Five Reasons to Drive the 2023 Honda Accord
And why you might decide to cross the 2023 Accord off your list
Hi there, and welcome to Driving American, the automotive publication focused on the cars, trucks, SUVs, and vans that are made in America by Americans.
In this issue, I’m reviewing the 2023 Honda Accord, built in Marysville, Ohio. I’ll give you an overview of my test vehicles and tell you my five favorite things about the 2023 Accord. Paid subscribers will also learn what I don’t like about this Honda and get my overall rating of the Accord.
Oh, and if you’re wondering why Driving American is publishing a Honda Accord review, you’ll find the explanation here.
What is the 2023 Honda Accord?
Since the mid-1970s, the Accord has served as Honda’s midsize car. The first-generation Accord came in a 3-door hatchback format, but the lineup added a 4-door sedan in 1978. Since then, a 2-door coupe, 3-door and 5-door hatchbacks, and a station wagon have been available for specific years, but the sedan has been the longest-running version.
Today, the 2023 Accord comes only in sedan format, and while it remains a midsize car, it provides so much interior room and trunk space that you might consider it a full-size model. Honda has built the Accord in Marysville, Ohio, since 1982.
What’s special about the 2023 Accord?
Honda has redesigned the Accord for 2023. The automaker builds the car on a revised version of the previous-generation model’s platform and architecture, and it comes with an updated version of a carried-over 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine and continuously variable transmission (CVT). Otherwise, the car is new.
Highlights include:
Cleaner, more conservative styling
Stylish new interior made of quality materials
Next-generation hybrid powertrain is standard, starting with Sport trim
New front seat designs; Honda claims they reduce fatigue on long drives
Standard digital instrumentation
Available Google-based infotainment system
Upgraded Honda Sensing collection of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) with new features
Honda sells the 2023 Accord in LX and EX trim levels equipped with a 192-horsepower, turbocharged 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, a CVT, and front-wheel drive. According to the EPA, this powertrain returns 32 mpg in combined driving.
The Accord Sport, EX-L, Sport-L, and Touring have a fourth-generation version of Honda’s two-motor hybrid powertrain. It makes 204 hp and 247 pound-feet of torque and returns a minimum of 44 mpg in combined driving. With EX-L trim and smaller 17-inch wheels, the official fuel economy rating is 48 mpg.
Test car price and details
For this 2023 Accord review, I drove two versions of the car in Southern California. One arrived in EX trim with the standard turbocharged gas engine, dressed in Canyon River Blue paint and equipped with an option package containing a blind-spot monitoring system with rear cross-traffic alert. The price, as tested, was $30,705, including the $1,095 destination charge.
The other model was the 2023 Accord Sport with the two-motor hybrid powertrain. It had extra-cost Radiant Red paint and the blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert package, bringing the window sticker to $33,445, including the destination charge.
Honda Accord Pros and Cons
Based on evaluations of two different 2023 Accord models on the mountain roads, coastal highways, multi-lane freeways, and city streets of Southern California, I think these are the five best reasons to drive Honda’s family-sized sedan.
1. The Accord is roomy for passengers and cargo
When you buy a midsize or a full-size car, you want room for people and luggage. The Accord delivers, especially concerning rear-seat room and cargo space.
Climb into the back seat, and even tall adults will find the accommodations comfortable. You sit high on a raised cushion with plenty of thigh support, and both legroom and foot room are generous. However, headroom could be an issue for people over six feet tall.
Press the trunk release button on the Accord’s remote keyless entry fob, and the lid pops and raises by itself, though it isn’t power actuated. Inside, you’ll find 16.7 cubic feet of luggage room, giving the Accord the largest trunk in its class.
Within the trunk, you can carry full-size suitcases on their sides or lay them flat and stack them. Either way, there is enough space to accommodate a 2-week family road trip. The back seat folds in a 60/40-split design to carry longer items when necessary. Honda also offers an accessory cargo net to prevent smaller items from moving around while you drive.
Unfortunately, despite the new “body-stabilizing” front seat designs, the 2023 Accord is not as comfortable as it should be for the driver and front-seat passenger. I’ll explain why later in the review.
