2 Areas Honda Accord Owners Love Most About Their Cars
Newly redesigned for the 2023 model year, the Honda Accord evolved from its predecessor with updated styling, infotainment systems, and safety features. The significant change for this year is the standard hybrid powertrain across all models except for the LX and EX, which get an updated 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine paired with an improved continuously variable automatic transmission.
Were we all to abandon our pretenses about needing a crossover or a sports car and have a modicum of modesty, we would all drive Honda Accords. Year in and year out, it is not only one of the best midsize sedans at any price but one of the best cars. Ask any Honda Accord owner, and they will likely gush about their car, including their favorite features. However, two areas that Honda Accord owners love most about their vehicles stand out.
Owners love the Honda Accord’s interior and exterior styling
According to J.D. Power, the top thing owners love about the Honda Accord is the exterior styling. It’s a sleek and clean exercise in understated elegance, neither flashy nor ornate but upscale enough to belong in an Acura showroom. Like older generations of Hondas, it’s a design that will hold up and not age like leftover meatloaf.
Owners also like the Accord’s interior, which is equally sleek, modern, and functional. The controls are all located and arranged intuitively. The instruments are clear and easy to read, and the dashboard includes an aesthetically pleasing design that hides the air vents. With 16.7 feet of cargo room and generous space for passengers, it’s easy to pass the miles for both the driver and three other passengers.
The Honda Accord also offers a great driving feel
Behind the wheel of the Honda Accord, you won’t notice it’s a hybrid until you stop for gas. The two-motor drivetrain is so seamless you won’t notice the regenerative braking and won’t miss the typical droning prevalent in most CVTs. Everything feels natural.
Honda rates the hybrid drivetrain’s total output at 204 horsepower and 247 lb-feet of torque. Drivers can choose between Eco, Normal, and Sport modes in addition to an Individual driving mode that lets you tinker with the settings. Performance is brisk around town, but performance tapers off at highway speeds.
In J.D. Power’s review, the outlet called the Accord “a delight to drive no matter the situation… Whether commuting, navigating busy city streets, cruising on the highway, or tossing the car down a twisty road, this Honda feels effortlessly responsive, sure-footed, and trustworthy.”
The Accord’s safety and fuel economy round out the top five favorite things
Interestingly, two things the Honda Accord is known for, safety and fuel economy, were not the top things owners loved about the model. However, they are still in the top five.
All Accords come standard with a suite of driver-assistance tech that Honda calls Honda Sensing. This includes features like automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and traffic sign recognition. These features were improved this year with a new camera and sensors to better detect and identify objects, enhancing their performance.
Estimated fuel economy numbers range from 30 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway with the base 1.5-liter turbo four-cylinder to 51 city mpg and 48 highway mpg for the hybrid models. While the base engine’s numbers are impressive for a midsize car, the performance and refinement of the hybrid drivetrain make it a worthwhile upgrade.
