2022 Honda Accord – First Drive
A Luxury Hybrid without the Luxury Price tag
Comfort and quality have always been the top reasons you’d want to buy an Accord. Now, Honda is giving you a third reason, fuel efficiency. That’s right, the the Honda Accord is now offered with a hybrid powertrain getting up to an incredible 47 mpg. But if power is favored; need not worry. The Accord still offers a turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder engine pushing out a very respectable 252 horsepower. Cost-savers can also opt for the smaller 1.5L four cylinder engine that still pushes out 192 horsepower.
While cross-over SUVs continue to be the people’s favorite haulers, there is still a strong demand for sedans in general. They sit lower to the ground, have better handling, and are generally a bit cheaper and better bang for the buck. The Honda Accord particularly appeals to buyers who that bit of umph in their daily drive with luxury comfort and quality, without the luxury price tag.
The base model LX model comes in as low as $27,615 with the hybrid trim under test is just a small price step up at $28,815. Despite being in the second bottom trim, the Hybrid trim still comes well equipped with adaptive cruise control, an 8″ infotainment touchscreen, dual zone climate controls and LED lighting.
Where the Honda Accord really shines is its cabin and road comfort. If you blindfold one of your passengers to sit in for a ride, he or she is likely to think they’re in a high-end luxury vehicle. It’s just that good. The ride is exceptionally smooth and quiet that rivals the overall experience with higher-end cars.
This also applies to the driver’s side as well. Yea I know, in the past, the Accord was always praised for its V6 power, but in this day in age, it’s all about fat trimming and need not fret because modern technology has essentially levelled out the performance playing field without too much compromise. The highest 2.0L turbocharged engine pushes out an authoritive 252 horsepower. If fuel economy is a priority, the hybrid engine works in tandem with dual electronic motors that still pushes out a very respectable 212 horsepower, all while achieving up to an incredible 47 mpg on both city and highway driving. Even if you opt for the smallest 1.5L four cylinder engine, both non-hybrid engines generously come with a 10-speed automatic transmission that delivers buttery smooth acceleration.
I’m a man of substance and simplicity, and the cabin interior is where the Honda Accord really connects with me. This is one of the most authentic and quality interiors you can get. It’s clean, simple and everything not just looks, but feels very premium as well. Despite the hybrid trim being on the lower end price point,
And I really can’t stress that enough, because these days, everyone’s trying to go for flashy gimmicks rather than focusing on quality, but this is not the case of the Accord. Take for example the instrument cluster. It’s simple; yet very effective and above all, looks great. That’s all you really need – stop selling me on fast fashion!
The base Accord Hybrid is great for those that want to save a bit of money, but if you’re looking for a long term keeper, The higher-end Hybrid Touring is a certainly a great choice that comes with really nice perforated leather seats, adaptive damping suspensions, a heads-up display, heated and ventilated front seats with heated rear seats and larger 19″ aluminum alloy wheels.
Thanks to its full-size sedan platform, rear passengers enjoy decent legroom and comfort as well and the rear trunk space is not bad at all either. I’m about 5ft 6 inches, and the Honda Accord is a great fit for me with plenty of headroom – an indicator that the cabin space shouldn’t be a problem with larger-size adults.
The electronics are another high-point of the Honda Accord. It’s got a flat button panel for your gear shifters that cleans up the center console with plenty of additional space a large compartment bin with available wireless smartphone connectivity, USB connectivity and charge port and two cupholders. The dual-zone climate controls are also very easy to use and has a really nice looks and feel to it. All trims come with an 8″infotainment touchscreen with available Bluetooth and USB smartphone connectivity that supports both Android Auto and Apple Car play. Again, no gimmicks to be found here. While the graphics aren’t the prettiest of the bunch, it’s very intuitive and easy to use.
Road practice reveals what the Honda Accord does best with buttery smooth acceleration and receptive handling. Sure, the hybrid trim isn’t going to pull any necks strains off the straight line, but the power delivery is still very capable especially with the help of the dual-electric motors.
Available on our Hybrid Touring tester trim also comes with adaptive damping suspensions, a key technological contributor to its exceptional ride comfort. It works by dynamically adjusting the suspension dampers on the fly to give you the smoothest ride possible. This was formerly only found in higher-end luxury cars whose technology has fortunately now trickled down to more affordable options like the Honda Accord.
With today’s soaring gas prices, fuel economy can no longer be neglected, and fortunately for our hybrid tester trim, it gets up to 47 mpg on both city and highway driving. On our road test, we came close with a mix of all-around driving and still got an average of 42 mpg, which is excellent in today’s terms.
The Honda Accord has been, and will probably continue to be one of my favorites for its authenticity, quality and comfort features; all within a reasonable price tag. Sure, there are plenty of other options like the Hyundai Sonata, Toyota Camry, and Mazda 6 that all have different flavors and offerings, the Honda Accord still remains atop of our list for its bombproof reliability, and no gimmick positive buyer’s experience that rightfully justifies its asking price.
And that’s my take on the 2022 Honda Accord. I really hope you enjoyed this review, and if you did, please don’t forget to like and subscribe and as always, keep driving, and until next time.