2019 Honda Accord Review

　　

zzdcar' Expert Review

byCameron RogersManager, News

　　Cameron Rogers has worked in the automotive industry since 2013. He has tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Today, he leads the news team in developing cutting-edge news articles, opinion pieces and sneak peeks at upcoming vehicles. Favorite cars that he's driven during his tenure at zzdcar include the 991-era Porsche 911 Turbo S, Rolls-Royce Ghost and several generations of Honda Odyssey (really).

　　

What's new

Touring model is no longer available with 1.5T enginePart of the 10th Accord generation introduced for 2018

　　No segment in the auto industry has seen more recent changes and updates than the midsize-sedan class. Nearly every model has been refreshed or redesigned over the last year, including the Honda Accord. The 10th-generation Accord debuted in 2018, and in our eyes, its healthy list of improvements and all-around excellence quickly vaulted it to the top of the class. The Accord stays the course for 2019 — the only change is that the top-trim Touring is no longer available with the base engine.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2019 Honda Accord LX 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl Turbo CVT) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.04 per gallon for regular unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$113/mo  for Accord LX

　　Accord LX

　　LX 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl Turbo CVT) - $23,720 MSRPSport 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl Turbo CVT) (Most Popular) - $26,180 MSRPSport 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 6M) - $26,180 MSRPSport 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 10A) - $30,710 MSRPSport 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6M) - $30,710 MSRPEX 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl Turbo CVT) - $27,620 MSRPEX-L 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl Turbo CVT) - $30,120 MSRPEX-L 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 10A) - $32,120 MSRPTouring 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 10A) - $35,950 MSRP

　　vs

　　$164/mo

　　Avg. Midsize Car

　　The Accord's all-around excellence makes it hard to pinpoint just one thing that sets it apart from the rest. It has the practical stuff locked down: The trunk is positively huge, as is the cabin. Honda has the tech front covered, too. A considerable number of advanced safety features are standard, and every model except the base LX comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Accord also retains the fun-to-drive personality of older models, especially when equipped with the larger engine and Touring-exclusive adaptive dampers.

　　If you're in the market for a midsize sedan, there's no reason the Accord shouldn't be on your short list. The field is stacked with solid choices, but the 2019 Honda Accord offers the best mix of value, practicality and personality.

　　Notably, we picked the 2019 Honda Accord as one of zzdcar' Best Family Cars, Best Family Cars for this year.

　　

What's it like to live with?

When we first drove the 10th-generation Honda Accord, we knew it would be the bar by which all other midsize sedans were judged. We quickly added an Accord EX-L with the 1.5-liter engine to the zzdcar long-term test fleet and drove it for more than a year. To learn more about what the Accord is like to live with, read our Best Family Cars, where we covered everything from performance to long-distance seat comfort. Note that while we tested a 2018 Accord, all of our observations still apply to the 2019 model.

　　

zzdcar' Expert Rating

8.3 / 10

　　

Trim tested

　　Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of the Honda Accord Touring (turbo 1.5L inline-4 | CVT automatic | FWD) and Honda Accord EX-L (turbo 1.5L inline-4 | CVT automatic | FWD).

　　NOTE: Since this test was conducted in 2018, the current Accord has received some revisions, including the discontinuation of the Touring trim for the 1.5-liter engine. Our findings remain broadly applicable to this year's Accord, however.

　　

Scorecard

Overall	8.3 / 10
Driving	8.5
Comfort	8.0
Interior	8.0
Utility	9.0
Technology	8.0

　　

Driving

8.5

　　The Accord has a lot of strengths on the road. The drivetrain responds quickly and provides sufficient power. The car corners well, sticking to the road with no drama, and the brakes feel natural and strong. Only the steering falls short: While it's accurate and easy, it also feels artificial.

　　

Acceleration

7.5

　　The Accord's raw numbers aren't special, but the rapid response to driver input is. Our as-tested 0-60 mph time of 8 seconds is average for a base engine in this segment. Around town, the engine feels similarly adequate. Power delivery is smooth.

　　

Braking

8.0

　　The Accord's pedal is firm and easy to judge, and the brakes never feel grabby. Our panic-stop braking distance from 60 mph of 122 feet is average, but the Accord's brakes instill confidence thanks to good feel and arrow-straight stops.

　　

Steering

7.0

　　The steering is accurate, but the feel in your hands is a bit artificial. There's a lack of feedback from the front wheels, and resistance doesn't noticeably build through turns — it's pretty much just on or off. There's also a little vagueness where true on-center is.