2. The Accord is safe in a collision
Honda Sensing is standard in all 2023 Accords. It equips the car with numerous ADAS, including:
Forward-collision warning
Automatic emergency braking
Lane-departure warning
Lane-keeping assist (Road Departure Mitigation in Honda-speak)
Lane-centering assist (Lane Keeping Assist in Honda-speak)
Adaptive cruise control with traffic-jam assist
Driver monitoring system
Traffic-sign recognition
Automatic high-beam headlights
Do you know what Honda Sensing lacks? Only the most essential driving assistance feature to come along in the past decade: a blind-spot monitoring system. It is part of an option package on all Accords except for the base LX trim level, paired with a rear cross-traffic alert system. So if you want it, that will be $550 extra.
Honda Sensing equips the car with the tech to help you avoid a collision. But if one happens anyway, rest assured the 2023 Accord will protect you better than some of its rivals in a crash. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gives the 2023 Accord a Top Safety Pick+ overall rating.
3. The Accord is enjoyable to drive
Honda doesn’t market the Accord as a fun car, but it is. While the company has unfortunately dropped the excellent turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine for the 2023 model year, the Accord’s ride, handling, and overall driving dynamics make it pleasurable instead of a penalty box. Still, driving enthusiasts might wish to skip this 11th-generation model and search for a lovingly maintained 10th-gen Accord with that 2.0-liter turbo and the rare 6-speed manual gearbox.
Everyone else can appreciate the Accord’s supple yet communicative ride, predictable handling, accurate steering, and faithful brakes. For maximum enjoyment, get the Accord Hybrid. The new two-motor hybrid powertrain doesn’t incessantly drone like it used to, and while it’s not the thrill ride the old Accord 2.0T was, it offers good acceleration and impressive gas mileage.
4. The Accord Hybrid is effortlessly fuel efficient
During testing, the Accord EX returned an indicated 30.4 mpg on the mountainous evaluation route, falling slightly short of the official EPA fuel economy rating for the standard turbocharged engine and CVT. Unfortunately, the result from the Accord Sport was more disappointing. It averaged 37.4 mpg, nowhere near its 44-mpg rating in combined driving.
If the Accord didn’t hit its EPA numbers, why am I saying its fuel economy is a benefit? Because the car effortlessly achieved these figures.
When I test a vehicle, I use a 70-mile route with a total elevation change of 1,400 feet. It includes city, freeway, coastal highway, mountain, and rural farm roads, and I drive the route like an average person might. If driving modes are available, I will switch between them but never use Eco or the most intense Sport modes. If it’s hot outside, I use the air conditioning. I don’t hyper-mile test vehicles because I want you to be able to replicate my result in the real world.
So, while the Accord Sport’s observed 37.4 mpg misses the official mark, getting this kind of mileage in a car this size on this driving route without doing anything to maximize efficiency is impressive, especially at a base price of $31,345 plus destination.
5. The Accord is appealing
When Honda revealed the redesigned 10th-generation 2018 Accord to journalists at its North American headquarters in Torrance, California, I thought the car looked fantastic – especially compared to the outgoing 2017 model. It looked long, low, and lean, with flared fenders, sharp character lines, expressive lighting, and, with Sport trim, beautiful wheels. Yes, the chrome brow across the front and gaping maw of a grille was in questionable taste, but at least the 10th-gen Accord had a cohesive sense of style.
The new 2023 Accord is taking a while to grow on me, but I find it appealing in a plain but technical way. The Sport trim remains the best-looking version of the car (shown above) due in part to its machined-surface five-spoke wheels. Too bad it’s not the best-equipped version.
Inside, the Accord’s dashboard features a metal strip of mesh deftly integrating the air vents, and the materials Honda uses are a cut above, including the rigid plastic panels that cover substantial amounts of the car’s interior real estate. Gloss black accents, metallic detailing, metal pedal covers, classy cloth seat inserts, and contrast stitching make the Accord Sport look and feel like you’re getting your money’s worth.
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The Cons of the Honda Accord
As much as I like the Accord and would recommend it to anyone shopping for a roomy family sedan, this Honda isn’t perfect.
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