2021 Honda Accord Hybrid In-depth Review_ The Sedan Standard-Bearer _ CarGurus

Hi, I'm Chris Wardlaw for CarGurus, and this is the 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid. As is true of all Accord models, the Hybrid gets a nip and a tuck for the new model year, as well as improved and expanded safety and infotainment technology. Beyond that handful of changes, the Accord Hybrid comes with powertrain upgrades designed to make the car even more enjoyable to drive. Has Honda succeeded on that front, and is the Accord Hybrid the version of the car that you should buy? Let's take a closer look at the refreshed 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid and find out. Honda offers the Accord Hybrid in standard, EX, EXL, and Touring trim levels, and prices start at $26,370. Generally speaking, you'll pay $1,600 extra for the Hybrid powertrain compared to an equivalent non-Hybrid Accord, except when you select Touring trim. In Hybrid form, the Touring version is actually $460 less. If you're wondering which version of the car CarGurus recommends, the Accord Hybrid EX offers the best blend of equipment and value. It costs $30,320, and it includes desirable comfort, safety, and infotainment upgrades over the standard trim, plus it has better headlights. Our test car is the top-of-the-line Accord Hybrid Touring in Lunar Silver Metallic paint. It has no options or accessories, and the price comes to $36,795, including a destination charge of $955. You can tell this Accord Hybrid has Touring trim by its new 19-inch aluminum wheels. You should know, however, that the bigger wheels reduce fuel economy. The Hybrid Touring is rated to get 43 miles per gallon in combined driving compared to 48 miles per gallon for other Accord Hybrids. Additional exterior updates include a restyled grille with improved integration of the Honda Sensing safety technology radar unit. Most 2021 Accords also receive new full-LED headlights with automatic high-beam operation. Honda says they're improved for longer and wider down-the-road illumination, and on a dark country road, that proved accurate. The only other changes include a subtle refresh of the front bumper and a new Sonic Pearl Gray paint color, but that's not it. Overall, Honda has resisted trying to fix what isn't broken, and while the Accord Hybrid's styling might not suit everyone's tastes, I like it quite a bit, and the new 19-inch wheels on the Touring resolve one of my few complaints about last year's car. Moving to the interior, it's pretty much the same as it was before. Honda makes its 8-inch infotainment display standard on all trim levels and improves the number and placement of USB ports. Otherwise, the car's cabin is status quo, which is a good thing. From the soft seat leather and fake wood that convincingly emulates the real thing to a simple layout and quality switchgear, the Accord Hybrid Touring's cabin looks modern and upscale. Most paint colors come with a black interior, and ivory is available with white or red paint. Accords sit low to the ground, so it's harder to get into and out of one compared to, say, a Honda CR-V, but once you settle in, you'll be quite comfortable – unless you're the front passenger. You see, while Honda was busy updating the Accord Hybrid for 2021, it didn't add a front-passenger seat height adjuster to the list of improvements. As a result, you can't raise the seat for a higher hip point, which would make it easier to get into and out of the car. The driver, meanwhile, enjoys 12-way power seat adjustment with all but the base trim level. It's easy to get comfortable behind this car's steering wheel, and with Touring trim, the Accord Hybrid includes heated and ventilated front seats. You face a clean, logical control layout, and the Accord is the rare Honda with both volume and tuning knobs for its 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display. All trims have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and all except the base models offer wireless versions of these smartphone integration features, as well as wireless device charging. Nothing about the Accord's controls or technology is confusing, with a couple of exceptions. The electronic transmission controls require acclimation, and the voice recognition technology does not recognize natural commands. Rather, you must use specific commands and pathways to success, and Honda offers suggestions of what to say on the infotainment screen. Nevertheless, the Accord flung to one of my standard voice prompts. Even when I followed the suggested command structure, it could not direct me to the nearest hospital, and that's unacceptable. The Accord's back seat is positively huge, and with Touring trim, the outboard cushions are heated. Air-conditioning vents help keep passengers cool in the summertime, and rear quick-charge USB ports are now standard for all trims but the base model. It used to be that hybrid sedans forced compromise when it came to cargo space and utility. That's no longer an issue, and the Accord Hybrid offers a giant 16.7-cubic-foot trunk. You can even place full-size suitcases on their sides, and split-folding seats expand the car's utility. All