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STYLING9.0/10
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Safety9.0/10
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PRACTICALITY8.0/10
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USER-FRIENDLINESS10.0/10
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FEATURES7.0/10
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POWER9.0/10
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COMFORT9.0/10
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DRIVING FEEL9.0/10
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FUEL ECONOMY10.0/10
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VALUE8.0/10
Once upon a time, Honda decided to build a compact car called the Civic.
It worked well, and nearly everybody loved it. “Boy,” said Honda's bigwigs, “that worked out pretty good. Let's do it again but — and this is why we get paid the big bucks — very slightly larger.” Presto, the Honda Accord, which has spent nearly half a century providing unfussy but pleasing family transportation.
Good news everyone: the 2024 Honda Accord hasn't deviated from that winning recipe. Well, with the exception of the addition of hybrid power, that is.
Styling 9/10
Never mind the red paint — this car is a middle-of-the-week business suit. The Accord always has been. The previous generation Civic took a year off to go completely bonkers (remember the debut of the Civic Type R? It was like an explosion at an anime studio), but the Accord is traditionally styled for the grownups in the audience.
It still is, and if the Civic-but-bigger styling doesn't seem jazzy enough, you do at least get these big, five-spoke 19-inch alloy wheels on the Sport Hybrid tested here. If anything they're probably a little too large, especially when it comes time for winter tires. Best budget for a second set of wintertime wheels.
Power 9/10
Honda's first hybrid was the 1999 Insight, a funny little science project of a two-seater that's destined to become a quirky collectible one of these days. The Accord feels barely related to this oddball, offering seamless power that doesn't really feel hybridized at all. It's not V6 quick, nor quite as punchy as the previous model's 2.0L turbocharged engine, but the availability of low-end torque thanks to the electrified side of the drivetrain is very satisfying.
Driving Feel 9/10
In its previous Accord, Honda offered a rarely seen combination in a family sedan: a 2.0L turbocharged engine and a manual transmission. This was especially praised by critics — and actually bought by, like, four people. The Accord isn’t really a sport sedan, anyway. It’s more of a practical four-door first.
Even then, this 11th-generation Accord is pleasing to drive in the way all its best ancestors have been. It's quick, more agile than you'd expect given the size, and offers a lovely flow to the driving experience. If you're shopping for sedans because you don't like the pitch and wallow of riding up high in a crossover, then you're going to find that the Accord delivers.
Features 7/10
The mid-range Sport trim is nicely equipped, but it lacks a few pretty significant everyday features that you get in the higher Touring trim, and one of those is borderline unforgivable. Along with an upgraded stereo and heated rear seats, the Touring trim is also the only way you can get console air vents in the rear, and I assure you this is something your kids will complain about on a frosty morning — or hot summer road trip.
The other much-missed feature is the lack of a wireless charging pad in the Sport trim. This seems minor, but it's the kind of feature most modern shoppers are going to start looking for, especially as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto become the go-to way to pair your smartphone with onboard infotainment. It's standard equipment in the hybrid-only Camry, and it should be standard equipment here.
Besides these annoyances, the Sport offers pretty much everything you could want in a daily driver, from a bright 12.3-inch touchscreen to adaptive cruise control.
User-Friendliness 10/10
There's really nothing here to find fault with. The Accord’s controls are sensible, with plenty of actual buttons and knobs for no-look adjustment. The menus are intuitive, and the touchscreen is placed high up for visibility. The hybrid powertrain is invisibly smooth in operation. An Accord should be sensible, and this car is almost relentlessly so.
Practicality 8/10
Anyone who grew up slightly cramped in the back of a 1980s Accord won't recognize the huge back seat of this modern version. It's plenty spacious if you're carrying older kids, big enough to seat three across without (much) bickering. The trunk is very roomy, to the point that buyers should really invest in a trunk organizer or cargo net to keep stuff from sliding around. Points are only taken off for the old-style gooseneck hinges that intrude into the cargo area.
Comfort 9/10
It's nearly inconceivable that a car with this much unsprung weight — those big 19-inch wheels — should ride so well. The Accord may handle pleasingly, but none of that athleticism comes at the cost of ride comfort. The seats are great, and arguably more comfortable in the Sport's cloth than in leather. The Touring gets an upgrade in cabin quietness with acoustic glass up front, but the Sport doesn't really need it. This Accord would be an ideal long-distance tourer.
Fuel Economy 10/10
Part of the reason a new car buyer might consider a sedan versus a crossover is because the lower ride height provides more pleasing handling. The other reason, perhaps sometimes overlooked, is that a sedan is typically much more aerodynamic at speed than a jacked-up station wagon, and this means better highway fuel economy.
The Accord does well in urban driving, as hybrids generally do, but it's also quite thrifty on the highway. With a smaller set of wheels, it might even have been more efficient, but it had little difficulty hitting its combined 5.3 L/100 km rating over the week.
Safety 9/10
Honda packages almost all of its driver assists as standard, which means you get blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning, and the aforementioned adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping. The forward collision warning is perhaps a bit panicky. All that's missing is low-speed braking control, which you get on the Touring only.
In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash testing, the Accord is a Top Safety Pick+, with top marks across the board for almost everything. The pedestrian collision mitigation scored an “Acceptable” rating.
Value 8/10
With the average price of a new vehicle in Canada inflating every year, it's nice to see a mid-range Accord still priced closer to $40,000 than to $45,000. The Sport seems well packaged (apart from the missing features mentioned) and well appointed for its price.
However, what's really going to be the dealbreaker here for some folks is the lack of all-wheel drive. This is a bit of an ace-in-the-hole for the Camry, as while you might not actually need extra traction in a family sedan it's nice to have. The Sport lines up with the Camry XSE in terms of features, with the Toyota priced about $2,750 more, so there’s a small premium to be paid for that all-wheel drive.
The Verdict
In a market where the crossover is king of the sales charts, Honda could quite easily have dropped the ball on the Accord. The Civic is arguably the more important product, as it gets new buyers into the brand. Those buyers are then perhaps more likely to step up to a CR-V or Pilot once the family starts growing.
Luckily, the brand hasn’t fumbled it. If anything, this is the best resolved Accord — perhaps not from an enthusiast standpoint, but from an all-round practical performance. The old V6 and a manual is much missed, but the 2024 Honda Accord Hybrid manages to marry thrifty fuel consumption and still having a personality into a winning blend. It's a good car, and worthy of the Accord name.
Engine Displacement | 2.5L |
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Engine Cylinders | I4 Hybrid |
Peak Horsepower | 204 net hp |
Peak Torque | 249 lb-ft combined |
Fuel Economy | 5.0 / 5.7 / 5.3 L/100 km cty/hwy/cmb |
Cargo Space | 473 L |
Model Tested | 2024 Honda Accord Sport Hybrid |
Base Price | $41,500 |
A/C Tax | $100 |
Destination Fee | $1,830 |
Price as Tested | $43,730 |
Optional Equipment
Optional Equipment: $300 — Radiant Red Metallic paint, $300
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