More info on the 2023 Honda Accord 1.5T EX here:
Ratings and test results on every car CR purchases and tests:
We purchased a 2023 Honda Accord 1.5T EX for CR's auto test program, and share our first impressions of the changes to the latest generation of this popular mid-size sedan, how it compares to the Honda Accord Hybrid Sport model we're also testing, as well as competitors like the Toyota Camry, Subaru Legacy, and Nissan Altima, and question why Honda has restricted many desirable options to just hybrid powertrain models. We also weigh in on a viewer's conspiracy theory that big trucks and SUVs are only popular because of distracted drivers and poor road conditions in the US.
LINKS
Which Hybrid Should You Buy – Honda Accord or Toyota Camry?:
Best Midsized and Large Sedans You Can Buy Today:
Subaru Legacy First Impressions:
:18 – 2023 Honda Accord first impressions
1:27 – What is missing in this version of the Honda Accord?
4:30 – is this car a good choice for families?
7:19 – Driving impressions
10:33 – infotainment and controls
13:05 – comfort and fit & finish
16:56 – standard model vs. hybrid
21:05 – are bad drivers and crumbling roads making SUVs more popular?
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As a new accord owner, its amazing, its quiet, the features work so good for us, LOVE
Congrats on your new Accord! Which trim did you buy? Are the seats comfy?
@HereIgoAgainnot that person but I have a sport and the seats are good to me, definitely much more comfortable than Hondas in the past
It’s terrible they went backward in design and power
Emily and Alex have been SUCH good additions to this podcast! C’mon CR, pair them with Ryan for the first “all non-geriatric/no dad jokes” Talking Cars episode!
No literally they always have better takes
I like dad jokes
most people wathcing this podcast are geriatric…….. they have to appeal to an audience. I agree tho, as a young person I truly feel Gabe, Mike and especially Jen ostricize themselves from anything modern
Thanks CR! Kudos to Honda for investing in the Accord. I like sedans because hauling stuff is too much work for me.
I think one of the main reasons for the change from station wagons to minivans to suvs is children’s fear of turning into their parents, so they don’t want to drive the family hauler they grew up in.
25:24 Emily nailed it. Child seat regulations. Anyone who’s tried schlepping child seats in and out of a sexy low slung sedan will shop for an SUV/Minivan the next day.
@sprague49 agreed
3:40 and i will miss it. The hot accord (especially with a manual) is really what seperated it from the rest of the pack.
Now that’s all Mazda.
Still holding on to my 05 Outback XT.
Save the manuals!
Save the wagons!
3rd engine at this point? 😂
Okay so Emily focuses on safety inside the vehicle which is fine, but these larger car seats and subsequent SUVs and EVs are terrible for safety outside the vehicle. Yes, there are a lot of cultural reasons Americans like SUVs, especially larger ones. The shift away from sedans is a worldwide phenomenon, but other parts of the world are driving more small hatchbacks, MPV/minivans, and very small SUVs. The benefit being a larger more flexible trunk, but not really a larger footprint than a sedan. In the USA, we’re just going straight to Tellurides and pick-up trucks. Honda and Toyota don’t even offer mainstream SUVs larger than a RAV-4 or CR-V in Japan and most of the world. These larger and heavier vehicles mean instant death to anybody they hit outside the vehicle, despite improved safety inside the vehicle. Americans are buying more of these larger vehicles because they do not want to feel small on the road. When everyone’s view is raised, nobody’s is. so it’s just a tit-for-tat trying to crane your neck when getting out of the Costco parking lot. Also, Americans not only love to live their lives in their cars via trips and adventures, but also we love to drive long distances to make big shopping trips twice a month at big box stores. Hence needing a huge trunk to store all the shelf-stable food we buy. Large families aren’t a thing anymore, but we don’t shop like other countries. Other countries walk or take public transit multiple times a week to get groceries.
I’m not as intimidated by SUVs as much as these gigantic slab sided tanks that pass for trucks. I love small cars. I get very nervous when one of these monsters pull up along side of me and completely blots out the horizon. I’m all for owning a utility vehicle for hauling and carrying large groups but if you’re sitting in your Tahoe by yourself during rush hour everyday it may be time to re-evaluate your life.
My wife and I play this game where we try to spot a quad cab pickup that is actually using the bed. It’s so incredibly rare.
Where I live so many people have a massive truck that never does anything besides commuting and getting groceries.
