2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Sport

Test Drive Notes Library

Pros
All around goodness. Those of you who enjoy driving, and still want to drive a modestly priced sedan, are fortunate to have the Honda Accord as one of your options. Unlike the softer riding Toyota Camry, the Accord retains the sporty character it’s had since its introduction in 1976. The newest generation Accord adds the best hybrid drivetrain Honda has produced to date, and still sells for a very reasonable price.
Handling. Lots of people looking for a “family” sedan will probably drive both the Camry and the Accord. Those who prefer more isolation and comfort will give the edge to the Camry. Those who prefer a more engaging car will choose the Accord. While the Accord’s ride is very good, and the suspension absorbs roadway vagaries well, the Accord shines on corners in a way that the Camry never will. It seems to hunker down and dig into corners with no body roll. It has nicely weighted steering, and is easy to drive and maneuver in town and city driving, as are most Hondas.
Hybrid drivetrain. Previous Honda hybrids have come in for criticism for their noisy engine and continuously variable transmission combination. This hybrid is far more unobtrusive. You might hear the engine revving when you first start it up in the morning, or on hard acceleration. But in day to day driving, the 204 hp hybrid powertrain just works in the background. It doesn’t call attention to itself, until you look at your fuel economy and find you’re getting 43 mpg. Paddle shifters allow you to set the amount of regenerative braking, so “one pedal driving” is an option, if that’s your jam. The Sport trim that we drove has a “Sport” mode that tightens everything up, and adds a vroom vroom soundtrack, which we actually kind of liked.
Price. This is what the Accord has always been — a sensible, fun to drive, highly reliable, roomy car at a very fair price. The Sport, the lowest priced hybrid model, starts at just under $32,000. Our tester, which added only a very pretty Radiant Red paint and destination fees, rang the register at just under $33,500. That feels like a bargain for 2023.
Controls. Now that Honda has seen the wisdom in giving us back an actual volume knob (although in a slightly odd place), the interior controls are excellent. There are two, simple-to-use-without-looking knobs for the dual climate settings, easy selectors for ventilation and seat heat, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for those who prefer their phones to the Honda menus. Even the shifter is a standard shifter, nothing fussy.
Looks. It’s a sleek looking car. It was often mistaken for a higher end sports car of some kind during our test drive. It’s possible the red paint and black wheels influenced those opinions, but there’s no doubt it’s a good looking sedan.
All the safety. Except on the base LX, all Accords come with a full suite of up-to-date safety features, including highway speed automatic emergency braking. Go EX and up.

Cons
Low. Part of what gives the Accord its very good handling is that it’s somewhat low to the ground. So if you have issues with getting in and out of cars, you probably want something where the seat bottom is closer to butt-height than knee height.
Short front seat. The front seat in our Sport model was a little short, and lacked some thigh support.
19-inch wheels. The Hybrid Sport trim, and a number of other hybrid trims, come with 19-inch wheels, and tires with short sidewalls. This improves cornering, but takes at least some toll on ride comfort. The EX-L Hybrid trim, one level up from the Sport, comes with more comfortable 18-inch wheels. And leather seats.