"For I did not speak of my own accord..." - John 12:49a. But Jesus might want to boast about the 2018 Honda Accord model, as it's received a substantial redesign and is almost as good as buying a premium sedan.
For 2018, the Accord sedan is all-new and much improved. The body is unperceivable lower and shorter. However, the wheelbase has been stretched, which allowed engineers to increase rear legroom by a full two inches.
From some angles, the fastback design makes the Accord look like it doesn't have a trunk. But trust us, it's there, and at 1.67 cubic feet, it almost one-ups its predecessor. Also, the Accord Hybrid now comes with uncompromised luggage space, but more on that latter.
Not surprisingly, Consumer Reports loves the 2018 Accord for coming as standard with Honda Sensing. This can steer that car within lanes, recognize traffic signs and do pretty much everything that is expected in the safety department.
Under the hood, we now find two turbocharged engines. The base unit is a 1.5-liter with 192-hp and the same amount of torque. The base car starts at $24,445, so it's about $300 more than before. But you do get LED headlights, two-zone climate control, and eight airbags. It's also more energetic than the heavy Fusion 1.5-liter model.
Replacing the V6 in the 2018 model is a 2-liter turbo. While you might miss the sound, this new unit delivers more low-end grunt and is noticeably quieter, even at high revs. There's also a new 10-speed automatic gearbox, which some have said can be imprecise in stop-and-go traffic. Both the 1.5 and 2.0 can also be ordered with a new 6-speed manual gearbox on Sport models. In a few months, a 212 horsepower Accord Hybrid will also be available
The new Accord has a much better cabin, especially in this top Touring trim level. The leather is beautiful, and so are all the soft-touch materials. A colorful new display floats above the dash and now includes knobs to control the radio, which everybody seems to happy about. Apple and Android connectivity are available on all but the base car, while Qi wireless charging can also be ordered.
To conclude, the 2018 Accord has everything a similarly priced Audi A3 Sedan, or Mercedes CLA does, plus more legroom than you know what to do with and a standard safety suite.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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