I have the CRV Sport Touring hybrid (top trim), which is significantly quieter than my previous leased 2020 Accord Touring edition. No, it’s not like a Mercedes E class, but it’s the quietest Honda I’ve ever had (had 7 straight leased high end Accords, but the new one is 1″ too long for my garage, so I switched to the 7+ inch shorter CRV). Road noise is way down. Caveat: Extra sound-deadening material and acoustically lined windshield and side window glass comes only with this top trim line. Anyway, your comments on the low seat height in the Accord remind me of why I have zero regrets after the switch. The seat height of the CRV is spot-on for my arthritic knees, so that pain in my life has been eliminated. Also, rear doors open around 90 degrees, so it’s even better for young families with small children than the roomy Accord. Bottom line: It’s the most refined Honda yet. Mileage is less than in the hybrid Accord, but I’ve been coming close to EPA numbers in mixed driving. It has the same drivetrain system as the Touring Accord (excepting I have AWD) which, I would assume, is also quieter than the EX Accord.
The Accord and CR-V both have unnecessarily long front overhangs. Look ugly as hell from the side.
I don’t understand what people expect the Accord to be…….From day 1 it was made for the everyday driving family who wants something comfortable, safe, and reliable. Not racing and turn heads.
Things have changed quite a bit since 1978.
Not sure about day one , but in gen 7 you would get a sweet 2 door accord with a V6 and a manual transmission.
I expect it to be the Asian model!! We need the best . What u on?
How about you all just go get Acura if it’s not meeting your expectations.
also it is expensive now a days. not exactly affordable
In my country, your license has a provision based on the weight of the vehicle you plan to drive, thus SUV drivers have a different exam than sedan drivers. If you get caught operating a vehicle heavier than you’re permitted to, you get fined.
How interesting, which country is that?
Very interesting. In the US you can drive any single vehicle up to 26,000 lbs GVWR and towing a trailer up to 10k with the most basic license.
My hybrid sport gets currently 59.5 town /45.5 highway. Spend a little more to get better mpg. I love my new honda accord sport hybrid ! ❤
Modern hybrids are amazing.
I get about the same from my ’21 Camry.
28:00 When driving my modestly (2”) lifted crew cab versus my Honda Accord, I experience a lot less aggressive drivers cutting me off for some reason.
Somehow, driving a vehicle with steel bumpers, whose elevation is right at the average sedan driver’s head when driving, makes them more careful drivers… 😅
You are driving a vehicle that is needlessly more lethal to other drivers on the road as well as less safe and stable for you and while you might not be an aggressive, dangerous driver it certainly is not at all difficult to find many lifted truck drivers who are.
This model would’ve been perfect if only they added rear ac vents and usb ports. I picked a touring and love it so far, its super roomy, very comfortable seats. I have 2 kids 20 months and 5 yr old and they fit perfectly fine. Honda’s focus is pretty clear with this generation which is mpg over power.
Talking about “needing more space” in our vehicles, I CHALLENGE CR to take an Accord and a CR-V side by side and load the up with family and gear and see what/how/who fits better. I think the assumption that SUVs are roomier/more comfortable is not always the case.
That’s a fair challenge. I will say that my RDX can easily hold more than my TL – especially considering the seats don’t fold down in the back.
Nice review. The last generation Accord had a dealer installed optional heated leather steering wheel, available even on the base LX trim. A mystery why it’s no longer offered.
I purchased a 2023 accord Ex at MSRP $31,160, Gas only and I’m averaging 42 mpg with mostly highway mileage. At 6’4” I’m comfortable and with a daily commute of 87 miles a day I’m happy.
I don’t necessarily think the shifts in peoples needs are actually a thing; I think it’s perception. People aren’t good at driving and associate being higher as being in a ‘better’ driving position because they value that and probably have never considered that a sedan/wagon feels better and more connected on the road.
Unless you’re carrying rally tall things, I’m sure a current accord is just as useful as a family car as the current CRV.
Also there is something to be said about the charm of the base lx and ex models over the hybrid; less mpg but ultimately probably cheaper to own in the long run; insurance is a factor too. These giant battery equipped hybrids are more expensive to ensure and more likely to be totaled because of the sheer cost of the components.
I sat in an Ex today and found the seat more comfy than my tsx wagon. (Wish honda would make this gen in wagon form)
Rented LX version of this car. The auto start-stop and brake hold feature on at the same time freaked me out. Those plus the turbo lag had me thinking something was wrong with the car until I disabled everything. I know it was my fault because I have an EV and am used to instant power. But still 😳
Frankly, I like the last year’s version because it had some curves. At a dealership recently that had more than fifty of them in stock right next to each other. The white ones basically look like police cars that were unmarked. Boring, but I do like the new powertrains for the hybrid.