2019 Accord

Exterior Design

Interior Design

Safety & Technology

Driving Impressions

Performance

"A Civic Type-R for the family."

While many automakers are shifting their focus to crossovers, SUVs, and trucks (ahem, FORD), Honda is one of many brands trying to keep the good old family sedan alive. Honda's all-new 10th generation Accord is truth behind why the midsize family sedan is still alive.

Trim Levels

Trim levels and pricing only applies to the 2020 model year Honda Accord.

LX

MSRP $23,870

Hybrid

MSRP $25,470

Sport

MSRP $26,530

EX 1.5T

MSRP $27,770

EX Hybrid

MSRP $29,370

EX-L

MSRP $30,270

EX-L Hybrid

MSRP $31,870

Touring

MSRP $36,100

Touring Hybrid

MSRP $35,140

Exterior Design

Starting off, the design is expressive, but to some, it takes some getting used to. I didn't like the look of it at first, but when I first seen the car in person, I thought the look was elegant and sharp.

Front end styling starts with the thin and long headlights tucked nicely under the Honda "beak", with a large trapezoidal-like grille underneath. It also shows its aim toward driving dynamics and style with thin fog lamps, with a line running at about a 30-degree angle down to the lower lip of the bumper.

Come around to the side of the car, and you can immediately see the European-inspired fastback roof line. This styling element robs rear headroom, but it makes the Accord look much more aggressive. There is a hard body line just below the window, extending from nearly the headlights to the tail lamps. Most models come with a chrome-finished strip just above the side that starts about a quarter length from the front fender and extends to nearly the rear bumper. It gives the car a more planted and luxurious touch. Even the base LX model rides on 17" alloy rims. Upgrade through the trims, and eventually you'll end up riding on 19s.

Coming around back, Honda fans hated the lobster-claw tail lamps. I was one of those, but they've grown on me. It's not the best styling decision, but it does (kind of) fit the Accord well. You get rear reflectors in place of the chrome-like strip, a body-color rear bumper with nicely integrated (fake) dual exhaust outlets (the LX and Hybrid models get a single hidden exhaust outlet), but again, they are fake. The Accord insignia has been moved to the top of the decklid, while the engine choice remains on the extreme lower left of the trunk lid. Hybrid and Touring models are the only ones to get a model badge below the engine choice. Backup sensors are nicely integrated into the rear bumper.

Interior Design

Honda really stepped up the interior with extremely nice materials that make it look luxurious. Of course, Honda includes their funky push-button shifter that is pretty frustrating to use at first, but becomes pretty intuitive after a while.

Honda execs made use of a ton of storage opportunities throughout the whole cabin. The cupholders aren't just round, they are squared off, so those that chose to not have a traditional bottle of water will have no problem with not being able to fit their square bottle of water in a round cupholder. Touring models include wireless charging, while lowers do not, and are covered with a black piece of plastic that can be open and closed. There is a fairly large glove box and door bin pockets, and some storage for lipstick on the door handles.

The front seats are really comfortable, but I don't get the design of the head restraints. I believe Honda should have made them flush with the backs of the seats.

In back, the seats are just as comfortable, but for people over 6-foot tall, they will struggle with head room. Leg room is plentiful, as the Accord is one of the tops in rear leg room. Overall seat comfort for both rows is great!

Safety & Technology

Honda made their full suite of Honda Sensing safety technology standard on every single Accord. It includes the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Road Departure Mitigation System (RDM), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), and Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR) as standard equipment.

Honda has also introduced their new 8-inch HondaLink central tablet-mounted touchscreen with the latest software including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. Wireless charging is only available on the Touring trim. Standard on all Accords is a 7-inch digital multi-informational display that looks as crisp as an analog gauge. It houses the tachometer and has smooth and clean graphics and performance and has absolutely no lag (ahem, I'm talking to you, Dodge). It will take a little to get used to the controls, but it is quite a neat feature. Honda's new 10-speed in the Accord comes with a funky push-button gear selector. To me, it doesn't really do anything to open any space. It takes up nearly the same amount of space a traditional shifter would, which isn't really a great design. If Honda did it like they did on the Odyssey, with the center console being separated from the dashboard, it would definitely open up more space. Despite the dislike, the selector is very intuitive to use. Charging ports are plentiful, and there is a $120 option to get 2 rear USB charging ports. Really, it should come as a standard feature on all Accords, but its nice that Honda has that available widespread.

