2017 Honda Accord Hybrid Owner’s Review
by Kevin W. Moore
It was time for a new car. Our 2007 Honda Accord had provided excellent service for nearly 100,000 miles but had been worked hard and put away wet for most of its nine years. Moreover I had recently retired, it was around the time of our wedding anniversary, and we were in the upbeat mood to expand our automotive horizons beyond the strictly utilitarian.
We also wanted to up our efficiency game. Our gasoline-powered Accord and Civic were no slouches in this regard, but the past decade has seen striking advances in electric and gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle technology. I’m certainly no hard-core Greenie; “Man-Made Lukewarming” is about where I stand, and hand-wringing declarations of the Climate Change Catastrophe I will precipitate on my next Sunday pleasure drive or by hopping a 737 to Denver make my eyes roll. Nonetheless I’m enthusiastic about and want to support – within financial reason – technology advances related to vehicle efficiency. Senior Management (my spouse) agreed, so we started looking.
Virtually all the electric vehicles available were too small, cramped, uncomfortable and range-limited by battery capacity, as though braying reproachfully, “We Must All Resolutely Sacrifice Comfort, Utility and Fun to Save the Planet.” Right. The Tesla Model S was an exception, a beautiful car and remarkable, cutting-edge engineering achievement. But for us the $100+K price was a stretch and range constraints were still inconvenient for our contemplated travel. Even Tesla’s “look how rich and green I am” cachet did not tip the value proposition for us.
Honda had recently reintroduced a gas-electric hybrid model of its perennial flagship car, the Accord. Efficiency ratings were impressive and initial reviews in the automotive press were positive. The Accord’s long history of awards in the family sedan segment, its reliability record and our experience owning two of them predisposed us to consider this model seriously. Which we did, and we bought a Hybrid Touring Edition.
Initial Impressions
Honda redesigned the Accord exterior in 2016 and the 2017 model seems to have no major additional changes. To my eyes it’s attractive, purposeful and efficient, conservative but not stodgy. Of note is the prominent chrome bar that spans the front grille, similar to several recent Acura models. It is somewhat less dramatic than the similar flourish on the new Civic and is apparently in vogue. To detractors it evokes a raptor’s beak or an overbite wearing the Mother of All Orthodontic Appliances; while it is the one visual aspect about which I am mildly ambivalent, I have to admit it is growing on me. Truth be told, friends and family opine that in matters of taste I was already 40 years old when I was born, so I’ll drop this subject with the final comment that I smile when I look at the car each time I drive it.
The interior is vintage Accord: Excellent fit-and-finish, very comfortable, with controls and instruments in well-thought-out locations that fall readily to hand. The EX-L and Touring trim levels have a primary instrument cluster and two additional screens displaying various driving, navigation, entertainment and communications information. I find it very comfortable on a long drive, notably more so than our 2007 Accord, and you don’t have to pry the seat off your tail after 4-5 hours. Rear seat legroom in our car seems particularly impressive. Senior Management and son readily nod off for naps, which I’ll take as an endorsement of passenger comfort.
Open the trunk and you will see one of the few compromises in this car. Batteries powering the electric drive had to go somewhere, and as a result the trunk, at 13.5 cu ft, is about 2 cu ft smaller than in the gasoline-powered Accord. In addition the rear seat does not fold forward to expand cargo space. Trunk space is quite sufficient for most family trips or for carting Uncle Ralph home when he’s had too many Wild Turkeys, but Accord Hybrid owners contemplating scorched-earth shopping expeditions will want to borrow a minivan. Moreover there is no spare tire – Honda instead provides an air pump and sealant. Whether this turns out to be an inspired choice or brings the barbarians to Honda’s gates remains to be seen.
Driving Experience
To me, perhaps the best thing about this car is that it is an Accord that happens to be a hybrid. Numerous automotive publications, for example Car & Driver, Autoblog, Motor Trend, and Green Car Reports, have reviewed it from the expert’s perspective. Thus the nuances of ride, handling, cornering, acceleration and braking have been dissected in detail “far beyond my own poor power to add or detract” and certainly far beyond most owners’ ability to fully appreciate in everyday driving.
