The 2013 Honda Accord ranks 8 out of 18 Affordable Midsize Cars. This ranking is based on our analysis of 14 published reviews and test drives of the Honda Accord, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.
Auto critics agree the all-new Honda Accord will appeal to a broad range of midsize car buyers with its extensive powertrain lineup and upscale interior, but the redesign doesn’t knock any reviewers’ socks off.
There were low points in the past few years when we doubted Honda, but Big H might be on its way back. The new, ninth-generation Accord is a convincing reminder of the company’s core values and—considering all Honda has been through, including an earthquake that smashed its Tochigi R&D center and floods in Thailand that crimped production—a triumphant return to form.
This latest Accord is 3.5 inches shorter bumper to bumper and 0.9 inch tighter at the wheelbase than its fleshy predecessor. Yet once again, Honda conducts a master class in packaging. Against its porcine predecessor, the 2013 car’s cabin dimensions vary hardly at all. The Accord still feels like one of the biggest cars in the segment, with two roomy and extra-comfortable front buckets and a back bench you and two friends can stretch out on. Moreover, the capacious trunk is even larger, maximum volume having increased by over one cubic foot.
Reviewers like the Accord sedan’s new interior, saying that it’s one of the most spacious and comfortable in the class. With more standard features than many rivals, like a rearview camera and hands-free text messaging capability, test drivers are impressed with the increase in value over the 2012 model, as well as the high-end materials and high-tech available safety features. They like the overall design, and several appreciate the simplified control layout. MarketWatch writes, "Inside, Honda did its best to create a touch or three of luxury with some new gadgets along with a new one-piece dash panel." One downside reviewers point out is that the back seat folds down in one piece instead of two, which means no one can sit in the back when you have large cargo items to haul.
For 2013, Accord ditched its more expensive double wishbone front suspension for a simpler – and more compact – MacPherson strut setup. The difference isn't immediately apparent in normal driving, especially since the electric power steering has been setup for quick, easily dialed-in responses. Around town, the Accord's tiller requires an acceptable amount of effort and it offers excellent highway stability. But steering feel, the sensation of what the front wheels are actually encountering, is quite low. Of course, that's not unusual for the midsize sedan class, and the Accord generally rewards with terrific sporty dynamics.
The overhauled DOHC 2.4-liter four falls under the somewhat nonsensical Earth Dreams marketing slogan; more important, however, is that it represents Honda’s first whack at gasoline direct injection for the North American market. Your only automatic alternative to the six-speed manual with this engine is a Honda-built continuously variable transmission (CVT) called the G-Design Shift (Honda’s committee for cutesy names has been working overtime).
The 2.4-liter is quieter at idle than some other direct-injection engines with their clattering high-pressure injectors, particularly Hyundai’s. And the Honda likes to rev, sounding healthy and full throated at its 6400-rpm power peak. But it’s the CVT’s tuning that makes the Accord feel fleet. The typical rubber-band delay has been minimized, and the throttle responds curtly when you ask for acceleration (although sometimes with some audible transmission whine at high revs). In mountain snakers as well as on city streets, the CVT works so efficiently that it all but disappears, and you never notice the lack of a manual control. Of course, we’d prefer the optional six-speed stick, with its tightly spaced gates and short throws—but, finally, a belt-and-pulley transmission we can live with!
It's hard to argue with the 2013 Honda Accord. Though not as emotionally evocative as rivals from Hyundai, Ford and Mazda, this clean slate redesign of a perennial favorite should be on every shopping list.
We're even big fans of the V6, which offers similar - if not better - real world fuel economy to competitors' more complex turbocharged four-cylinders.
Simply put, the Accord does so many things so well.
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