By Randi Payton, Decisive Media
The new 2017 Honda Accord Hybrid seeks to regain its leadership role in the fuel-efficient hybrid, mid-size sedan class. The 2017 Honda Accord Hybrid comes in three trim levels: Base, EX-L and Touring. I tested a Blue Sky colored Accord Touring model with Ivory interior.
In the hybrid car arena, the competition has gotten much tougher, making it hard to prefer one hybrid over another these days. The Accord faces stiff competition from the Ford Fusion, Chevrolet Malibu, Kia Optima, Hyundai Sonata and Toyota Camry Hybrids. But the Accord Hybrid is at the top of its class for EPA mpg, followed closely by the Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid.
The Accord Hybrid gets 49 mpg city, 47 highway, and 48 mpg combined.
The total horsepower of 212 comes from a combination of power from the gas engine and electric motor.
The Accord Hybrid is very smooth, quick, and feels like a luxury car, and you can hardly hear the car in hybrid mode. The 2.0-liter, 4 cylinder engine is very quiet and smooth. The power is paired with an Electronic Continuously Variable Transmission, four-wheel disc brakes, advanced suspension system, and shiftable driving parameters from Sport to Economy modes.
I generated more battery power from braking and coasting at stoplights than on the highway, which uses more engine power, especially in cruise control mode.
The new Honda now has Apple Car Play and Android Audio. Once they are connected via Bluetooth or USB, your phone data is displayed on the audio home screen and can be operated via voice commands.
Honda Sensing, a package of advanced safety features, comes standard on all Accord Hybrids. It includes camera and radar monitoring like Collision Mitigation Warning and Braking, Lane Departure Warning and Lane Keeping Assist. I found out when a car ahead of me made a sudden stop and the Accord Hybrid stopped before I had a change to apply the brakes that these new safety systems work quickly and well. The system also includes Adaptive Cruise Control.
The base MSRP for the 2017 model is $29,605, only $300 more than the 2015 model, the last year the previous generation Accord Hybrid was produced. Other Accord Hybrid trims include the EX-L starting at $32,905 with leather seating and moonroof. The Touring trim starts at $35,955 and adds LED headlights, parking sensors, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and built-in GPS navigation. Consider that the non-hybrid Honda EX starts around $25,730 without the Honda Sensing package.
Both the Accord Sedan and Coupe have a Five-Star Safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Randi Payton is Founder at Decisive Media, Washington D.C. Metro Area.
