Despite the popular trend in crossovers, the Honda Accord still has its place in the market of family vehicles.
The standard 2.4 four-cylinder is what majority of Accord buyers will go for. It has a nice blend of flexibility and low-running costs. The top of the range 3.5 six-cylinder is best left for the power hungry and those willing to pay the premium. Our tester car was the 3.5 six-cylinder and it never felt overpowered even when we pushed it on the highway, around town the six-cylinder is smooth and easy to live with. The only gripe we have with this engine is that it feels like it would be better paired with all-wheel-drive because at moments the front-wheels often do feel like they get overwhelmed by the amount of horsepower being pushed to them. Steering feedback is decent and the overall driving experience while it isn’t as thrilling as a Mazda 6, it is comfortable and does offer a bit of excitement. Road noise and wind noise is nothing to complain of and the overall refinement of both engines is actually quite good.
The interior has good space for five people. The front seats offer decent support and visibility outward is good as well. Boot space is generous too but not as flexible as a wagon. The infotainment system is what we hate the most about the interior, the touch screen display is too fiddly to operate and the fact that there’s no actual volume knob makes it even more of a hassle to operate on the go than it should. Honda definitely needs to thoroughly redesign this because it’s just a disaster to operate.
There’s a dizzying number of Accord trims to pick from so bear with is us here. Standard LX trim gets Bluetooth for your mobile device, dual-zone climate control and multi-angle rearview camera; sport trim adds more powerful 2.4 engine (189hp), 10-way power driver’s seat and 19-inch alloy wheels. Sport Special Edition has leather-trimmed seating, heated front seats and special edition badging. EX trim adds Smart Entry and push button start, sunroof and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. EX-L adds leather-trimmed seating surfaces, power front seats with two-position memory driver’s seat. EX-L V6 adds the 3.5 six-cylinder and dual-exhaust. Top of the range Touring trim gets Navigation system, LED headlights with heated rear seats.
The ever popular crossovers may be what most buyers are turning to as their family vehicle, but for those who don’t want a crossover the Honda Accord is worth the consideration, we just wish that the infotainment system more refined and of course it gets quite expensive the higher up the range you travel. Also, the Mazda 6 is more fun to drive if you do care about driving experience.
Likes: Low-running costs with four-cylinder engine. Standard kit is decent. The 3.5 six-cylinder is the sweet spot of the range and is actually cheaper than you’d think.
Dislikes: Infotainment system is frustrating to use.
Devon’s pick: The Sport trim seems to offer the best value. You still get the smooth 2.4 but upgraded to 189hp and few extra bits that makes it worth the consideration. Our money however would go to the EX-L V6 which comes with that excellent six-cylinder engine that’s actually more affordable than you’d think.
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