One of America's best selling sedans just got a major overhaul and wow does it look good. The 2018 Honda Accord ditches the understated styling of previous generations in favor of a racy coupe-like silhouette, which is good because Honda just killed the Accord coupe. A new set of turbocharged 4-cylinder engines replaces the previous 4- and 6-cylinder engines, allowing Honda engineers to give the Accord a lower, wider stance. The longer wheelbase of the new Accord improves rear seat space so much that a rear-facing child seat can now fit safely without banging against the front seat back. Honda Sensing offers more standard driver assistance features than the Toyota Camry, giving the Ohio-built Accord a slight edge over its longtime nemesis.
Used 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid Prices
The 2018 Honda Accord LX has a base manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) that starts at $24,445, including the $875 target fee. The Sport 1.5 starts at $26,655 with manual or CVT transmissions. The EX gets the sticker at $28,345, while the Touring with the 1.5-liter engine is at $34,675. Add the 2.0-liter engine to the mix, and the Sport jumps to $31,185, the EX-L to $32,845, and the Touring to $36,675. The new Honda Accord Hybrid also includes five trim levels, starting at $25,990 for a base model and rising to $35,600 for a touring version. The Accord is priced exactly the same as a similarly equipped Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion, Kia Optima and Chevrolet Malibu and about $2,000 less than a similarly equipped Subaru Legacy 4x4 with EyeSight driver assistance. Be sure to check the KBB.com Fair Purchase Price to see what others in your area have paid. As far as resale goes, it's too early to give exact figures, but it's safe to say that the new Accord will likely match its excellent 5-year figures with the Toyota Camry and almost every other mid-size sedan will hold.
Driving the used 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid
The 2018 Honda Accord expresses itself differently depending on the trim level. The standard 192PS 1.5-litre engine offers strong off-the-line power and an acceptable level of performance for overtaking and merging, but the biggest benefit is its class-leading combined fuel economy of 33mpg. The move to the 2.0-liter turbo brings a more robust response, with 252 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque already available at 2,200 rpm. We spent a lot of time in the Touring trim, which comes with the 2.0-liter and the adaptive damper system. That engine is mated to a new 10-speed automatic gearbox, which we generally liked, but noticed a slight hesitation followed by a slight shudder during a few overtakes. The adaptive dampers did a good job, helping the Accord around corners with confidence, but also made the big Honda more prone to road distortion and freeway expansion joints. The Touring's 19-inch wheels and low-profile tires didn't help much either.
interior comfort
The 2018 Honda Accord touts an all-new interior that's both roomier and more refined than the 2017 model. Front and center is an available 8-inch infotainment screen with large, colorful tiles, plus pinch, swipe, and zoom functions. The cavernous rear seat offers plenty of legroom and can be fitted with seat heaters, but sadly no USB or extra power ports. Up front there is more space in all directions and the controls are logically arranged and easy to use. A curiosity is the push-button gear selector, which sits right next to the cup holders. We've all experienced drink spills while driving, leading us to question the wisdom of placing a flat-screen pushbutton controller so close to a potential liquid spill.
Exterior-Styling
The new Accord is slightly shorter but lower and wider than the previous car. The low bonnet improves aerodynamics, aided by an underbody aerodynamic kit and, on 1.5 EX trims, active grille shutters. The wheelbase of the 2018 Accord is also longer and the track is wider. The result is a very seductive looking Accord that only looks better when you move the panels up. The Sport wears 19-inch black and chrome alloy wheels, LED fog lights, and a rear spoiler, while the Touring trims get full-LED headlights, adaptive dampers, and front and rear parking sensors. Thanks to some clever repackaging, the Accord Hybrid now offers the same 16.7 cubic feet of trunk space and folding rear seats as the Accord sedan.
favorite functions
HONDA DETECTION 6-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION
Standard on every Accord, the Honda Sensing Suite offers more standard safety features than any sedan in its class. The package includes adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, collision-mitigating braking, lane departure warning and mitigation, traffic sign recognition and low-speed following.
We know manual transmissions aren't of this world for much longer, but if Sport is your trim name, then a good manual transmission definitely belongs. Available with both the 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre turbocharged engines, the Accord Sport's 6-speed manual transmission is a rarity in a sedan of this size, but it definitely ups the fun factor.
standard functions
The 2018 Accord is available in five trims: LX, Sport, EX, EX-L and Touring. The most basic Accord LX has the 1.5-liter turbocharged engine, continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), Honda Sensing (see Favorite Features), push-button start, dual-zone climate control, 17-inch alloy wheels, LED low-beam headlights, Multiview rear camera, 7" audio display with Bluetooth connectivity and Auto On/Off headlights. Upgrading to Sport trim brings the option of the 2.0-liter engine and manual transmission, plus standard 8-inch display audio, sport combo seats, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, a 12-way driver's seat, 60/40 split rear seat and more.
Work options
In typical Honda fashion, options are allocated by trim. Upgrading to EX trim brings blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a power sunroof, remote start, heated front seats, and rear-seat air vents. The EX-L includes leather seats, a 450-watt audio system and a 4-way power passenger seat. Touring trim adds navigation (optional on the EX-L), full-LED headlights, head-up display, wireless phone charging, HondaLink Assist, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, rain-sensing wipers, and front and rear wipers parking sensors. Hybrid models are pretty much the same as their non-hybrid counterparts, although there's no sport trim.
Engine / gear
Honda's 2018 Accord sedan offers a choice of two turbocharged 4-cylinder engines. Standard is the 1.5-liter turbo with 192 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque, a 7 hp improvement over last year's 2.4-liter engine. A 2.0-liter turbo with 252 hp is available as an option on the Sport, EX and Touring, a noticeable loss of 26 hp from the previous 3.5-liter V6. However, the 2.0-liter brings an additional 21 lb-ft of torque to the table, all available at a much lower rpm. All trims with the 1.5-liter engine are mated to a CVT automatic transmission, except for the Sport, which offers a 6-speed manual option. The 2.0-litre is mated to Honda's new 10-speed automatic, again with the only exception being the Sport 2.0's 6-speed manual. The 2018 Accord Hybrid uses the previous-generation 2.0-liter petrol engine and electric motor setup, along with the CVT transmission. 2.0 liter inline 4 turbocharger (EX-L, Sport, Touring)
1.5L Inline 4 Turbocharged (LX, Sport, EX, EX-L, Touring)
192 hp at 5,500 rpm
192 lb-ft of torque at 1,600-5,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 30/38 mpg (CVT automatic), 29/35 mpg (Sport 1.5 and Touring, CVT automatic), 26/35 mpg (Sport 1.5, manual)
252 hp at 6,500 rpm
273 lb-ft of torque at 1,500-4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 22/32 mpg (Sport manual), 22/32 mpg (Sport and Touring, automatic), 22/34 mpg (EX-L, automatic)
2.0-liter inline-4 + AC synchronous permanent magnet electric motor (Accord Hybrid)
212 hp combined at 6,200 rpm
232 lb-ft of torque @ 0-2,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 47/47 mpg
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