The 1.5-liter, which makes 192 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque in this application, is also found in the Civic and the CR-V, while the 2.0-liter shares its basic architecture with the high-strung four found in the 306-hp Civic Type R. In the Accord, its output is a tamer 252 horsepower, but the 2.0T’s torque peak of 273 lb-ft at 1500 rpm surpasses that of the old Accord’s V-6, which made 252 lb-ft at 4900 rpm.
The Accord is a mature sports sedan, tranquil and composed when you want it to be but ready and willing to play when asked. With a sense of harmony between the primary controls and a fluidity to the responses of the chassis, the Accord engenders confidence. The steering is a bit too light and short on feel—the Civic’s helm is better in both regards—but the Accord’s more relaxed tuning strikes us as appropriate for this larger car. Exquisitely dialed-in damping strikes a near perfect balance between compliance and tautness, giving the Accord wheel control and impact absorption that shames many cars with luxury badges. Our ear also tells us that the new car’s cabin is more hushed than before.
The front seats are well padded and enveloping, while rear-seat legroom is positively palatial, having benefited from the wheelbase stretch. Stowage space is generous, too, with a deep center console, nicely sized cupholders, and a large bin at the base of the center stack with a USB port and a 12-volt outlet.
New Accord’s easy-to-use and attractive touch screen. Although it takes some time to learn the ins and outs of the configurable menu structure, the basic functionality is good, and simple tasks like changing the radio station can be achieved without much distraction from the road. Plus, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard on all but the base Accord LX.
There are numerous active-safety features ,The Honda Sensing package—composed of key systems such as adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, and lane-keeping assist—is now standard on every Accord. Yes, that even includes manual-transmission cars, which must forego only the low-speed-follow functionality of the adaptive cruise control compared with their automatic-equipped brethren.
