Honda sells plenty of cars, but with consumers buying SUVs in increasing numbers, the company is placing all of its bets on the compact Civic and midsize Accord models. That's not a gamble, though. Those two nameplates have been on America's list of best-selling models for decades. Moreover, with other automakers giving up on traditional cars, Honda should continue to dominate its rivals.
The redesigned 2023 Honda Accord will assist in this endeavor. Though it remains on the previous-generation model's platform, updates enhance the new Accord's structural rigidity and safety. Furthermore, the new 2023 Accord receives a thorough modernization of its styling, interior, infotainment systems, and safety features.
In addition, Honda makes a significant philosophical change with the new Accord's powertrain lineup. Buyers no longer have the option of selecting a hybrid drivetrain because it is now standard on all but the two least expensive versions of the car. Unfortunately, the previous turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder is gone, but Honda's fourth-generation two-motor hybrid system is a worthy replacement.
The 2023 Accord lineup includes the LX and EX, which have an updated version of the 2022 Accord's turbocharged 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine paired with an improved continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). In addition, buyers can choose the Sport Hybrid, Sport-L Hybrid, EX-L Hybrid, and Touring Hybrid, all equipped with a two-motor hybrid powertrain. Prices range from $27,295 to $37,890, not including the $1,095 destination charge.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
The Honda Accord competes in the Midsize Car market segment. According to data collected from verified new-vehicle buyers for the JD Power 2022 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, 63 percent of previous-generation Accord buyers were male (vs. 59 percent for the segment), and the median age of a new Accord buyer was 52 years (vs. 51).
As part of the APEAL Study, owners rated the previous-generation Accord in 10 primary categories. Listed below in descending order, you'll find their preferences, from their most favorite thing about the vehicle to their least favorite:
In the 2022 APEAL Study, the previous-generation Accord ranks 8th out of nine Midsize Car models.
In the following sections, our independent expert analyzes an Accord Sport Hybrid equipped with extra-cost Radiant Red Metallic paint. The test vehicle's price was $33,445, including the $1,095 destination charge.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
One reason people love crossover SUVs is that they're easy to get into and out of because they sit higher off the ground. The first few times you drop down into and hoist yourself out of the low-slung Accord, you'll remember this.
However, if you're driving the new Accord, you'll be happy after settling in. Honda's new body-stabilizing seat designs are excellent, and all 2023 Accords except for the base LX have a 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat that makes it easy to find a suitable position behind the steering wheel. (The LX offers a manual driver's seat height adjuster.) However, while the driver's seat easily accommodated my 6-foot frame and 33-inch inseam legs, I think taller people will want more seat-track travel.
Unfortunately, Honda does not offer a way to raise the Accord's front passenger seat. Upper trims give your companion four-way power adjustment, but not for height. So, while the chair itself is comfortable, some people (like my wife) may feel it is too low and close to the floor. In addition, the lower hip point associated with this seating location makes the 2023 Accord harder to get into and out of than is necessary. So even a manual height adjustment for that seat would be better than nothing.
Another significant oversight is the lack of rear air conditioning vents in the popular Sport Hybrid model. I know that the Touring trim level offers them, so there's no reason Honda can't add them to other versions of the car.
Remote engine start is standard across the 2023 Honda Accord lineup, allowing you to heat or cool the interior before driving. In addition, most Accords have a dual-zone automatic climate control system, and all but the LX and Sport Hybrid feature heated front seats. Depending on the trim level, upgrades include leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, and heated rear seats.
Speaking of the rear seats, they are exceptionally accommodating. Honda mounts the seat cushion relatively high to provide good leg support, and the backrests are at a perfect angle. The Accord also offers plenty of legroom and foot room, but taller people may want more headroom. In addition, Honda uses markedly lower-quality materials in the rear seating area.
Honda installs a new 10.2-inch digital instrumentation panel in every 2023 Accord, and owners can customize a handful of its settings to account for personal preferences. Honda also conceals the dashboard air vents behind a strip of metal mesh that separates the upper part of the dashboard from the lower part. In addition, the company purposely eliminates dash-top seams to reduce unwanted reflections in the windshield and ensure superior outward visibility.
