2022 Honda Accord

Is the Honda Accord a good-looking car?

It’s striking in its profile, with supporting overtures in the sheetmetal and a cohesive set of details. We give it a 7, with a point extra for the exterior and one for the interior.

The Accord may look less groundbreaking now that it’s been on the road a couple of years, but the elongated profile and tapered roofline pair well with the shoulder creases stamped into its body. Honda has found a balance with the tall grille and headlights that eludes some of its competitors—and it’s channeled some luxury-car cues in the sleek cat-eye trim it wears at its rear roof pillars.

The cabin’s well organized and less dramatic, but it wins favor for its streamlined design. Big sweeps of metallic or woodgrain trim break up the dash’s expanse, while a big 8.0-inch touchscreen rests atop its user-friendly climate controls, a big covered storage bin, and a console that drops the usual shift lever for a space-soaking set of transmission switches. Sport Accords get aluminum-look trim, and some Accords can wear bronze-tinted wheels that look out of kilter with its carefully curated style.

With the Accord, Honda shows why it’s known for engineering. From prosaic bits and pieces, it knits together a big family sedan that’s nimble beyond its size. We give it a 6, with a bonus point for ride and handling; it’d be higher with the stronger engine.

Is the Honda Accord 4WD?

It’s still front-drive only, while rivals now offer all-wheel drive. 

How fast is the Honda Accord?

It’s adequately quick in versions with the 192-hp 1.5-liter turbo-4 and CVT. With 192 lb-ft of torque, it slips through traffic easily and doesn’t groan while it lingers in the middle of its powerband. Mountain passes with four adults aboard can leave it winded. 

In Sport and Touring sedans, Honda fits a 252-hp 2.0-liter turbo-4 with 273 lb-ft of torque, coupled to a 10-speed automatic. It’s a gem, with strong off-the-line power and excellent responses, without the gearchange fiddling that sometimes comes with 10- and 9-speed transmissions.

Hybrids take a non-turbo 4-cylinder and pair it with two electric motors and a lithium-ion battery pack for a net of 212 hp and 232 lb-ft of torque. The Accord Hybrid splits the lineup with balanced power and superb fuel economy, even though it weighs about a hundred pounds more than similar non-hybrid Accords.

Every Accord delivers a taut ride that’s not brittle, and crisply responsive steering. It’s a delightfully balanced car to drive, even in LX trim. The Sport and Touring ride on 19-inch wheels that render the ride more firm than some will like, and contribute more road noise—but that’s easily avoided by a careful hand on the order sheet.

The Accord spec sheet reveals five-passenger seating and interior volume that almost puts it into the large-car category. We wouldn’t ride in the middle rear seat all day, but it’s still quite comfortable for four adults plus their cargo. We give it an 8 here for good front and back seats and for its large trunk.

In front, the Accord’s driver and co-pilot are treated to a low dashboard that carves out good leg room. Head room is ample, too, and 6-footers fit well even under the Accord’s available sunroof. Many versions get cloth upholstery, but high-spec Accords wear leather on the seats and upgrade the fronts to power adjustment, heating, and cooling.

All Accords have quiet, well-fitted interiors; we’d select the ivory cloth or leather over basic black to brighten the cabin.

In back, the Accord doles out 40.4 inches of leg room to permit tall passengers to ride in comfort. The low roofline makes it more difficult to get in, but the sunroof still doesn’t intrude too much into the space. The Accord’s nearly big enough to seat three across, too.

The slinky roofline may remind you of a fastback or hatchback, but the Accord has a hinged trunklid that opens to reveal 16.7 cubic feet of storage space.

How safe is the Honda Accord?

It’s awesome. Not only does it score a perfect five-star rating from the NHTSA in every test performed, it’s rated by the IIHS as a Top Safety Pick+. It’s a 9 here, thanks to those scores plus standard safety technology that includes blind-spot monitors, active lane control, adaptive cruise control, and automatic emergency braking. The Accord only misses a perfect score here due to rearward vision that’s limited by its handsome roofline.

Which Honda Accord should I buy?

We like the Accord LX, for its standard active safety features, dual-zone climate control, and 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It costs $26,485, or $27,685 with the hybrid drivetrain. All Accords carry a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty. Based on its essential goodness, the Accord scores an 8 here with its standard features, good infotainment, and overall value.

Spend more if you like for the $28,945 Accord Sport, which gets bigger wheels, wireless smartphone connectivity, and a power driver seat. This year the Sport comes in Hybrid spec, with 19-inch wheels, LED headlights, heated front seats, and an 8-speaker sound system.

If you have to spend more money, the $32,805 EX-L has leather upholstery and a 450-watt sound system, plus wireless smartphone charging. It’s $34,005 as a hybrid.

How much is a fully loaded Honda Accord?

The $38,415 Accord Touring comes with cooled front seats, a head-up display, 19-inch wheels, parking sensors, and leather upholstery.

Is the Honda Accord good on gas?

It is, but Hybrids are better than others. We rate it here based on the most popular Accord LX and EX-L, which earn EPA ratings of 30 mpg city, 38 highway, 33 combined. That makes it a 6.

With the bigger 19-inch wheels on the Accord Sport, fuel economy falls to 29/35/32 mpg. Then if you add the 2.0-liter turbo-4, it dips again, to 22/32/26 mpg.

The Hybrid LX has the best ratings, at 48/47/47 mpg; Sport and Touring Hybrids have bigger tires and more equipment, and get clocked by the EPA at 44/41/43 mpg.