The electric drive accelerates the car smartly and almost silently from a stop; absent a regular compulsion to blow past Ferraris going uphill on The Grapevine, the combined performance from the electric and gasoline-powered engines is more than adequate, even satisfying. The car goes precisely where you point it, delivers a smooth ride in a variety of road conditions, and corners well enough to breeze around traffic circles or power through a right turn before that pedestrian even steps off the curb.
In my experience, the car is very quiet, noticeably quieter than our earlier Accords, with an interesting exception: The nature of the hybrid drive system means that engine noise increases noticeably under high power demand, often seemingly at variance with what the car is actually doing. This is all the more surprising because the Accord Hybrid is otherwise so quiet, but after nearly two months and more than 2000 miles we’re pretty used to it.
Hybrid Technology
The Accord Hybrid has a 2.0 liter, 143 hp 4-cylinder “Lean Atkinson Combustion Cycle” gasoline engine and two electric motors (one acting as a generator) with an output of 181 hp. Combined output is 212 hp, nearly 30 hp greater than the 4-cylinder gasoline-only model. As a biologist, electricity has always been an opaque science to me, and the engineering math that adds 143 to 181 to get 212 further illustrates my hopelessness in this regard.
There are three driving modes, “EV” (battery-powered electric drive only, annunciated on the main instrument cluster), “Hybrid,” and “Engine Drive.” The system shifts seamlessly between these modes as power and battery charging requirements dictate. With no hesitation or perceptible jolts, the transitions are very much transparent to the driver.
EV mode is self-explanatory and operates when power requirements are low. With some patience, a well-charged battery and circumspect footwork, one can get from a stop to 55-60 mph in EV mode, at least on level ground or going downhill. EV mode also can be engaged by pressing the “EV” button on the passenger’s side of the shifter console, although the only circumstance I can imagine doing so would be if I had run out of gas. As this location is somewhat vulnerable to inadvertent activation by inquisitive children or oblivious adult right-seat passengers, occasional driver vigilance may be in order. Don’t ask me how I know.
In Hybrid mode the gas engine awakens to spin the generator, providing electrons to the AC drive motor and charging the batteries. Virtually all normal driving is split automatically between EV and Hybrid operation.
When power demand is high, such as rapid acceleration or high-speed cruising, Engine Drive steps in, the computer engages a wet clutch, and both gas and electric (if needed) motors can provide the motivation commanded by the driver.
The innovative nature of this three-drive mode arrangement means that there is no transmission in the conventional sense.
Driver Assist Technology
All three Hybrid trim levels are equipped with rear- and side-view cameras as well as the “Honda Sensing” suite of Collision Mitigating Braking, Forward Collision Warning, Road Departure Mitigation, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Assist and Adaptive Cruise Control. This is my first experience with sensing technology, and despite a few quirks it overall works quite well and is a welcome addition. Among the quirks, Lane Departure Warning and Lane Keeping Assist sometimes have trouble distinguishing genuine lane demarcations from things like skid marks, paint spills or other color/brightness inconsistencies in the road surface.
Our Touring Edition also includes forward and rear parking-assist sensors. I find these quite useful for parallel parking or entering our crowded garage as they provide audible cues for straightening out and stopping the car. Somewhat amusingly, they often activate and beep continuously – waking Senior Management and son from their naps – when a lane-splitting motorcycle comes alongside at a stoplight, making the green light even more welcome than usual!
Driver-Interface Technology
Like most new cars, the Accord Hybrid has an impressive array of technology for controlling and monitoring various audio, display and convenience features. Apple Car Play (or its Android counterpart) enables hands-free, eyes-on-the-road, voice-activated or touchscreen operation of some (not all) iPhone/iPad applications, including music, Apple Maps/Navigation, phone calls and text messaging.
