In the wake of the 2024 Honda Accord’s launch last year, this latest generation of Accord won our Best Buy Award for its class. This was not the excitement of a shiny new thing. This was cold-hearted, steely-eyed, objective assessment.
The facts led to an inescapable conclusion that Honda had done it again — made a class-leading midsize sedan with lots of space, refinement and technology, plus good fuel economy and value, and even an enjoyable driving experience. If there’s anything we’ve missed there, we’re pretty sure the Accord has it covered.
One particular aspect of the Accord lineup is that the four higher trims all use a hybrid drivetrain, even though there’s not an official Accord Hybrid model. But in this review we’re going to concentrate on the two lower trims, LX and EX, and their gasoline-only setups.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
The 2024 Honda Accord’s LX and EX trims are powered by a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 192 horsepower and drives the front wheels through a CVT. Like previous generations of the Accord, it doesn’t offer all-wheel drive. The hybrid powertrain takes a more prominent position in the lineup. It consists of a 2.0-liter four-cylinder and two electric motors that combine for 204 horsepower, and it’s the only powertrain offered on Sport, EX-L, Sport-L, and Touring models. During our test of the Accord Hybrid, it managed a 6.5-second effort to 60 mph.
Honda says it has tweaked the suspension and steering in its family sedan to improve both ride quality and handling, and during our brief initial test drive, we couldn’t really tell much difference from the previous-generation model. And that’s ok, as the Accord remains as refined and fun to drive as ever. The Accord’s handling is confidence-inspiring. Its steering is precise, body motions are well-controlled, and the ride is compliant—a combination that drivers are sure to appreciate as much as our editors do.
In our testing, the nonhybrid Accord with the 192-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder went from 0–60 mph in 7.3 seconds while the faster 204-hp Accord hybrid’s 0–60 time was 6.5 seconds.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
According to the EPA, the Accord hybrid is good for 51 mpg city and 48 mpg highway. Fuel-economy numbers for the nonhybrid Accord aren’t as impressive at 29 mpg city and 37 mpg highway. But on our 75-mph highway fuel-economy route, the 2024 Honda Accord EX with the nonhybrid powertrain managed 40 mpg. The hybrid we tested achieved 39 mpg on the highway, which should be good for as much as 490 miles of driving between fill-ups. For more information about the Accord’s fuel economy, visit the EPA’s website.
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
Like the exterior, the 2024 Honda Accord‘s cabin wears a sleek design with elements borrowed from the latest new Hondas that help tie them together with familial DNA. The HVAC air vents, for example, hide behind an expanse of honeycomb trim, a clever design element also found in both the new Civic and the CR-V SUV. Honda says it has redesigned the Accord’s front seats to support torsos more firmly and has also carefully shaped the trunk to hold up to 16.7 cubic feet of cargo. While LX, EX, and Sport trims come with cloth upholstery, all others come with leather.
Infotainment and Connectivity
An upright 7.0- or 12.3-inch touchscreen display provides easy access to the Accord’s infotainment system, and all models, regardless of trim, come with a 10.2-inch digital gauge display standard. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included across the lineup, but only those with the larger 12.3-inch touchscreen offer wireless connectivity for those features. High-end Touring trims come with a wireless smartphone charging pad, a 6.0-inch head-up display, and a 12-speaker Bose stereo system.
Safety and Driver-Assistance Features
Overall Safety Rating (NHTSA)
All Accords come standard with a suite of driver-assistance tech that Honda calls Honda Sensing. The bundle of features includes basics such as automated emergency braking and lane-departure warning, as well as convenience functions such as adaptive cruise control and traffic sign recognition. For more information about the Accord’s crash test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:
- Standard automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection
- Standard lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist
- Standard adaptive cruise control
Photos
Specifications
2023 Honda Accord EX
Vehicle Type: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $30,705/$30,705
ENGINE
Turbocharged DOHC 16-valve inline-4
Displacement: 91 in3, 1498 cm3
Power: 192 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 192 lb-ft @ 1700 rpm
TRANSMISSION
continuously variable
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar/multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar
Brakes, F/R: 11.5-in vented disc/11.1-in disc
Tires: Michelin Energy Saver A/S, 225/50R-17 94V M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 111.4 in
Length: 195.7 in
Width: 73.3 in
Height: 57.1 in
Passenger Volume, F/R: 53/50 ft3
Trunk Volume: 17 ft3
Curb Weight: 3239 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
0–30 mph: 3.0 sec
0–60 mph: 7.3 sec
1/4-Mile: 15.7 sec @ 93 mph
0–100 mph: 18.2 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 8.2 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 4.0 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 5.1 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 118 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 184 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.85 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 36 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 40 mpg
75-mph Highway Range: 590 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 32/29/37 mpg
2023 Honda Accord Touring Hybrid
Vehicle Type: front-engine, front-motor, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $38,985/$38,985
Options: None
POWERTRAIN
DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle inline-4, 146 hp, 134 lb-ft + AC motor, 181 hp, 247 lb-ft (combined output: 204 hp, 247 lb-ft; 1.1-kWh lithium-ion battery pack)
Transmission: direct-drive
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 12.3-in vented disc/11.1-in disc
Tires: Michelin Primacy MXM4
235/40R-19 96V Extra Load M+S DT1
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 111.4 in
Length: 195.7 in
Width: 73.3 in
Height: 57.1 in
Passenger Volume, F/R: 53/50 ft3
Trunk Volume: 17 ft3
Curb Weight: 3525 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS: NEW
60 mph: 6.5 sec
1/4-Mile: 15.2 sec @ 91 mph
100 mph: 19.2 sec
120 mph: 41.1 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 7.4 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.4 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 4.9 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 125 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 173 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.90 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 38 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 39 mpg
75-mph Highway Range: 490 mi
Unscheduled Oil Additions: 0 qt
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 44/46/41 mpg
