not a head turner