Reliability has kept The Honda Accord among the top 10 selling vehicles in the U.S., since it was first introduced in 1976. Today’s reliability is just a perception that is being challenged by fierce competition from the Ford Fusion, Chevrolet Malibu, Mazda 6 and Hyundai Sonata. All being equally or more reliable, and some with more
performance and features.
Thus, a major upgrade was needed for the 2016 Honda Accord to challenge its competitors and remain among the top ten selling vehicles.
The 2016 Honda Accord and most notably the Accord Sport is upgraded with a revised body and chassis, new interior and exterior, and enhanced technical and safety features. The Accord introduces Honda’s first Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and “Honda Sensing,” a package of driver assistance and safety technologies, which contributed to it receiving the highest available crash safety rating in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s vehicle crash test.
Not much is new under the hood as the engine and transmission combinations are essentially the same as before — a direct-injection 2.4-liter i-VTEC four-cylinder and a 3.5-liter VTEC V6, paired with either a six-speed manual or a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) for the four-cylinder models, and a six-speed automatic for V6
models.
I tested the 2016 Honda Accord Sport, which is priced at a reasonable $26,890. It’s powered by the aforementioned direct-injected four-cylinder engine that generates 189 horsepower. It proved to have
the muscle and agility to compete with its competitors in the mid-side sedan class.
The 2016 Accord Sedan models include a lighter weight all-aluminum hood and aerodynamic design that reduces drag and improves fuel economy to 37-mpg highway.
There are six trim levels in all for the four-door sedan: LX, Sport, EX-L, Touring, EX-L V6 and Touring V6. The Sport is differentiated from the rest of the four-cylinder models by a special exhaust system
with larger diameter tubing and dual outlets that produces 52 percent more flow and four more horsepower.
The 2016 Accord Coupe also gets new top-of-the-line Touring trim, while the Sedan in Sport trim and Touring versions of the Sedan and Coupe get the first-ever application of 19-inch alloy wheels on an
Accord.
The Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) hasn’t changed for the Sedan LX and Coupe LX-S. The MSRP for the 2016 Accord Sedan LX with 6-speed manual transmission (6-MT) remains at $22,105 and $22,905 for the
Sedan LX with CVT. The Accord Coupe LX-S is also unchanged at $23,775 for the 6-MT and $24,625 for the CVT.