that's missing here is a handle to make closing the trunk lid easier. As is true of other Accords, the Hybrid is unexpectedly rewarding to drive, and for the 2021 model year, Honda says it has improved the way that the car sounds when you're accelerating. That's an accurate claim, but it still drones in a mildly irritating way during sustained acceleration, such as when merging onto a freeway. The Accord Hybrid employs Honda's two-motor hybrid powertrain. It has a gasoline-fueled 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine, an electric motor drawing energy from a lithium-ion battery pack, and a motor generator powered by the 4-cylinder engine that effectively serves as an electronic continuously variable transmission, or ECVT. Depending on the situation, the powertrain uses three different operational modes. In EV drive, the Accord Hybrid uses electricity from the battery to power the electric propulsion motor. It works at low speeds and for short distances. In hybrid drive, the gas engine activates the motor generator ECVT to supplement battery power and drive the front wheels through the electric propulsion motor. Engine drive flips that script, connecting the engine to the electric propulsion motor, and together they power the front wheels with the gasoline engine taking the lead. Additionally, drivers can hand-select EV mode, Eco mode, and Sport mode to tailor drivetrain characteristics to personal preferences. The Accord Hybrid's total output measures 212 horsepower and 232 pound-feet of torque. By comparison, the Accord's standard turbocharged 1.5-liter 4-cylinder offers 192 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque. The hybrid adds nearly 200 pounds of weight, but its added power and immediate torque make up for it, so performance is about the same as the 1.5-liter turbo, which powers 75 percent of all Accords sold. Honda says the Accord Hybrid accelerates to 60 miles per hour in about 6.5 seconds, and in exchange for the extra $1,600 the hybrid costs, you get up to 48 miles per gallon in combined driving compared to a maximum of 33 miles per gallon for the 1.5-liter turbo. Over the long haul, the hybrid makes up for the added cost, but if you're leasing, it doesn't. During our test driving, the Accord Hybrid Touring got 42.8 miles per gallon. It feels quick, thanks in part to instant electric motor torque, and while it still exhibits some of the steady-state drone that was so unpleasant in last year's version, Honda has definitely reduced it to an acceptable level. The car's ride and handling offer no more than an occasional hint that anything but a standard powertrain is at work. You can't really feel any of the extra weight, and the Touring's new 19-inch wheels and 235-40 tires add significant grip in corners and curves. You can really whip this car around in a way that you can't with the standard 17s and 225-50 tires. Better yet, the car's regenerative brakes feel entirely natural underfoot, and paddles on the steering wheel adjust the amount of regeneration while coasting. Overall, the car feels almost entirely natural and supplies impressive performance combined with effortless fuel economy. As far as safety is concerned, the Accord Hybrid includes a multi-view reversing camera and a Honda-sensing collection of advanced driving assistance systems. Upgrade to EX trim, and the car comes with a blind spot warning and rear cross-traffic warning system. Parking sensors come on the EXL trim, and Touring trim offers a new low-speed automatic braking system to help avoid minor bumper impacts. Interestingly, that latter feature was a problem when I was reversing from my angled driveway when my whole family was aboard. When it was just me, it wasn't a problem, but with everybody in the car, it sometimes thought that the street was an obstacle, and it would slam the Accord to a sudden stop. You can turn this off by pressing a button on the lower dashboard and using an ADAS settings menu in the gauges, but the default setting is on, and it is a hassle to turn it off. The 2021 Accord's Honda-sensing technology is effective, but it rates average in terms of its smoothness and refinement. You're almost always aware that it's engaged, and especially with regard to lane-keeping assist, a driver sometimes fights against the technology. The lane departure warning system produces a steering wheel wobble rather than a more subtle vibration. Most of the time, I prefer driving the car without those features turned on. With the changes for the 2021 model year, Honda successfully addresses several, but not all, of the car's very few flaws. As a result, the 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid is better than ever. However, only 10% of Accord buyers choose the Hybrid. Until Honda offers compelling lease deals for this version of its popular family sedan, an Accord Hybrid makes good financial sense only for people who buy it and plan to keep it for four years or longer. Be sure to read my full review of the Honda Accord Hybrid at CarGurus, and if you found this video helpful, don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel. For all of us here at CarGurus, thank you very much for watching.