Changing volume, radio stations or music tracks can be managed through the main touchscreen display or via buttons in the steering wheel. Some of this can also be accomplished via the Voice Command System. The touchscreen does not provide tactile feedback that your instruction has been acknowledged and understood, so I prefer using the steering wheel controls while driving.
The primary instrument cluster in front of the driver as well as the two multifunction displays in the center of the panel can be configured to display a variety of information (see below). It is definitely wise to spend some quality time in the car with the manual to set up everything the way you want it before driving, because function menus can be more than one or two levels deep and dealing with any “what is it doing now” surprises can quickly become a dangerous distraction while driving.
The Accord has its own Voice Command System, separate from that on your smartphone, that can operate the audio, climate control and navigation systems. While quite useful, its receptive vocabulary is limited, kind of like Siri’s toddler daughter but with a sultry voice. I find the Voice Commands most useful for the on-board navigation system that is standard in the Touring Edition. We were a bit on the fence about the navigation system as its capabilities will inevitably be soon eclipsed by those on smartphones. Database updates for the onboard GPS are far less frequent than Google Maps updates and will come at not insignificant cost. However, one advantage is that, unlike a smartphone, it doesn’t need an internet connection or cellular data to provide navigation and map information.
Siri’s kid also provides voice navigation. When one chooses a different route, “Recalculating” is her annunciation while the system figures out how to get there from here. To our ears, it’s delivered in a toddler pout: “ReCALculating,” as though she really wanted to say, “I hate going that way,” or “What part of ‘Turn right on West Charleston Road’ don’t you understand?” In the end we opted for the navigation system mainly because our son loves to watch and operate it, which eases his boredom on long drives.
Efficiency, the Bottom Line
No matter what other features it has, the first thing most people ask about a hybrid car is, “How’s the gas mileage?” The EPA-derived figures for Honda’s hybrid and gasoline-powered Accords are (from Honda’s website):
EPA estimates, MPG:
2017 Hybrid: 47 Hwy, 49 City, 48 Combined
2017 V6: 33 Hwy, 21 City, 25 Combined
2017 4-cylinder: 32 Hwy, 23 City, 26 Combined
However if there’s anything less reliable than a new boyfriend who swears he’ll respect you in the morning or a Federal Reserve Banker saying that interest rates will rise next quarter, it’s EPA mileage estimates.
The Accord Hybrid, like all other hybrids and in contrast to cars powered by gasoline only, achieves better efficiency in local rather than highway driving. This is because the car spends more time in electric drive mode in local driving than at highway speeds. As speed increases, ever more power is required to sustain that speed against the implacable forces of rolling friction – where the rubber meets the road – and atmospheric drag. Eventually the electric drive becomes very much the junior partner in this effort, and more fuel is required per mile driven. In our Accord Hybrid, this becomes noticeable at 65-70 mph and obvious by 75-80. Similarly, if one drives uphill and/or against a headwind, fuel economy decreases. Where physics is involved, there is no free lunch!
Recognizing that most Hybrid owners suffer from severe OCD regarding efficiency, Honda has enabled multiple simultaneous displays of fuel economy that can be configured by the driver: Instantaneous MPG, MPG on the current drive (since engine start), MPG for each of the prior four or five drives, MPG since the most recent fuel fillup (we set “Trip A” to show this), MPG since you and your date stopped to fool around in the back seat, and MPG since whenever Senior Management last reminded me to reset trip odometer B.
In my observation these readouts are quite accurate; if anything they are conservative and I take on a bit less fuel than predicted. This information abundance has a beneficial, perhaps unintended consequence: It provides actionable real-time feedback for improving the efficiency of one’s driving technique. While I was certainly no lead-foot when we bought the car, I was seduced by the game and have improved my technique by 2-3 mpg on most drives. And no, the key is not driving more slowly, instead judicious use of throttle and sparing use of brakes are the ticket. You really can get to your destination just as fast yet more efficiently.
