HONDA Accord 2018

Body, cabin and cargo space

Wider, lower and longer in the wheelbase than the outgoing model, the 2018 Honda Accord adheres to the same proportioning as the revamped 2016 Civic. The new dimensions combine with a sharply sloped roofline to give the car a dynamic new look.

The changes lower the car to a point where entry, and especially exit, may become difficult for a section of targeted customers. The slope of the roof also calls for caution when entering the rear.

However, once inside, four good-sized adults find all the room they need, including height, with even more head- and legroom for 2018. Seating is comfortable, especially in front, with just the right amount of side support. For once, the cushions are long enough for good thigh support for tall people, which is quite rare from Honda.

The low driving position will please as many drivers as it displeases. Tall people will appreciate the wide, well-positioned footrest more than they will the intrusion of the centre console at right knee level.

The rear bench is not very well shaped but it, too, provides adequate thigh support. To fold the 60/40-split seats, first you have to pull the releases in the trunk, and then return to the cabin to lower the seatbacks. You then have to deal with a narrow pass-through and an uneven floor. Trunk volume increases slightly compared to the former model, with height more impressive than the width, limited by the large wheel wells.

Finish and convenience

At first glance, the 2018 Honda Accord seems richly trimmed, with lots of soft-touch materials and nice chrome accents. However, we noticed wide, uneven gaps in some body panels. The grille around the automatic emergency braking radar under the front bumper is so sparse that we thought it was broken at first. The trunk carpeting looks very cheap, and the trim was missing on the trunk lid of one of the two cars we tested.

The dashboard has a horizontal layout, with a screen sitting above the centre stack, as is very much the fashion. Things function well overall, especially now that Honda has brought back actual buttons and a pair of knobs to complement the infotainment system. The touch-screen interface, like that of the Odyssey van, is more structured and responsive than before. Several competitors still do better, but Honda is moving in the right direction.

The completely digital instrument panel includes a speedometer that looks analog, and a programmable dial replaces the conventional tachometer. You can always display the latter, but not at the same time as the trip computer information. Meanwhile, there is an empty space in the middle of the cluster. It is something for Honda to think about.

The same goes for the push-button gear selector delivered with the 2.0-litre engine/10-speed transmission combination. The different-shaped switches make it easier to shift “by touch”, but a conventional shift lever like the one that comes with the 1.5-litre engine is always more intuitive and quicker to use. In any event, the layout of the buttons takes up as much room as a traditional lever, with no gain in storage space. In all fairness, though, there is plenty of storage, as is typical of Honda.

Safety features

• Antilock brakes with electronic brake force distribution and brake assist
• Stability and traction control
• Hill start assist
• Front airbags
• Drive and front passenger knee airbags
• Front side airbags
• Side curtain airbags
• Pretensioners for front seatbelts
• Five head restraints (adjustable on side seats, retractable on rear middle seat)
• Tire pressure monitor
• Multiangle rearview camera
• Lane departure alert with automatic lane centering
• Lane keeping assist
• Forward collision alert
• Automatic emergency braking
• Passenger-side blind-spot camera (standard, Sport and EX-L; non-available, other trims)
• Blind-spot and front and rear cross traffic alert (standard, Touring; non-available, other trims)
• Front and rear parking sensors (standard, Touring; non-available, other trims)

Crash test results

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Overall score: 5 / 5
Frontal impact: 5 / 5
Side impact: 5 / 5
Rollover resistance: 5 / 5

Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (IIHS)
Moderate overlap frontal impact: 4 / 4
Small overlap frontal impact:
- driver side: 4 / 4
- passenger side: 4 / 4
Side impact: 4 / 4
Rear impact: 4 / 4
Roof strength: 4 / 4

IIHS Top Safety Pick

Visibility

This year’s Honda Accord displays a more rounded shape than before but the glass surface is still good, with a relatively horizontal window line. Honda also narrowed the A-pillars for improved visibility at intersections and in tight turns. As is common to all sedans, the high trunk lid hampers rear visibility. The backup camera with its three angles of view is a help, though it quickly becomes dirty in winter.

