Used 2018 Honda Accord

One of the best-selling sedans in America just got a major overhaul and wow, does it look good. The 2018 Honda Accord banishes the cautious styling of previous generations in favor of a racy coupe-like silhouette, which is good because Honda just killed off the Accord Coupe. A new set of turbocharged 4-cylinder engines replace the previous 4- and 6-cylinder engines, allowing Honda engineers to give the Accord a lower, wider stance. The new Accord’s longer wheelbase improves rear-seat space, so much so that a rear-facing child seat can now fit securely without hitting the front seatback. Honda Sensing brings more standard driver-assist features than are offered with the Toyota Camry, giving the Ohio-built Accord a slight advantage over its longtime nemesis.

The 2018 Honda Accord expresses itself differently depending upon trim level. The standard 192-horsepower 1.5-liter engine offers strong off-the-line performance and acceptable levels of power for passing and merging, but the biggest advantage is its class-leading 33-mpg combined fuel-economy figure. Moving up to the 2.0-liter turbo brings a more robust response, with 252 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque available as low as 2,200 rpm. We spent a good deal of time in the Touring trim outfitted with the 2.0-liter and the Adaptive Damper System. This engine is mated to a new 10-speed automatic transmission, which we generally liked, but did notice a bit of hesitation in some passing maneuvers, followed by a slight shudder. The adaptive dampers did a good a job helping the Accord round corners with confidence, but also rendered the big Honda more susceptible to road distortion and freeway expansion joints. The Touring’s 19-inch wheels and low-profile tires didn’t help matters much, either.

The 2018 Honda Accord touts an all-new interior that is both roomier and more sophisticated than the 2017 model. Front and center is an available 8-inch infotainment screen with large, colorful tiles, and pinch, swipe and zoom functions. The cavernous rear seat offers plenty of legroom and can be equipped with seat heaters, but sadly no USB or additional power ports. Up front, there’s more room in all directions and the controls are logically arranged and easy to operate. One oddity is the push-button gear selector located right next to the cup holders. We’ve all experienced drink spillage while in motion, making us question the wisdom of placing a flat panel push-button controller so close to potential liquid disaster.

The new Accord is slightly shorter but lower and wider than the previous car. The low hood improves aerodynamics, aided by an underbody aerodynamic kit and, on 1.5 EX trims, active grille shutters. The 2018 Accord’s wheelbase is also longer and the track wider. The result is a very seductive looking Accord that only gets better looking as you move up the trims. The Sport wears 19-inch black-and-chrome alloy wheels, LED fog lights and a rear spoiler, while Touring trims get full-LED headlights, adaptive dampers, and front and rear parking sensors. Thanks to some clever repackaging, the Accord Hybrid now offers the same 16.7 cubic feet of trunk space and folding rear seats as found in the Accord sedan.

HONDA SENSING
Standard on every Accord, the Honda Sensing suite offers more standard safety features than any sedan in this class. The package includes adaptive cruise control, auto high beams, collision-mitigation braking, lane-departure warning and mitigation, traffic-sign recognition, and low-speed follow.

6-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION
We know manual transmissions are not long for this world, but if your trim name is Sport, then a good manual transmission definitely belongs in the mix. Available with both the 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter turbo engines, the Accord Sport’s 6-speed manual transmission is rarity on a sedan of this size, but it definitely improves the fun factor.

The 2018 Accord comes in five trims: LX, Sport, EX, EX-L, and Touring. The most basic Accord LX features the 1.5-liter turbocharged engine, a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), Honda Sensing (see Favorite Features), push-button start, dual-zone automatic climate control, 17-inch alloy wheels, LED low-beam headlights, multi-view rear backup camera, 7-inch display audio with Bluetooth connectivity and auto on/off headlights. Moving up to the Sport trim brings the option of the 2.0-liter engine and manual transmission as well as standard 8-inch display audio, Sport combi seats, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, a 12-way power driver’s seat, 60/40 split rear seat, and more.

In typical Honda fashion, options are allotted by trim. Moving up to the EX trim brings blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a power moonroof, remote start, heated front seats and rear-seat air vents. The EX-L includes leather seats, a 450-watt audio system, and a 4-way power passenger seat. The Touring trim adds navigation (optional on the EX-L), full-LED headlights, head-up display, wireless phone charging, HondaLink Assist, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, rain-sensing wipers, and front and rear parking sensors. Hybrid models pretty much match their non-hybrid counterparts, although there is no Sport trim.

Honda’s Accord sedan for 2018 offers a choice of two turbocharged 4-cylinder engines. Standard is the 1.5-liter turbo good for 192 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque, a 7-horsepower improvement over last year’s 2.4-liter engine. Optional on the Sport, EX and Touring is a 2.0-liter turbo pumping out 252 horsepower, a noticeable loss of 26 horsepower over the previous 3.5-liter V6. However, the 2.0-liter brings an additional 21 lb-ft of torque to the table, all of which is available at a much lower rpm. All trims with the 1.5-liter engine are mated to a CVT automatic transmission, with the exception of the Sport which offers a 6-speed manual option. The 2.0-liter is paired with Honda’s new 10-speed automatic, again the only exception being the Sport 2.0’s 6-speed manual gearbox. The 2018 Accord Hybrid employs the previous generation’s 2.0-liter gasoline engine and electric-motor setup, as well as the CVT transmission.

1.5-liter turbocharged inline-4 (LX, Sport, EX, EX-L, Touring)
192 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm
192 lb-ft of torque @ 1,600-5,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 30/38 mpg (CVT automatic), 29/35 mpg (Sport 1.5 and Touring, CVT automatic), 26/35 mpg (Sport 1.5, manual)

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 (EX-L, Sport, Touring)
252 horsepower @ 6,500 rpm
273 lb-ft of torque @ 1,500-4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 22/32 mpg (Sport manual), 22/32 mpg (Sport and Touring, automatic), 22/34 mpg (EX-L, automatic)

2.0-liter inline-4 + AC Synchronous Permanent-Magnet Electric Motor (Accord Hybrid)
212 combined horsepower @ 6,200 rpm
232 lb-ft of torque @ 0-2,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 47/47 mpg