　　

Handling

9.0

　　Our test car was the Touring, which has the multilink adaptive suspension. So fitted, it was impressively stable, planted and confidence-inspiring around turns. The car changes direction eagerly. Less expensive Accords won't be quite as good, but this is still one of the best-handling sedans around.

　　

Drivability

9.0

　　Honda's smartly tuned CVT automatic helps make the Accord a good companion on the road. It will try to "upshift" as much as possible to improve mpg, but it responds quickly and smoothly to requests for power when you need it. The Accord also feels more maneuverable than its size suggests.

　　

Comfort

8.0

　　The Accord is quiet and comfortable in most situations. It insulates against traffic noise particularly well, though tire noise is noticeable on the highway. The ride smooths out small imperfections and absorbs larger bumps.

　　

Seat comfort

7.5

　　We like the front seats' well-placed headrests and back support. But the leather-wrapped seat cushions don't have a lot of padding, so finding the right adjustment is important to staying comfortable on longer drives.

　　

Ride comfort

8.5

　　Large bumps are handled with excellent composure, but the ride can feel busy on rough pavement. The Touring model's adaptive dampers provide an excellent ride for this class, ironing out some of the imperfections missed by the standard suspension.

　　

Noise & vibration

7.5

　　Around town, the Accord is impressively quiet, isolating you from traffic and feeling almost luxury-car-like. Once you get up to freeway speeds, there's some wind noise, but tire noise is much more noticeable. It's not enough to intrude on conversation, and it's quieter than some — but not all — competitors.

　　

Climate control

8.0

　　All climate settings can be adjusted with straightforward and clearly labeled manual controls, and the system regulates cabin temperature easily. The temperature knob lights change colors as you adjust up or down, which is a fun touch. The seat cooling in the Touring trim is only moderately effective.

　　

Interior

8.0

　　Some small points aside, the interior of the Accord offers modern design, quality soft-touch materials, lots of room, and a user-friendly infotainment system and control layout. Taller drivers will want to test the seating position since their knees may rub on a piece of hard plastic trim.

　　

Ease of use

7.5

　　This infotainment system is user-friendly, and basic functions are easy to navigate thanks to physical buttons. Other controls are easy to find and recognize. But the media and information display controls on the wheel aren't intuitively laid out and take getting used to.

　　

Getting in/getting out

7.0

　　The doorsills are high and wide, creating a noticeable stepover. Also, the seating position is a little low. Other sedans are a little easier to get in and out of. The rear doors open wide, but taller passengers will have to duck exiting the back seat.

　　

Driving position

7.0

　　You can sit low, ensconced in the car, making it feel sportier and more luxurious. There's plenty of adjustability for those who want to sit closer, higher or more upright. Taller drivers will wish for more steering-wheel telescope range and may find their right knee bumps against some hard plastic trim.

　　

Roominess

8.5

　　The interior feels large, which makes sense because, by EPA interior volume measurements, this is a full-size car. The cabin is airy and open. Rear legroom is excellent, though taller passengers will run out of headroom.

　　

Visibility

9.0

　　Forward visibility is excellent, and there are no problems looking out through the rearview mirror. The high rear beltline and trunk do cut down on your view over your shoulder, so you'll want to rely on the rearview camera when reversing out of tight spaces. In traffic, there are no serious blind spots.

　　

Quality

8.0

　　The Accord's interior design is modern and upscale. The touch points are covered in soft-touch materials, and the fit tolerances are tight. Only a few of the textured surfaces reveal themselves to be somewhat tacky-feeling, hard plastics.

　　

Utility

9.0

　　The Accord offers about as much utility as is possible for a sedan. It has excellent trunk volume, plenty of spots for small items in the cabin, and generally more space than you'll know what to do with.

　　

Small-item storage

8.5

　　The center console armrest bin is generously sized, and the front charging ports and wireless charging pad (if equipped) are in a cubby with room for more than one phone. The door pockets have space for water bottles, and the anti-tip cupholders are large. Only the glovebox is a little shallow.

　　

Cargo space

9.5

　　The Accord's trunk is absolutely huge, with a capacity of 16.7 cubic feet. The opening is wide, if a little narrow, but it's easy to maneuver objects in and out. The 60/40-split folding rear seats open up even more room for long objects.

　　

Child safety seat accommodation

9.0

　　LATCH anchors are located under clearly marked flaps and are close to the surface with no seating material impinging on access. Considering how large the rear seat is, even bulky car seats shouldn't pose a problem. The low roofline might require more bending over to situate seats and kids.