As usual, Honda restricts the traditional blind-spot monitoring system to the top-trim model. Too bad, because it is more efficient and easier to use than the LaneWatch system on Sport and EX-L models, which forces you to check the centre screen and does not monitor the blind spot on driver’s side.

Engine and transmission

The new base engine of the 2018 Honda Accord first appeared under the hood of the redesigned 2016 Civic and on the CRV the following year. Equipped with a turbo and direct fuel injection, this 1.5L 4-cylinder outputs 192 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque between 1,600 and 5,000 RPM—more than last year’s “large” 2.4L 4-cylinder and impossible from such a small engine five years ago.

The engine is energetic enough when paired to the continuously variable transmission (CVT). The CVT reacts instantaneously in all circumstances—a good thing, because power is deployed at relatively high RPMs, for a modern turbo engine. It mimics the shifts of a conventional automatic in heavy acceleration, but with more delay that certain competitors. As a result, the engine tends to run at mid- or high-level RPMs more often than one would like, and rather noisily to boot.

That can be remedied in one of two ways. The first is to opt for the manual gearbox delivered standard on LX and Sport version. As tested on the Civic hatchback and Si models with the 1.5L engine, it made the engine feel more refined and responsive. It also proved very pleasant to use, despite an overly light clutch.

The second solution, and one that should appeal to a wider swath of owners, is to opt for the 2.0L engine available as an option on Sport and Touring models. It is not as smooth as the old 3.5L V6, but it is much quieter, and more flexible and linear than the base engine. Its mid-level performance calls to mind the Volkswagen/Audi turbo 2.0L, a good reference if ever there was one.

The new 10-speed automatic is smooth and fluid and makes very good use of engine power. It certainly makes driving more engaging than with the CVT, even despite an occasion hesitation in finding the right gear when you mash the accelerator pedal. As mentioned previously, opting for the manual on the Sport model lets you get around those minor defects while enjoying the liveliness of the engine. Thank you, Honda, on behalf of all the purists out there!

Our measured fuel consumption was 8.8 L/100 km during our winter tests with the 1.5L engine, and 9.7 L/100 km with the 2.0L. That exceeds Natural Resources Canada’s official ratings by 16 and 5 percent respectively, which is not unusual in very cold weather.

For maximum fuel economy, you can turn to the hybrid, with a combined rating of 5.1 L/100 km. There is no trade-off in terms of power, since a 2.0L 4-cylinder combined with an electric motor provides a total of 212 hp.

Ride and handling

The Honda Accord midsize sedan has almost always been a standout in its segment for its dynamic handling. The new generation reinforces this aspect, sometimes to the detriment of the ride.

Stability is the keyword on the highway, where the car’s low profile isolates it from side winds. Steering is precise, well-weighted, and stable at centre point, with no negative impact on response in curves, where it provides enough road sensation to up the fun factor.

Firm and docile on the highway, the suspension provides excellent control of body motions. In other words, the Accord does not make you car-sick and leans very little in turns. In this respect, the Sport model’s new adaptive damping suspension hits the mark.

It is in the city that this reassuring firmness sometimes gives way to a bit of stiffness. Pavement cracks and sharp bumps reverberate too easily in the cabin. The 19-in. low profile tires on Sport and Touring models probably do not help the cause, but we did not have an opportunity to test the 17-in. wheels in comparison.

On the subject of comfort, Honda mentions having improved sound isolation in a number of ways on this new Accord, with all models even offering an active noise suppression system. Clearly, however, tire noise is still not sufficiently suppressed; several rivals do better.

Braking also could be refined, as several of our testers found the pedal to be too sensitive. On the other hand, power and stability are satisfactory in emergency braking situations.