Honda Accord (US) review

Including Honda’s $1,095 destination charge, the base Honda Accord LX starts at $28,990, which is a pretty fair price for a mid-size sedan. You get all the aforementioned safety features, the seven-inch touchscreen, 10.2-inch digital display, turbocharged 1.5-liter engine, 17-inch wheels, cloth seats, and a pretty basic roster of convenience features, but this is still a whole lot of car for the money – especially when you consider how roomy the Accord is inside.

The Accord EX gives you a few more features (like blind-spot monitoring) and starts at $31,005, but hybrid power doesn't become available until the $33,640 Accord Sport. Here, you upgrade to 19-inch wheels, the larger infotainment system with wireless smartphone connectivity, and more. 

At the $35,285 EX-L level, you get leather upholstery, but step back down to 17-inch wheels. Sport-L combines the niceties of the two lower trims for $35,620, and a fully loaded Touring slides in just under $40K at $39,635. The only add-ons are a few dealer-installed accessories, so this means you've got a pretty posh Accord for less than 40 grand.

OK, but which Accord is the pick of the litter?

You definitely want one of the hybrid trims, just because it’s hard to pass up that kind of real-world fuel economy. Sure, the base 1.5-liter turbo engine is nice, but the 2.0-liter hybrid is highly refined and incredibly efficient, and we think that’ll serve most Accord buyers better in the long run.

As for which specific trim, we’re torn between the Sport and EX-L. We like the way the Sport looks more; the Accord really needs those 19-inch wheels. But the EX-L has more creature comforts, meaning its cabin is a little nicer. The Sport-L blends these two models, which is pretty much perfect, but if you’re trying to save some money… hmm, yeah, we’re gonna have to go Sport.