The Accord Hybrid gets redesigned for 2023 and Honda hits a homerun, making a good thing even better. The Accord Hybrid has peppy handling, great fuel economy, a roomy and upscale cabin, and lots of standard features.
Base Price: $37.890
As Tested: $38,985
Horsepower: 204
Mileage: 46 mpg city/41 mpg highway/44 mpg combined
The Accord Hybrid is now in its fourth generation. The new model gets a new hybrid powertrain that makes for faster acceleration and more nimble handling. It’s also bigger – about three inches longer than the outgoing model – and the infotainment system gets a larger touchscreen.
The 2023 Accord Hybrid comes in four trims: Sport, EX-L, Sport-L and Touring. The starting price for the Sport is $31,895, which is higher than most rivals. The top Touring trim starts at $37,890. Front-wheel drive is standard. There’s room for five passengers.
The 2023 Honda Accord Hybrid is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, two electric motors and a lithium-ion battery. Total output is 204 horsepower and 247 pound-feet of torque. The transmission is a continuously variable automatic.
The Accord Hybrid has spry performance. Acceleration is quick off the line and there’s plenty of power for merging and passing at freeway speeds. It’s also pleasant to drive around town in busy traffic. The ride is smooth with the suspension doing a good job of absorbing bumps and rough roads. Steering is responsive and the Accord Hybrid feels composed when cornering. The brakes have a mostly normal feel but there is some squishiness that’s typical of a hybrid. The CVT is mostly quiet and doesn’t drone.
Fuel economy is great for a midsize sedan and good for a hybrid. EPA ratings for my tester are 46 mpg city and 41 mpg highway with a combined rating of 44. I got 43 during my week with a mix of city and highway driving.
The cabin is upscale and spacious. Seats are comfortable and supportive. There’s ample leg- and headroom up front for taller adults. The second row easily accommodates a couple adults with good legroom but a little less headroom than the front row.
Standard features include proximity keyless entry, remote start, push-button start, rearview camera, dual-zone automatic climate control, cloth upholstery, 10.2-inch digital gauge cluster, 12.3-inch touch screen, eight-speaker audio system, Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, a Wi-Fi hot spot, two USB ports, automatic high-beam headlights, and a moonroof.
Available features include a head-up display, leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, 12-speaker audio system, HD Radio, Google Assistant, wireless device charging, two additional USB ports, and automatic high-beam headlights.
Standard driver assistance technologies include forward collision warning with pedestrian and cyclist detection, forward automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning with lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, traffic-sign recognition, and rear-seat alert.
Available driver assistance technologies include front and rear parking sensors.
The infotainment system is user-friendly and looks great with crisp graphics. Honda says the touchscreen is the largest yet in any Honda vehicle. Menus are sensibly arranged. The system responds quickly to touch and voice commands. There’s a physical volume knob at the bottom of the screen.
The Honda Accord has a large trunk for a hybrid car with 16.7 cubic feet of storage. The rear seats fold down 60/40 if you need to transport large items.
The good:
Sleek exterior styling
Peppy handling
Smooth, comfortable ride
Good fuel economy
Upscale, spacious cabin
Lots of standard and available features and tech
Standard wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
The not-so-good:
Starting price is above average for the class
Pricing info:
My tester starts at $37,890. Destination fee is $1,095 bringing the grand total to $38,985.
Bottom line:
The 2023 Honda Accord Hybrid boasts sprightly handling, a smooth and quiet ride, an efficient powertrain, and is loaded with tech and features. While sedans aren’t as popular these days, the Accord Hybrid is sure worth a look.
Want more? Check out all of our Honda car reviews!