2021 Honda Accord Hybrid review: Enhanced efficiency, no compromises

This gas-sipping Honda hybrid’s entrance close was slightly tweaked for 2021.


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The Honda Accord is like a blue-chip stock: often a clever purchase. For 2021, the hybrid variant will make a solid scenario that it really is the best all-all over model in the Accord range, setting up on the nameplate’s fundamental excellence by featuring considerably larger gas economic system.

Like

  • Good minimal-velocity acceleration
  • Great driver aids
  • Quality trimmings
  • Roomy inside

Really don’t Like

  • Troublesome regenerative braking paddles
  • Actual-environment performance can disappoint
  • Meh infotainment system

To continue to keep the Accord at the top rated of its recreation, this venerable Honda was mildly tweaked for 2021. Its grille is wider, and the Honda Sensing system’s entrance-mounted radar sensor is slightly significantly less prominent. Enhanced headlamps have larger get to and a wider beam pattern for improved visibility at night time.

As for the hybrid, not significantly sets it aside from other Accords, at minimum visually. A blue-accented Honda badge on the grille hints that anything a small distinctive lurks beneath the hood. There are hybrid badges on the entrance fenders and trunk, and genuinely, which is about it. Separating it from a lot more plebeian variants, the top rated-shelf hybrid Touring model rolls on attractive 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Goodyear all-season tires. Even with a tread pattern that seems to be optimized for reasonable-climate use, these rubbers tackle ice and snowy slop with relieve, nevertheless a established of winter tires would undoubtedly boost driving self confidence.

The Accord’s inside is as nice as it really is ever been. The tenth-era Accord has aged extremely properly, essentially mainly because Honda did these kinds of a phenomenal work from the get-go. Aside from the unconvincing simulated wood accents, the textures are wealthy, its leather-based is of good high-quality and all the switches and knobs feel high quality. Ergonomics are worthy of praise, also, as virtually every manage is inside uncomplicated get to and is plainly labeled.

The 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid’s entrance bucket seats are gentle and supportive, as well as its rear bench delivers miles of legroom. Taller individuals will pine for a skosh a lot more noggin area, on the other hand. You do sit considerably minimal in the Accord, not that your butt is on the floor, the motor vehicle is just incredibly shut to the pavement, which can make finding in and out a challenge, especially for older individuals.

Roomy, comfy and superbly assembled of higher-high-quality supplies, the Accord’s cabin is hard to top rated, especially in the midsize-sedan section.


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As for features, hybrid models arrive conventional with remote begin and a multi-angle rearview camera. Thrust-button ignition and heated side-view mirrors are incorporated at no added demand as properly, when complete LED headlights are conventional on the EX quality and better.

Just one nice upgrade for 2021 is the infotainment display screen. An eight-inch touchscreen is now conventional throughout the board, comprehensive with Apple CarPlay (which can link wirelessly on EX Hybrid models and higher than) as properly as Android Auto. Abstain from applying possibly of these smartphone-mirroring techniques and you can have to contend with the Accord’s embedded infotainment system, which seems to be quite dated with its chaotic interface. Aside from these goodies, the Accord also gains a rear-seat reminder element to aid reduce drivers from forgetting smaller young children, pets or other valuable cargo in the back again. Minimal Speed Braking Command is a new element, also. Typical on Touring models, it really is made to mitigate or even reduce collisions at reduced speeds, these kinds of as when parking.

The hybrid powertrain’s smaller lithium-ion battery pack is mounted underneath the backseat wherever it eats up no inside area. This signifies the Accord has the identical generous sixteen.7 cubic toes of trunk volume you get in non-hybrid models, a figure that compares incredibly favorably to the 2021 Toyota Camry Hybrid, which delivers fifteen.one cubes’ well worth of place and the 2021 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, which serves up sixteen.

This car’s powertrain performs properly, delivering a lot of zip with no drawing consideration to alone.


