AutoTrader SCORE
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STYLING8.0/10
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Safety10.0/10
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PRACTICALITY9.0/10
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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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COMFORT10.0/10
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DRIVING FEEL10.0/10
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FUEL ECONOMY10.0/10
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VALUE9.0/10
Making vehicles that appeal to the average family shouldn’t be all that complicated. Most families need something affordable, safe, fuel-efficient, and easy to drive. Honda figured this out decades ago when it introduced the Accord in 1976. Fast forward almost 50 years, and the Accord is still a big seller, offering consumers a combination of style, comfort, advanced technologies, a complete safety package, and a pleasant driving experience. For 2024, the Accord is available in three trims. The base EX model has a 1.5L turbocharged engine, while Sport Hybrid and Touring Hybrid trims get Honda’s newest hybrid powertrain.
Styling: 8/10
The Accord was completely redesigned for the 2023 model year and enters 2024 without significant updates. This 11th-generation Accord is elegant yet simple. Designers clearly took a no-fuss approach when crafting the exterior, incorporating sleek LED headlights and taillights into a slender profile. The interior design is equally simple, with an almost bland tone-on-tone colour scheme. Unlike some of the Accord’s competitors, no matter which exterior colour you choose, the only colour Honda offers for the Accord’s interior is black.
Safety: 10/10
All Accords come with a complete safety package, collectively called Honda Sensing, which includes advanced systems like forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, lane keeping assist, and much more. These safety systems are standard on all trims. The only exception is low-speed braking control, which prevents you from hitting nearby obstacles when driving under 10 km/h. This feature is only available on the top Touring Hybrid trim.
Features: 7/10
There is a notable difference in features as you move up through the three available trims. For instance, while the base EX model gets a seven-inch touchscreen, Sport Hybrid and Touring Hybrid models get a much nicer 12.3-inch touchscreen. Touring Hybrid models also get a premium sound system with 12 speakers instead of only eight, and they’re the only models with a Google-based infotainment system, rear USB charging ports, rear console vents, heated rear seats (front seats are heated on all trims), leather seating, and other worthwhile features.
User Friendliness: 10/10
Everything in the Accord works as it should. The vehicle sits close to the ground, which makes it easy to get into and out of, and all controls are intuitive, easy to understand, and simple to use. The only minor annoyance with this tester was the wireless phone charging feature, which had difficulty staying connected to my iPhone.
Practicality: 9/10
The Accord can seat five comfortably, offering decent headroom and legroom, both fore and aft. It has a larger cargo hold than rivals like the Toyota Camry, Hyundai Sonata, or Nissan Altima, and can be ordered with a cargo net or cargo hooks, which are designed to keep groceries and other smaller goods from rolling around in the trunk.
Comfort: 10/10
I took this tester on a long six-hour drive, arriving at my destination no worse for wear. The passenger cabin is surprisingly quiet due to a number of features, including Honda’s Active Noise Control system (standard on all trims), which constantly monitors exhaust and cylinder noise and counteracts it, resulting in a quieter cabin. This tester was also equipped with an acoustic windshield (only available on Touring Hybrid models), which pretty much eliminates wind noise.
Power: 9/10
Honda offers two engine options for the 2024 Accord. A turbocharged 192-hp 1.5L four-cylinder engine is offered with the base EX model, while Sport Hybrid and Touring Hybrid models come with a four-cylinder naturally-aspirated engine paired to two electric motors for a combined output of 204 hp. All trims come with a continuously variable transmission (CVT), which sends power to the front wheels. All-wheel drive is not available. The hybrid powertrain produces a combined torque figure of 247 lb-ft, which kicks in at zero rpm and translates into effortless acceleration from a dead stop.
Driving Feel: 10/10
There’s only one word you can use to describe how the Accord drives: smooth. The hybrid powertrain shifts smoothly between electric power, gas power, and a combination of both. It’s so smooth that it’s hard to tell which mode you’re in without monitoring the power flow display on the dashboard. Steering is crisp and the suspension absorbs bumps and irregularities well but without isolating the driver from the road. The Accord continues to offer the refined road manners it’s long been known for, and it delivers the kind of predictable handling that inspires driver confidence and assures a pleasant ride.
Fuel Economy: 10/10
Fuel economy is excellent and on par with hybrid versions of other mid-size sedans. According to Natural Resources Canada, the Accord Hybrid is rated at 5.3 L/100 km combined, while its closest rival, the Toyota Camry Hybrid, is rated at 4.9 L/100 km. During my week with the Touring Hybrid model, I did a bit better than anticipated, with a combined fuel economy of 5.2 L/100 km. Much of that was highway driving, but it’s a pleasant surprise to fill up the gas tank, start the car, and have the onboard computer tell you that you can go almost 900 km before fuelling up again.
Value: 9/10
If you’re shopping for an affordable mid-size family sedan that offers great fuel economy and a pleasant ride, then you have a few options available, including the Hyundai Sonata, Toyota Camry, and Nissan Altima, but not all of them are available as hybrids. A well-equipped Accord Sport Hybrid starts at $43,330 (prices include freight), while the topline Touring Hybrid is $46,830. In comparison, you can get into an entry-level Toyota Camry Hybrid for $34,550, but it’s missing a few of the features that come standard on the Accord, and a topline Camry Hybrid XLE AWD goes for $46,910 but has all-wheel drive, which isn’t available on the Accord.
The Verdict
While you can get into a new Accord for $39,333 (prices include $1,830 for freight), you’re missing many notable features and, more importantly, the hybrid powertrain that’s available only with Sport Hybrid and Touring Hybrid models. The former starts at $43,330, while the latter starts at $46,830. The top-of-the-line Touring Hybrid is an enticing choice if you appreciate features that are only available on that top trim: rain-sensing wipers, an acoustic windshield, a head-up display, rear console vents, wireless charging, driver’s seat with memory, heated rear seats, leather seating, a premium sound system, and more. If these features aren’t important to you, then the Sport Hybrid model is the way to go.
| Engine Displacement | 2.0L |
|---|---|
| Engine Cylinders | I4/Electric motor |
| Peak Horsepower | Engine: 146 hp @ 6,100 rpm, Electric Motor: 181 hp @ 5,000 rpm, Combined: 204 hp |
| Peak Torque | Engine: 134 hp @ 4,500 rpm, Combined: 247 hp @ 0 - 2,000 rpm |
| Fuel Economy | 5.0 / 5.7 / 5.3 L/100 km cty/hwy/cmb |
| Cargo Space | 473 L |
| Model Tested | 2024 Honda Accord Touring Hybrid |
| Base Price | $45,000 |
| A/C Tax | $100 |
| Destination Fee | $1,830 |
| Price as Tested | $47,269 |
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Optional Equipment
Protection Package: $439
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