It is no surprise that the 2022 Honda Accord ranked in the top spot on four automotive critics’ “Best Midsize Sedan” lists. One went so far as to put the 2022 Honda Accord and the 2022 Honda Accord Hybrid first and second on their list. Surprisingly, one critic placed the Honda Accord in second place behind its Kia Motors rival.

Four-out-of-five automotive critics agree: The 2022 Honda Accord is the best midsize sedan

Kelly Blue Book (KBB) showed the 2022 Honda Accord and the 2022 Honda Accord Hybrid some love by placing them first and second on their Best Midsize Sedan list. KBB called the Accord “a high point” of the class and pointed out its “excellent reliability and robust resale value.” Third on KBB’s list is another Honda, the 2021 Clarity Plug-in Hybrid.

Consumer Reports and MotorTrend placed the 2022 Honda Accord on top of their lists and the 2022 Subaru Legacy in the number two spot. Consumer Reports rated the Honda Accord as “Very Good” in tests on handling, ride comfort, noise level, expected reliability, and “predicted owner satisfaction.” MotorTrend critics found the Accord “spacious, great to drive, fuel-efficient and safe.”

However, the Consumer Reports team found that the 2022 Subaru Legacy offered a better ride than the Accord but felt that future owners would experience lower owner satisfaction than those buying an Accord. In addition, the Legacy’s “troublesome CVT” and “uninspired design” likely kept it out of MotorTrend’s top spot even with its “standard AWD,” “composed ride,” and “spacious interior.”

U.S. News appreciated the 2022 Honda Accord’s “peerless driving dynamics, good fuel economy, spacious cabin and trunk, and intuitive features” enough to edge out the 2022 Toyota Camry on its “Best Midsize Cars for 2022” list.

Edmunds disagrees with other critics

While hardly a crushing blow to the 2022 Honda Accord’s chances of finding a home, Edmunds found the 2022 Kia K5 more suitable for the top spot on its list of midsize sedans. Overall, the K5’s MSRP is about $1,000 cheaper than the Accord, but people paid more for the K5 at the dealership. Edmunds found the K5 more comfortable, with better technology, offered more value, better fuel economy, and had a higher consumer rating. However, the consumer rating is suspect, with the K5 only having 18 reviews, albeit 17 of them are five stars. The Kia K5’s higher score for fuel economy is also suspicious as both sedan’s EPA estimates fall within one MPG of each other, with the Accord having the advantage.

2022 Honda Accord compared to the 2022 Kia K5

Overall the 2022 Honda Accord and the 2022 Kia K5 are nearly identical in size, performance, fuel economy, and price. The Honda Accord possesses a classical style guaranteed not to upset your suburban neighbors, but the K5 is more aggressive-looking. In addition, the Kia K5’s five-year / 60,000-mile basic warranty with roadside assistance and its 10-year / 100,000-mile drivetrain warranty practically doubles the Accord’s three-year / 36,000 and five-year / 60,000-mile offerings. 

The Accord features standard Adaptive Cruise control compared to the K5’s optional offering. Transmission offerings differ as well, with the K5 coming equipped with an eight-speed shiftable automatic compared to the Accord’s continuously variable-speed automatic transmission.