Honda Cars: The 2023 Lineup Leaves A Little To Be Desired
Honda’s current lineup of vehicles offers everything from sensible compact sedans and hybrids to large SUVs and minivans. However, compared to competitors like Toyota and Hyundai, the Honda lineup lacks in a couple of capacities. Here’s how a couple of Honda models like the 2023 Civic, Accord, and Ridgeline drop the ball compared to rivals.
What Honda cars are coming out in 2023?
Honda’s 2023 lineup of cars, SUVs, minivans, and pickup trucks includes nine options:
- Accord
- Civic
- CR-V
- HR-V
- Odyssey
- Passport
- Pilot
- Prologue
- Ridgeline
Each of Honda’s vehicles has many redeeming features and improvements for the 2023 model year. For instance, performance fanatics will be excited about the arrival of the 11th-generation Civic Type R, a taut, focused hot hatchback with a standard six-speed manual transmission. Moreover, several of Honda’s models include hybrid platform options, which makes the vehicles more efficient than ever.
However, some of Honda’s cars and other vehicles for 2023 are lacking in specific areas. For instance, while sporting a handsome facelift for the second year, the Honda Civic goes without a hybrid trim again. Moreover, the Honda Ridgeline is the marque’s only pickup truck and can’t compete with the towing capacity of competitors.
What was the last year of the Honda Civic Hybrid?
The last time Honda released a Civic Hybrid was in 2015. As a result, the 2023 Honda Civic goes without a hybrid trim. Instead, its most efficient option gets 36 mpg combined; it’s hardly enough to compete with the Toyota Corolla Hybrid’s 50 mpg.
Does Honda make an AWD Accord?
Unlike the 2023 Honda Accord’s closest competitor in the car segment, the Toyota Camry, the Honda model goes without AWD. Instead, all Accord models send power to the front wheels, which limits its effectiveness in inclement weather.
Still, even with the lack of AWD, the 2023 Honda Accord gets a much-needed design refresh over the previous generation car. Gone are the overstyled lines of the 2022 model. Instead, the automaker worked in some of the maturity of the 2022 Civic restyling. More importantly, the Accord added a more efficient hybrid 2.0L inline four-cylinder to the gas-sipping trims. That update raised the Accord’s economy figures from 47 to 48 mpg combined, per TrueCar.
Can Honda Ridgeline tow 6000 lbs?
The 2023 Honda Ridgeline has a towing capacity of 5,000 lbs. That puts it behind competitors like the Toyota Tacoma and Chevrolet Colorado, which tow 5,000 lbs and max out at 6,800 lbs and 7,700 lbs, respectively.
Moreover, since the Ridgeline is the automaker’s only truck, it doesn’t have an option for brand loyalists to consider in the large truck space. As a result, pickup truck fans will have to stick with names like the RAM 1500 and Ford F-150 when it comes to big towing jobs.
What do Honda cars do well?
While the Accord, Civic, and Ridgeline drop the ball in specific ways, Honda’s vehicles are capable alternatives compared to rivals from Toyota and Hyundai. For instance, U.S. News says Honda is the best car brand on the market for 2023. Evaluators cite the automaker’s Accord and Civic models as class leaders and some of the best cars for families and value.
