Is the 2023 Honda Accord a Good Car? 5 Pros and 3 Cons
A perennially popular mid-size sedan for a lot of good reasons, the Honda Accord has long been an excellent choice thanks to its reputation for reliability, practicality, safety and value. Newly redesigned for 2023, the latest Accord brings evolutionary rather than revolutionary developments, but they’re enough to ensure that the Accord will remain a solid choice, even as buyers continue to flock to SUVs.
Related: 2023 Honda Accord Review: Among the Best of What’s Left
The 11th-generation Accord brings a new hybrid powertrain on most trims, promising similar performance to the old four-cylinder engine, but with improved fuel economy. The Accord also gets added tech and safety features, all wrapped up in sleek new styling inside and out. But unlike competitors including the Toyota Camry, the Accord is still not available with all-wheel drive.
Cars.com’s Brian Normile traveled to Southern California to sample the new Accord in several trims and found a lot to like with the stylish new sedan, but there are a few areas that leave room for improvement. Normile’s expert review can be found at the link above. For a quick overview, here are five things we like about the 2023 Honda Accord and three things we aren’t as crazy about.
Things We Like
1. Hybrid MPG
Hybrid fuel economy is improved compared to the old Accord, with Sport and Touring trims good for an EPA-estimated 44 mpg combined. That represents a gain of 1 mpg. Some hybrid variants are even more impressive, returning as much as 48 mpg combined. As good as these improvements are, the Camry Hybrid LE tops even the most frugal Accord with an EPA-estimated 52 mpg combined.
2. Ride and Handling
A retuned suspension brings a somewhat firm ride, but not one that is overly so to the point of discomfort. Sport and Touring trims are firmer than others, due at least in part to their 19-inch wheels and low-profile tires. Steering feel is good, without too much boost, and switching to Sport mode adds additional heft. The EX trim, on the other hand, felt more cushioned with its 17-inch wheels and tires with taller sidewalls.
3. Righteous Regeneration
You can choose the amount of the Accord Hybrid’s regenerative-braking strength by using steering-wheel paddles. The lowest setting requires using the brake pedal but feels linear and normal, without the mushy or vague pedal often found with such systems. The strongest setting provides near one-pedal driving, but it still requires using the pedal to bring the car to a complete stop.
4. Controls and Tech
The big news on the tech front is a new 12.3-inch touchscreen in upper trims. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are included, along with wireless charging and Google Built-In technology for the top Touring trim. While we’re generally impressed with the touchscreen system’s crisp graphics and quick response time, we weren’t as pleased with Google Built-In. Lower trims get a 7-inch touchscreen with wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. All trims have physical controls for climate functions, but only the base system includes knobs for both tuning and volume — the upgraded system has only a volume knob. The redesign also marks a welcome return to a conventional shifter mounted on the center console.
5. Inside Story
The redesign brings a stylish new dashboard and overall look, along with good forward visibility. Front-seat passengers will find mostly decent room all around and improved seat comfort, and the Accord’s previously good rear legroom has been slightly increased. The new, sleek roofline, however, cuts into headroom for taller passengers in the back.
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Things We Don’t Like
1. No AWD
One of the reasons buyers continue to turn away from sedans in favor of SUVs is to get the added traction and security of AWD, so it might make sense for Honda to offer the Accord with AWD in the interest of keeping some of those buyers, as Toyota has done with the Camry. Sadly, Honda doesn’t appear to see it that way, and the 2023 Accord remains front-wheel drive only.
2. Base Powertrain
The base 192-horsepower, turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine carries over from the previous generation, but Honda says it’s more refined. We didn’t notice much difference, and it still feels both noisy under hard acceleration and slower than the hybrid powertrain. Curiously, fuel economy has dropped to an EPA-estimated 32 mpg combined, 1 mpg less than the last generation.
3. Google Glitches
As much as we like the big new 12.3-inch touchscreen included with higher trims, the jury is still out on Google Built-In. The feature requires a data connection to use many of its functions, something that’s not always available given the spottiness of cell service. Voice commands work fine for basic functions like changing climate functions, but it’s not really easier or faster than making such adjustments using conventional controls. The system doesn’t play nice with Apple CarPlay, either, requiring a user to disconnect from CarPlay to make a call using Google Assistant or use Siri via voice command.
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