Overview
The Honda Accord is a Car and Driver favorite, winning our 10Best award year after year with its spacious interior, driver-friendly road manners, and impeccable build quality. For 2023, it wins a 10Best award yet again for its stunning overall competence. The Accord is all-new for the 2023 model year, and it wears an elegant design that’s arguably the prettiest ever applied to Honda’s venerable family sedan. The hybrid powertrain has become a more significant part of the Accord lineup for this new generation as it’s standard on all but the two least-expensive trims. Those two, the LX and EX, are powered by the familiar 192-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine carried over from the outgoing model—and they come exclusively with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). The upper trims are all powered by a new 204-hp four-cylinder hybrid system borrowed essentially intact from the CR-V. The Accord’s designers have complimented the handsome exterior styling by sprucing up the cabin with design elements borrowed from the recently redesigned Civic, CR-V, and HR-V, including honeycomb-pattern dash trim that hides the air vents and a freestanding rectangular infotainment display sprouting from the top of the instrument panel. Speaking of infotainment, the 2023 Accord features a host of updated tech, including a new standard digital gauge display and an available 12.3-inch infotainment screen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
What’s New for 2023?
The 2023 model year marks the start of the 11th generation of the Honda Accord, which is all new and even prettier than before. Now that we’ve seen the new Accord and learned about its various trim levels and powertrains, we expect to see it on sale in early 2023.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
We’d recommend upgrading to the EX-L Hybrid. Not only does it add the more powerful 204-hp hybrid powertrain, but it also comes with a larger 12.3-inch infotainment display, front and rear parking sensors, leather upholstery, a sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and more.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
The Accord’s LX and EX trims are powered by a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 192 horsepower and drives the front wheels through a CVT. Like previous generations of the Accord, the 2023 model does not offer all-wheel drive. The hybrid powertrain takes a more prominent position in the lineup. It consists of a 2.0-liter four-cylinder and two electric motors that combine for 204 horsepower, and it’s the only powertrain offered on Sport, EX-L, Sport-L, and Touring models. Honda says it has tweaked the suspension and steering in its family sedan to improve both ride quality and handling, and during our brief initial test drive, we couldn’t really tell much difference from the previous-generation model. And that’s ok, as the 2023 Accord remains as refined and fun to drive as ever. At our test track, our Touring test vehicle with the hybrid powertrain managed a decent 6.6-second zero-to-60-mph time. The Accord’s handling is confidence inspiring. Its steering is precise, body motions are well-controlled, and the ride is compliant—a combination that drivers are sure to appreciate as much as our editors do.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
According to the EPA, the 2023 Accord hybrid is good for 51 mpg city and 48 mpg highway. Fuel economy numbers for the nonhybrid Accord haven’t been released yet, but we expect it to align closely with that of the outgoing 2022 model, which was rated for up to 30 mpg city and 38 mpg highway with the turbo 1.5-liter four-cylinder. When we get a chance, we’ll take the new Accord on our 75-mph highway fuel economy route and update this story with test results. For more information about the Accord’s fuel economy, visit the EPA’s website.
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
Like the exterior, the Accord’s cabin wears a sleek design with elements borrowed from the latest new Hondas that help tie them together with familial DNA. The HVAC air vents, for example, hide behind an expanse of honeycomb trim, a clever design element also found in both the new Civic and the CR-V SUV. Honda says they’ve redesigned the Accord’s front seats to support torsos more firmly and carefully shaped the trunk to hold up to 16.7 cubic feet of cargo. While LX, EX, and Sport trims come with cloth upholstery, all others come with leather.
Infotainment and Connectivity
An upright 7.0- or 12.3-inch touchscreen display provides easy access to the Accord’s infotainment system, and all models, regardless of trim, come with a 10.2-inch digital gauge display standard. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included across the lineup, but only those with the larger 12.3-inch touchscreen offer wireless connectivity for those features. High-end Touring trims come with a wireless smartphone charging pad, a 6.0-inch head-up display, and a 12-speaker Bose stereo system.
Safety and Driver-Assistance Features
All Accords come standard with a suite of driver-assistance tech that Honda calls Honda Sensing. The bundle of features includes basics such as automated emergency braking and lane-departure warning, as well as convenience functions such as adaptive cruise control and traffic sign recognition. For more information about the Accord’s crash test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:
- Standard automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection
- Standard lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist
- Standard adaptive cruise control
Warranty and Maintenance Coverage
Honda’s warranty coverage is adequate but falls short of the class-leading coverage periods provided by Hyundai, but, like the Toyota Camry, the Accord stands out in this class by offering complimentary scheduled maintenance.
- Limited warranty covers 3 years or 36,000 miles
- Powertrain warranty covers 5 years or 60,000 miles
- Complimentary scheduled maintenance is covered for 2 years or 24,000 miles
Specifications
Specifications
2023 Honda Accord Touring
Vehicle Type: front-engine, front-motor, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $38,985/$38,985
Options: none
POWERTRAIN
DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle inline-4, 146 hp, 134 lb-ft + AC motor, 181 hp, 247 lb-ft (combined output: 204 hp, 247 lb-ft; 1.1-kWh lithium-ion battery pack
Transmission: direct-drive
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 12.3-in vented disc/11.1-in disc
Tires: Michelin Primacy MXM4
235/40R-19 96V M+S DT1
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 111.4 in
Length: 195.7 in
Width: 73.3 in
Height: 57.1 in
Passenger Volume, F/R: 53/50 ft3
Trunk Volume: 17 ft3
Curb Weight: 3503 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 6.6 sec
1/4-Mile: 15.3 sec @ 90 mph
100 mph: 19.5 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 8.1 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.7 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 5.1 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 125 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 173 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.88 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 43 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 44/46/41 mpg