The new Accord earned a Top Safety Pick award for 2019 by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. For more info, click here to hyperlink to the site.

Driving Impressions

Honda did an amazing job making the all-new Accord feel as engaging and sporty, but comfortable and plush.

I drove an Accord Sport equipped with the 2.0T I4 and the 10-speed automatic, and I was thoroughly impressed with how it drove.

The tenth-gen Accord moves to a much larger version of the current tenth-gen Civic's compact global platform. Despite the extra 9.5 inches of length, the Accord wears that growth spurt well. The Accord's ride is moderately firm, but it is still very composing over bumps and doesn't bounce around or transmit rough vibrations or neck-snapping movements into the cabin. It corners almost completely flat, but I did notice a bit of front end lift when cornering and trying to exit a turn aggressively. Steering feel is actually pretty good, well weighted, good feedback, but the steering is just a little too numb for me. The interior is also very quiet, with the exception of minor road and wind noise, but you can easily drown that out with the great audio system. Power is excellent. Floor it from a dead stop, and first gear is a little tall, but then second gear comes in... boost pours out... and the tires start having a fit! Third gear, tires still shredding! This Accord will have no issue spinning the wheels, and traction control doesn't even care and won't cut power! The 2.0T Accord is a MONSTER and for sure it's one of the quickest cars I've driven!!!

Performance

Honda is going on the trend that many automakers are going to nowadays; TURBOCHARGING.

The tenth-gen Accord drops the amazing 3.5L VTEC V6 that has been around since 1995, and many balked at Honda for dropping it and giving it a detuned Civic Type-R engine. Also, the base 2.4L 4-cylinder gets dropped for a smaller 1.5L turbo. Performance is pretty good, especially for the 1.5T.

The 2.0T 10-speed Touring model I reviewed had near relentless power, especially when it was in the middle gears. Torque is strong, and when the boost kicks in second gear, you get a break of the tires because of that incredible torque and power delivery. 0 to 60 is an impressive 5.7 seconds, nosing the Toyota Camry's 5.8-second run. I've seen 0-60s where some have been timed around 5.5 seconds. All in all, it's a really quick and impressively fast sedan.

#SAVETHEMANUALS fans will be happy when they find that a manual transmission is offered on the Accord, but is only on the Sport trims for both the 1.5T and 2.0T models. I would love to have seen it more widespread, but when a manual transmission is offered on any car, it's immediately high praise.

Performance Figures

2.0L VTEC turbo I4

Horsepower (hp @ RPM)

252 @ 0000

Torque (lb/ft @ RPM)

273 @ 0000

Transmission(s)

10-speed automatic

Drivetrain

Front-wheel-drive

EPA Fuel Economy (city/hwy)

23 / 34

0-60 Time

5.7 seconds

1/4-mile (sec @ mph)

14.3 @ 99.3

Final Verdict & REVIEWS Score

The Honda Accord is an extreme value for those that want a head-turning, sporty driving, but comfortable family hauler. Spring for the 2.0T and 10-speed automatic, and you'll be able to laugh at those Bimmers at your red light drag races.

2019 Accord

"A Civic Type-R for the family."

Trim Levels

LX

MSRP $23,870

Hybrid

MSRP $25,470

Sport

MSRP $26,530

EX 1.5T

MSRP $27,770

EX Hybrid

MSRP $29,370

EX-L

MSRP $30,270

EX-L Hybrid

MSRP $31,870

Touring

MSRP $36,100

Touring Hybrid

MSRP $35,140

Exterior Design

Interior Design

Safety & Technology

Driving Impressions

Performance

Performance Figures

252 @ 0000

273 @ 0000

10-speed automatic

Front-wheel-drive

23 / 34

5.7 seconds

14.3 @ 99.3

Final Verdict & REVIEWS Score

The Honda Accord is an extreme value for those that want a head-turning, sporty driving, but comfortable family hauler. Spring for the 2.0T and 10-speed automatic, and you'll be able to laugh at those Bimmers at your red light drag races.

63/85 | Accumulated Score

10 | Reliability

08 | Ergonomics

08 | Value

07 | Innovation

08 | Electronics

07 | Wow factor

10 | Safety

58/70 | Subtotal Score

05/15 | Subjective Category

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