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Bringing this comfy and capacious household hauler to everyday living is a two-motor hybrid system. Executing most of the operate is a two.-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine, one particular which is backed up by a propulsion motor in addition to a individual motor that handles starting off and producing duties. Whole system horsepower steps 212, when peak torque clocks in at 232 pound-toes just off idle, figures that place this hybrid in between the base Accord with its one.5-liter engine and the top rated-shelf version with the two.-liter turbo. The hybrid’s output figures will not established the environment on fireplace, but in daily driving they are a lot more than up to the job. Curiously, this hybrid system won’t have a transmission due to the fact, in normal driving, the engine powers a generator, which then operates the propulsion motor. An EV method enables the motor vehicle to work only on battery power, but at better speeds, the engine immediately drives the wheels as a result of a lockup clutch. Voilà, no transmission required.

This Accord’s performance is pretty solid it really is peppier than you may well imagine for anything donning hybrid placards, which is generally shorthand for driving doldrums. Many thanks to electrical torque, this big sedan scoots all over town, pulling with authority when having off from stoplights and responding properly when you give it the spurs. Yes, the acceleration does taper off significantly soon after about sixty mph wherever the powertrain will get a little bit winded, but it nonetheless provides a lot more than ample performance. For 2021, smaller tweaks make the drivetrain a lot more direct and instant, with the engine superior responding to throttle inputs. In simple fact, aside from a contact of droning at better speeds when operating challenging and a little bit of that rubber-band impact frequently linked with consistently variable transmissions, the Accord Hybrid’s powertrain feels entirely normal.

These wheels are distinctive to the Touring model.


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Touring models, which sit at the pinnacle of the Accord Hybrid range, sticker at 44 miles for every gallon town, forty one mpg freeway and forty three mpg combined, spectacular figures to be sure. Sadly, in genuine-environment driving, I’ve only managed to coax about 34.eight out of this case in point, which is stellar for a huge sedan, but nonetheless quite disappointing thinking about it really is off the mark by a lot more than eight mpg. I suspect the motor vehicle would do superior in warmer climate, due to the fact it really is been quite chilly throughout my 7 days with it. Lower-close versions of the Accord Hybrid are even a lot more economical than the Touring model, stickering at 48 mpg throughout the board, which is comparable to the most-effective versions of the 2021 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and 2021 Toyota Camry Hybrid LE, the two of which return fifty two mpg combined.

Mounted to the steering wheel are two paddles, but they are not for shifting. Alternatively, they enable you to fantastic-tune the sum of regenerative braking that transpires when you elevate your foot off the accelerator, which is a wonderful point to have — in concept. I like utmost regenerative braking for a one particular-pedal driving encounter, on the other hand, whenever you roll to a quit, the system resets. It won’t keep the regenerative-braking amount you’ve got selected and which is irritating. Yet another misstep, the paddles look to be labeled backwards. Clicking on the minus one particular boosts the sum of deceleration when the one particular labeled as well as decreases it. I’m not incredibly good at math, but I’m quite absolutely sure which is backwards.

The Accord Hybrid’s journey is pretty organization, but properly controlled. This car’s inside continues to be hushed at velocity, and the chunky steering wheel rim feels wonderful in my arms. This sedan’s weighty-however-speedy steering will make the Accord feel considerably a lot more agile than you may well assume for a motor vehicle of this measurement.

The 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid is one particular of the best household sedans you can purchase right now.


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Honda Sensing is as good as it really is ever been. This suite of superior driver aids is one particular of the best in the business: attentive, smooth and incredibly uncomplicated to use. The lane-centering system is phenomenal, assisting the Accord monitor as straight as a San Francisco cable motor vehicle. The adaptive cruise manage performs simply, collision mitigation braking is ready in the wings really should you make a vital error and site visitors-indication recognition is often there to remind you of how significantly you are rushing.  EX and better models also arrive with blind-spot checking, when parking sensors are equipped to EX-L and Touring variants, the latter of which also gains rain-sensing windshield wipers.

Owning a Honda Accord Hybrid is a wonderful way to help you save money at the pump, but it really is economical in yet another way, also. The base cost is an eminently sensible $27,565, including $995 in shipping service fees. That will make it about $seven hundred significantly less than an entry-amount Camry Hybrid and virtually $one,two hundred a lot more cost-effective than a comparable Sonata. Even the Touring model I’m reviewing listed here with all its bells and whistles checks out for $37,590.

With its roomy inside, upscale trimmings, generous equipment and good performance, the 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid is an superb household sedan. But its smooth-working, gas-sipping drivetrain is what genuinely will make this model the pick of the Accord litter.