The popularity of the Honda Accord in the domestic market is very high, thanks to its good overall performance and reliability.
For decades, the Honda Accord has been the model for mid-size family cars. Whether you need fuel economy, performance or reliability, the Accord offers it all. 2021 models still do. But the car has received a few updates this year, including a design change to the front and also and the introduction of wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay for even easier in-car connectivity.
The Accord has been our top choice for mid-size sedans for the past few years, but a new competitor has managed to barely pull the plug on Honda. This is the upstart Kia K5, which has been trying to do everything right for a few years now and manages to do almost everything as well or better than the Accord, but at a lower price and in a sleeker style, but here we are talking about the foreign version of the K5. it's an evenly matched battle between the two, with other competitors including the Mazda6 and Hyundai Sonata close behind. While these cars are all close, customers may end up choosing the right one for them due to price or preference.
Some rival sedans may outperform the Accord in some areas, but no other sedan combines it all like the Accord does.
The engine and gearbox pair are likeable, although the numbers aren't impressive. 8.4S 0-100 km/h acceleration is just average for the class, but the Accord's response to the accelerator is very quick, and Honda's CVT automatic transmission will rev the engine as low as possible to improve fuel economy, but it also responds quickly and smoothly to make power when you need it. time.
The Accord handles corners well, with good control of roll and grip, and smooth braking. We tested the brakes from 100-0 km/h and the braking distances were also in the average for the class.
Inside the Accord you can experience a quiet and comfortable environment. The headrests and backrests of the front seats are comfortable, but the cushions are not soft enough. If you can find the right seating position, it is still comfortable for long drives. The interior adjustments are also straightforward, with all the air conditioning settings being adjustable via direct and clearly marked buttons and knobs. Of course, the automatic settings also do a good job of helping you to adjust the cabin temperature.
In the top trim tested, it comes with adaptive suspension and large 19-inch wheels, but didn't find the adaptive dampers to be much help with ride quality. If you opt for the 17-inch wheels, thicker tyre sidewalls also cushion the ride, which will reduce the price. Despite the Accord's excellent cabin insulation, tyre noise is noticeable on the motorway and chassis insulation still needs to be improved.
The interior of the Accord is moving closer to modernity and quality soft finish materials are used inside. The spaciousness provides a sense of openness to the customer. The logical layout of physical controls is easy to operate, but the layout of controls on the steering wheel is unintuitive and difficult to adapt.
The seat position in the 10th generation Accord is a little unfriendly to taller drivers, as their knees may rub against a hard piece of plastic trim. The space in the rear for the legs is very good, but headroom is still a little less than ideal.
Honda has done a good job of integrating the infotainment system with the dashboard screen and optional head-up display. both Android and Apple CarPlay are compatible, and Bluetooth pairing is easy. The audio system also fits the price point.
Active safety and assisted driving are standard on the Accord, but blind spot monitoring and a rear cross traffic alert system are not standard. Adaptive cruise control works well for the most part, but sometimes picks up adjacent lanes in corners, something that could be improved. Forward collision warning is very sensitive, but doesn't make mistakes.
The Accord provides customers with as many practical features as possible. Good boot volume, very spacious opening, a little narrow but easy to carry objects up and down. The rear seats support a 6/4 drop, providing more space for long items. There are also plenty of small storage compartments inside the car, providing places for small items. The console armrest box in the middle is large and the front charging port and wireless charging pad (optional) are integrated in the same area. The child seats are also very easy to place, even bulky ones, without problems.
The interior design of the Accord is modern and upmarket. Large areas are covered in soft finishes. There are only a few textured ‘wood finishes', but one can easily tell that these are somewhat tacky hard plastics. Of course, customers can choose from different trim levels, because we believe that you get what you pay for.
There is a reason why the Accord has been so popular for so many years, with few problems and affordable maintenance, which saves customers a lot of trouble. A friend who is involved in car recovery said that they rarely rescue such cars, which is true. But the Accord's competitors go all the time to catch up, the overseas version of the Kia K5 is such a catch-up, he has been able to touch the Accord's position, look at the interior, the Accord is really behind the K5, Honda's pressure will be more and more.
