2022 Honda Accord

2022 Honda Accord

The Honda Accord is one of the most popular cars on the road, for good reason. Once again joined by a hybrid version, this mid-size sedan adds excellent economy to the style, safety, space and attention to detail that it’s offered for years. For 2022 there are some changes to the Sport Hybrid including LED headlights, heated front seats, 8-speaker audio, and 19-inch wheels.

The performance is balanced. The standard engine is a very smooth 1.5-liter turbo-4 making 192 horsepower, with front-wheel drive; all-wheel drive is not available on any Accord. The base engine is mated to a CVT. A slicker transmission, a 10-speed automatic, comes with the uprated engine, a 2.0-liter turbo-4 making 252 horsepower.

The hybrid balances the power at 212 hp while bringing gas mileage ratings of up to 48 mpg. The Accord Hybrid uses two electric motors driven by a battery pack under the floor.

Five adults can fit under the Accord’s sloping roofline. The cabin is soft and quiet, with good fit and finish, and the trunk is big enough.

The base Accord with the 1.5-liter engine is EPA-rated at 30 mpg city, 38 highway, 33 combined; the Sport with its bigger wheels drops by 1 mpg combined. The 2.0-liter engine drops way down to 22/32/26 mpg. Naturally the hybrid is best, with the LX getting 48/47/47 mpg, while the Sport and Touring, with more equipment and weight, get 44/41/43 mpg.

The Accord is one of the safest cars on the road, with five stars in every crash test from the NHTSA, and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS. Its standard safety equipment includes automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitors, active lane control, and adaptive cruise control. Its fastback roofline cuts a bit of rearward vision, but that’s what the blind-spot monitors are for.

Model Lineup

Made in Ohio, the Accord comes as LX, EX-L, Sport and Touring.

For $26,485 the LX comes with cloth upholstery, dual-zone climate control, and an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Hybrid LX is only $1,200 more, so that seems like a tremendous value.

The $32,805 EX-L adds leather, a 450-watt sound system, leather, and wireless phone charging. Again, at $34,005, the Hybrid is only $1,200 more.

The Sport starts at $28,945, and brings 19-inch wheels, wireless phone connectivity, and a power driver seat. The Sport Hybrid has LED headlights, heated front seats, and an 8-speaker sound system.

The $38,415 Touring has a head-up display, while adding cooling to the front seats, and parking sensors.

Every Accord has a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty.

Exterior

For an everyday mid-size sedan, the Accord is striking when viewed in profile, and its details are carefully designed. The profile is stretched by a tapered roofline, and the shoulder creases are cohesive. The tall grille and headlights find a nice balance. It carries the elegance of a luxury car in its roof pillars with their cat-eye trim.

Interior

The interior is not so striking, but instead it’s organized–and isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be? Others see the exterior, while drivers experience the interior. That said, the interior is still streamlined. The cabin is also quiet.

On upper models, wide bands of wood or metallic trim contribute to the sweep of the dash and instrument panel; the Sport gets faux aluminum trim. The fit and finish is good. The climate controls, lined up under an 8.0-inch touchscreen, are easy to use. There’s a large storage compartment with a cover, while there are some transmission switches on the console, rather than a lever.

There’s enough cabin space for the Accord to feel like a larger car. It seats five, although the middle rear position isn’t exactly all-day enjoyable. But even with that fastback-like roofline, 6-footers will have no problem in the rear, as there is a vast 40.4 inches of legroom; although entry to the rear requires a slight duck because of the roof.

Under the trunk lid there’s an impressive 16.7 cubic feet for luggage.

Driving Impressions

The base 1.5-liter engine is quick enough, bringing 192 horsepower. It’s responsive in traffic and the CVT doesn’t create much noise as it climbs up the powerband. However with a full load of passengers, don’t expect it to breeze past other cars while climbing up a mountain pass.

You can reasonably expect the bigger engine to do that, although of course the price for that performance is gas mileage. The 2.0-liter turbo-4 brings 252 horsepower and a strong 273 pound-feet of torque, and discards that CVT for a sweet 10-speed automatic transmission; it’s a jewel of a powertrain that comes standard in the Sport and Touring. It has great acceleration from a standing start, it’s responsive in mid-range, and the transmission is decisive.

The Hybrid isn’t turbocharged, while being boosted by two electric motors using a lithium-ion battery pack to get 212 hp and 232 lb-ft of torque. It only weighs about 100 pounds more, so the handling and acceleration don’t suffer much.

We’ve saved the best for last: ride and handling. The steering is crisp and responsive in every Accord, and it’s downright nimble, with a delightful balance. Meanwhile the ride is composed: taut but never sharp. The bigger 19-inch wheels on the Sport and Touring make the ride noticeably firmer, and the cabin less quiet with the larger tires, but that’s only one more argument to save money by sticking to the LX.

Final Word

The 2022 Honda Accord delivers big bang for the buck, and it’s nearly unheard-of for the cheapest model to be the best value—but that LX Hybrid can’t be beat. In any Accord, you get style on the outside and comfort and convenience on the inside, including excellent room in the rear seat and trunk.

 

—by Sam Moses with driving impressions by The Car Connection