In my experience the EPA city mileage figure is actually conservative. A frequent nine-mile trip on local streets (level ground) routinely reads out 49-55 MPG ( in Econ mode). In contrast, the 47 MPG highway driving figure may be too optimistic, at least for travel in California and the Southwest where rural highway flow-of-traffic speeds are 75-80 mph and both elevation changes and winds can be significant. A recent 1130-mile round trip from Palo Alto, California (sea level) to Elko, Nevada (at 5066 feet) delivered overall fuel economy of 44 MPG. The highest elevation was over 7000 feet at the Donner Pass, with multiple uphill/downhill stretches through the basins-and-ranges of northern Nevada. The final leg home was mostly downhill, while the Elko-to-Reno leg had a significant headwind. Thus I think a realistic expectation for long-distance freeway driving in our car is 40-45 MPG.
Finally, regarding the combined MPG figure, a trip to visit a friend in Cupertino (14 miles, about 300 feet of elevation change, and about 70% freeway/30% local driving) returned 43-45 MPG on the outbound uphill trip and 50-54 MPG on the downhill return drive. An 84-mile round trip (about 85% freeway and 15% local) from Palo Alto to a San Francisco restaurant was 48.6 MPG. A round trip from Palo Alto to San Jose International Airport (25 miles, about 80% freeway, 20% local) was 51.1 MPG. Based on these and other examples I think Honda’s 48 MPG combined is a reasonable benchmark.
Despite this miserly appetite for gas, Honda wisely gave the Accord Hybrid a 15.8 gallon fuel capacity. This translates to at least a 600 mile range between fillups, more like 650-700 miles under most driving conditions. This flexibility allows a long day of highway travel without worrying about a fuel stop.
How much do you pay for the privilege of driving an Accord Hybrid, showing off your Green Lean and tweaking that earnest friend who broods about Climate Change Disaster while driving a sport sedan or SUV with “Use Less Live More,” “Be the Change You Wish to See,” and “Reduce Your Carbon Footprint” bumper stickers? The comparison to Honda’s gasoline-powered Accords is challenging because equipment levels are not exactly the same.
Nonetheless I tried to configure a gasoline model as closely as possible to either the base model or Touring Edition Hybrid. From the Honda website, the base model Hybrid MSRP is $29,605, while a four cylinder Accord EX with Honda sensing and back-up sensors is $28,044; the Hybrid Premium with respect to the latter is $1,561. At the other end of the lineup, the Hybrid Touring model is $35,955 while the gasoline-only V6 Touring Accord is $34,830, the difference being $1,125. Next we’ll add the nearly 10% sales tax that you’ll pay on that difference in several People’s Republic of California jurisdictions. However, comparing MSRP is somewhat misleading because demand exceeds supply for the Hybrid while gasoline-only Accords, perhaps suffering from a touch of Civic Envy, are plentiful and more likely to be discounted by dealers. Thus the real-world Hybrid Premium is likely higher than MSRP comparisons suggest, let¡|s round up to $2,000.
How long would it take for fuel savings to earn back that $2 000 Hybrid Premium? Using the combined EPA MPG figures (25 MPG vs. 48 MPG), at $2.50/gallon it’s just shy of 42,000 miles, or three to four years of average use. If fuel costs more, payback happens sooner, just over 26,000 miles at $4.00/gallon.
For some, that may be a longish time to wait. But no matter, I love the car. It’s comfortable, quiet, exhibits excellent quality of workmanship, performs very well and is remarkably efficient. The Accord Hybrid thus presses all of my personal “value” buttons. Overall the Accord Hybrid delivers remarkably near-Prius fuel efficiency in a 3600-lb car that offers excellent performance, drivability, economy/range, quiet roomy comfort for four or five, Honda-like fit-and-finish, and styling that does not evoke an arthropod from the Ordovician Period. In my opinion it’s not just a better hybrid, it’s a better Accord. 
Photos by the author and American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
Kevin W. Moore recently retired from a career in pharmaceutical biotechnology R&D and is an instrument-rated private pilot. He spends retired life reading, writing, exercising, consulting, traveling and being a nuisance to his long-suffering wife Tina.