All controls are high in quality, intuitive to use, and blessedly free of gloss black surfaces that can make them hard to identify. Honda also reserves touch-sensing for the touchscreen display, so the car's traditional switchgear—a mix of adequately marked buttons and knobs—simplifies your life and eliminates confusion while driving.
Storage space is generous, especially underneath the center armrest, and you can install an accessory wireless smartphone charger in the tray located forward of the transmission shifter. Gratefully, the Accord has a traditional shifter instead of some other nonsense.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
New infotainment systems debut in the 2023 Accord, including the automaker's first Google Built-in offering. But you'll need to choose Touring trim to get it.
On the bottom rungs of the trim level ladder, the Accord LX and EX have a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with these features:
The Accord Sport, Sport-L, and EX-L Hybrid models add a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with:
The Accord Touring Hybrid adds the top-shelf infotainment system with:
You will notice a couple of things missing from these descriptions. First, you cannot get SiriusXM (SXM) satellite radio in the new Accord. Second, a native navigation system is unavailable. Honda's customer research must show that people don't want or use them, so the Accord's new infotainment system doesn't have them.
You know what? That's OK. I'm an avid SXM listener, so I would likely miss having it after a while. But during a week-long evaluation of the new Accord, I simply paired my iPhone 13 Pro and streamed music through the wireless Apple CarPlay connection. Similarly, Apple Maps gave me all the surface street detail and traffic information I needed, and Siri (mostly) accurately responded to my requests for directions.
Regarding the stereo's sound quality, the Sport Hybrid's eight speakers prove pretty good. Audiophiles will want to try the Touring trim's 12-speaker Bose system.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
With the Accord's new fourth-generation two-motor hybrid powertrain, the company resolves the previous Accord Hybrid's excessive, droning racket under hard acceleration. Instead, what you hear sounds more like the rising and falling revs of an engine paired with a traditional automatic transmission.
Honda's two-motor hybrid powertrain employs a new Atkinson-cycle 2.0-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine and two electric motors mounted side by side. One is connected to the gas engine and serves as an electric generator/starter motor. The generator motor supplies power to both the lithium-ion battery and the other, larger and more powerful motor. The other motor is responsible for propulsion and directly drives the Accord Hybrid's front wheels.
Previously, when accelerating, the car would drone loudly, as though it had a CVT yanked out of a mid-2000s Nissan Murano. With this next-generation two-motor system, a new Linear Shift Control system makes the Accord Hybrid sound like it has an automatic, with revs rising and falling as the car accelerates.
The two-motor hybrid drivetrain is unusual and complicated, but when driving the Accord Hybrid, none of it matters because you're blissfully unaware of the internal machinations. Even the regenerative braking system, which offers multi-stage braking via the paddle shifters, feels natural under your foot. Honda also provides an EV mode to drive purely on electricity at lower speeds.
According to Honda, the total output measures 204 horsepower, and the electric propulsion motor provides 247 pound-feet of torque between 0 and 2,000 rpm. These are gains of two horsepower and 15 pound-feet compared to the 2022 model, and drivers can choose between Econ, Normal, Sport, and Individual driving modes.
The Accord Hybrid quickly accelerates from a stop, but the car isn't quite as spirited at higher speeds. As a result, fans of the previous Accord 2.0 T's seemingly endless well of power will want to hang on to their tenth-gen models. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed driving the Accord Sport Hybrid, partly because you can use every ounce of the available performance, and the car effortlessly returns between 35 and 40 mpg.
All 2023 Accord models have improved variable-ratio steering and a MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension. In addition, hybrid versions have thicker stabilizer bars and larger front brake discs. The Sport, Sport-L, and Touring ride on 19-inch wheels wearing wider, lower-profile 235/40 tires.
Accord Hybrids also have something new called a Motion Management System. Honda says this technology responds to a driver turning into a curve and uses the powertrain and brakes to transfer more weight to the front tires to improve steering and cornering precision.
I can report that the new Accord Hybrid is a delight to drive no matter the situation, especially when you switch it into Sport mode. Whether commuting, navigating busy city streets, cruising on the highway, or tossing the car down a twisty road, this Honda feels effortlessly responsive, sure-footed, and trustworthy.