　　

Technology

8.0

　　Honda's newer infotainment system is a huge step up from the last generation, and it's integrated nicely with the gauge cluster screen and head-up display. A lot of active safety and driver aids come standard, and they work well. Voice commands fall short, and we generally relied on manual controls.

　　

Audio & navigation

8.0

　　The premium audio system produces a lot of volume without distortion, but sound quality is unexceptional for an upgraded system. The navigation system has a robust feature set that's easy to operate. The graphics look crisp, and instructions are easy to follow.

　　

Smartphone integration

9.0

　　Android Auto and Apple CarPlay work well. They are integrated with the infotainment system, so smartphone navigation appears on the head-up display and music on the media screen. The near-field Bluetooth pairing is a neat trick, but the standard pairing is easy enough that it's mostly a novelty.

　　

Driver aids

8.0

　　Only blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert aren't standard on lower trims; otherwise you get a lot of aids. Adaptive cruise mostly works well, but it sometimes picks up neighboring lanes in curves. Forward collision alert doesn't deliver false warnings but is very sensitive.

　　

Voice control

6.5

　　Voice commands are a mixed bag. While the system's not prone to misunderstanding, specific phrasing is required and it often takes many steps. Luckily there are on-screen prompts. You can't switch to Bluetooth audio streaming with a command, but there are extensive USB music and navigation commands.

　　

Which Accord does zzdcar recommend?

　　The base LX has a ton of features for the money, and the Sport's unique exterior styling helps it stand out. If you can stretch your budget a little bit, we think it's worth upgrading to the EX. The additional USB port and rear air vents make it a little more accommodating to passengers, while the heated front seats and keyless entry feature make it a bit more luxurious for the driver. The EX also adds a blind-spot monitor, which checks to see if the coast is clear when changing lanes.

　　

2019 Honda Accord models

　　The 2019 Honda Accord is sold in five trim levels: LX, Sport, EX, EX-L and Touring. The LX is the most affordable model but is still reasonably well-equipped. The Sport doesn't cost much more and comes with some visual upgrades, while the EX and the EX-L add more convenience features. The top-trim Touring loads up with every feature available.

　　A turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine (192 horsepower, 192 pound-feet of torque) is standard on all trim levels except the Touring. It comes connected to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) that drives the front wheels.

　　If you're looking for a little more excitement, a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder (252 hp, 273 lb-ft) is available on Sport, EX-L and Touring models. A 10-speed traditional automatic is paired with this engine. A six-speed manual transmission is a no-cost option on the Sport model regardless of engine.

　　Standard features on the base LX model include 17-inch alloy wheels, LED exterior lighting (headlights, taillights and running lights), automatic high-beam control, push-button ignition, dual-zone automatic climate control, a height-adjustable driver's seat, Bluetooth, a 7-inch touchscreen, and a four-speaker audio system with a USB port. Standard driver aids include lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking.

　　Upgrading to the Sport adds 19-inch wheels, larger front brakes, LED foglights, a rear spoiler, chrome exhaust tips, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a power-adjustable driver's seat, a 60/40-split rear bench, cloth and simulated-leather upholstery, an 8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and an eight-speaker audio system. CVT automatic-equipped models also come with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

　　The EX builds off the LX model, adding the Sport's interior upgrades (minus the Sport's unique upholstery, shift paddles and leather-wrapped steering wheel), 17-inch wheels, heated mirrors, a sunroof, keyless entry and ignition, blind-spot monitoring, heated front seats, rear air vents, an additional USB port, and satellite and HD radio.

　　The EX-L further adds an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a power-adjustable passenger seat, driver-seat memory settings, leather upholstery and a 10-speaker audio system. A navigation system is optional.

　　Models with the turbocharged 2.0-liter engine are essentially the same as their 1.5-liter counterparts, but the Sport 2.0T is equipped with keyless entry, heated front seats and blind-spot monitoring. Models with the automatic transmission also come with shift paddles, and all are equipped with the Sport's larger front brakes and chrome exhaust tips.

　　At the top of the ladder is the Touring trim, which includes 19-inch wheels, adaptive suspension dampers, chrome exterior trim, illuminated door handles, automatic wipers, front and rear parking sensors, adjustable driving modes, a head-up display, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a navigation system, a Wi-Fi hotspot and a wireless phone charger.

　　

2019 Accord Highlights

Trim: LXSportEXEX-LTouringLX

　　

Base MSRP	$23,720
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	33 MPG
Cost to Drive	$113/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	16.7 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	3 years / 36,000 miles