Honda Accord 2017 review

Overview: It’s safe to say that we’re fans of the Honda Accord. Honda’s bread-and-butter mid-size car has held a spot on our annual 10Best Cars list more times (30) than any other vehicle. Credit Accord hallmarks such as excellent packaging, a comfortable ride, engaging handling, and top-notch build quality for the model’s decades-long reign.

Last year, a significant update brought revisions to the car’s exterior and interior, as well as a host of new technology and safety features, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and the Honda Sensing suite of safety features (adaptive cruise control, a collision-mitigation braking system, lane-keeping assist, and more).

Available as either a two-door coupe or a four-door sedan, the Accord continues to offer four- and six-cylinder engine choices. Measuring 2.4 liters, the standard 185-hp four-cylinder engine is available with a six-speed manual or a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Accord Sport and Sport Special Edition sedans add 4 horsepower to that total, as well as a host of other features (including 19-inch wheels, bigger brakes, side sills, and a rear lip spoiler) to denote the two trims’ more driver-focused nature. A 278-hp 3.5-liter V-6 is available on the Accord EX-L and standard on the top-of-the-line Touring. While V-6 sedan consumers must give shifting control to a six-speed automatic transmission, EX-L V-6 coupe drivers can choose a six-speed manual transmission. Finally, the new-for-2017, sedan-only Accord hybrid relies on a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder and two AC motor/generators to deliver a combined 212 horsepower. Fuel-economy figures span from a less-than-stellar 18/28 mpg city/highway for the V-6 manual coupe to an impressive 49/47-mpg rating for the hybrid sedan.

All Accords come generously equipped. Features such as dual-zone automatic climate control, steering-wheel-mounted audio and cruise controls, Bluetooth, and a rearview camera are standard on even the lowliest Accord LX sedan and Accord LX-S coupe. While Honda Sensing is available throughout the Accord line (although it can’t be paired with a manual transmission), Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a navigation system can be found only on higher-end trim levels.

Prices range from $23,190 for the well-equipped six-speed manual Accord LX sedan to $36,790 for the loaded Accord Touring hybrid sedan. For this review, we drove a $35,665 Honda Accord Touring sedan.

What’s New: The Accord hybrid returns to the lineup for 2017 after a one-year hiatus during which manufacturing was moved from Ohio to Japan. The new car incorporates the myriad of revisions made