Within the Midsize Car segment, the Accord is the standard bearer concerning driving dynamics and is my favorite.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
As expected, Honda has improved the 2023 Accord's Honda Sensing collection of advanced driver assistance systems. A new camera and sensors provide a wider field of view and improved ability to identify objects, enhancing the tech's refinement and performance.
In the 2023 Accord, Honda Sensing includes:
Starting with EX trim, the car has:
The Accord EX-L and Touring add parking sensors, while the Touring gets an exclusive low-speed automatic braking system while parking.
As I've found in other recently redesigned Honda models, the latest Honda Sensing collection behaves in a refined, accurate, and trustworthy manner. For example, when using the adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assistance systems, you're aware of their operation, so you know they're active. At the same time, you never need to overcome their inputs, so they don't irritate a driver.
During my testing, freeway off-ramps and on-ramps caused minor indecision with the lane-centering assistance system. In addition, the adaptive cruise control didn't react quickly enough when slower vehicles ahead changed lanes or exited the highway. However, it did respond smoothly when other motorists entered the gap ahead. When I changed lanes to pass slower traffic, the Accord Hybrid accelerated back up to the set speed with relative urgency.
Overall, during this assessment, Honda Sensing worked well.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
All 2023 Accord models have a huge trunk, including the hybrids. It measures 16.7 cubic feet and is deep enough to stow full-size suitcases on their sides. That's impressive. And if you don't want your grocery bags sliding around, a cargo net is available as an accessory. Under the cargo floor, you'll find small trays that you can use for storage.
The Accord LX and EX's official Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fuel-economy rating is 32 mpg in combined city/highway driving. According to the EPA, the EX-L Hybrid should get 48 mpg in combined driving. However, the Sport, Sport-L, and Touring Hybrid models are less efficient due to their larger wheels and tires. As a result, they earn a rating of 44 mpg in combined driving.
During my evaluation of the Sport Hybrid, the car averaged 37.8 mpg, but that number reflects how much fun I had driving it. Still, based on the Accord Hybrid's 12.8-gallon fuel tank, the range is more than 480 miles. (The LX and EX models hold 14.8 gallons.) Stop for gas every 450 miles, add 12 gallons at $3.50 per, and a fill-up will cost you $42.
As I write this review, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) haven't performed crash tests on the new Accord. Be sure to check the NHTSA site and the IIHS site for any updates.
Honda claims it has engineered the new Accord to exceed existing and future crash-test standards. The Advanced Compatibility Engineering body structure is stronger and promises improved side-impact protection thanks to upgraded center roof pillars and ultra-high-strength steel door beams.
Honda also equips the Accord with 10 airbags, including new front airbag designs and rear side-impact airbags. A rear-seat reminder system is also standard.
At the start of the model year, the Accord LX costs $27,295, while the Accord Touring Hybrid window stickers for $37,890. Honda charges another $1,095 to ship the car to your local dealership.
In the JD Power 2022 Initial Quality Study (IQS), the Chevrolet Malibu ranks highest in the Midsize Car segment. The Kia K5 and the Nissan Altima are the next highest-ranked models.
In the 2022 APEAL Study, the Kia K5 ranks highest in the Midsize Car segment. The Hyundai Sonata and the Nissan Altima are the next highest-ranked models.
Other competitors to the 2023 Accord include the Subaru Legacy and Toyota Camry.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the 2023 Accord and would buy one myself. Of course, it isn't flawless (no vehicle is), but the few things I dislike about the Accord should be easy for Honda to fix. Nevertheless, the Accord has been my favorite midsize sedan ever since Mazda discontinued the Mazda6, and the changes for 2023 only confirm my faith in recommending it.
Better yet, now you can choose the Accord's effortlessly efficient hybrid powertrain without regrets.
Christian Wardlaw is a veteran digital automotive journalist with over 25 years of experience in test-driving vehicles. In addition to JDPower.com, his work has appeared in numerous new- and used-car buying guides, newspapers, and automotive industry trade journals.
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