This week Your Honda News drops in on our local Honda dealership to revisit the new from the tires up 10th generation Honda Accord. Now exclusively turbo engine powered, several key features make 2018 Accord Sport a well equipped performance value.
With the majority of new car buyers opting for compact crossovers and SUVs these days, Honda, Toyota, and other mainstream auto brands, present the most evolved, user friendly, and safe compact and midsize sedans to ever come to market. In the spotlight is Honda’s award winning 10th generation 2018 Honda Accord; but it has some competition, all of it good.
46% of all new cars sold in 2018 will be sedans. Honda Accord and Toyota Camry lead the segment
Once again Accord leads the midsize sedan segment with several tech-rich features, including Honda SENSING, in my opinion the best working near autonomous active safety suite on the market today. While 2018 Honda Accord won’t drive itself (yet) it can keep you out of harm’s way with driver assist technologies.
2 new turbocharged engine options for 2018 Honda Accord
Featured under the hood of what Honda engineering proudly refers to as the most refined feature-rich Accord ever, Your Honda News finds a manufactured in Ohio. Earth Dreams engine series. Our subject for this article is the 2018 Honda Accord Sport 1.5L turbo. It’s the value ‘Sport’ package in Accord’s lineup. Yet Accord Sport is far from stripped when it comes to standard and optional features.
At the heart of every 10th generation Accord sits a low friction 4-cylinder marvel
We can’t say enough good things about Honda’s 1.5l and 2.0L turbocharged, direct fuel injected four cylinder VTEC engines. They’re both instant-on, no turbo-lag noted, mid-range torque monsters. “Seamless’ is an understatement. After driving the very formidable import and domestic car competition in the mid-car segment, I find Accord to not only be fuel efficient, but responsive and vibration free. The fact that a low displacement 4-cylinder engine motivates this nearly two ton car is inconsequential as to available torque and passing sprint speed.
The honda Accord V6 and Coupe is no more
Every Accord trim offering for 2018 is turbocharged. While there remains more than a bit of skepticism in the car buying public when it comes to small displacement turbo charged engine reliability, turbocharged 4-cylinder gasoline engines are now the engine of choice with all major auto manufacturers. You won’t find a V6 option for Honda Accord in 2018.
2018 Honda Accord turbo presents exceptional low to mid-range torque, sprint speed, and fuel economy
Thanks to quick heat dissipating aluminium heads, integrated exhaust manifold head casting, low friction internal engine components, direct multiple-port fuel injection, and relatively cooler running temperatures — today’s turbocharged engines burn cleaner and live longer. Honda, the biggest gasoline engine manufacturer in the world, builds a darn fine engine.
Honda’s 1.5 Liter single scroll, direct injected turbocharged 4-cylinder gasoline engine claims a stated 192 horsepower at 5500 RPM, and 192 lb-ft torque from 1600 to 5,000 RPM. The reinvented 2018 Honda Accord is the most responsive and powerful Accord presented to date at any trim level. That’s cool. There’s more.
Retrospective: We first experienced the 1.5L engine in the Honda 2016 Civic lineup, and then the 2017 CR-V SUV. We also took a turn or two on the track in Civic Type-R, and then made an epic run to the Redwoods. Yes, you can opt for a down-tuned version of Type-R’s engine in Accord Touring. I’ll get back to that application later in the article.
The closer one scrutinizes 2018 Honda Accord, the greater value they’ll discover
Honda’s uptrim near premium 5-passenger Accord sedan comes to market with a ground-up redesign, and a comprehensive standard feature and options package that rivals sedans sporting premium car price tags. The first thing we notice when sitting behind the wheel of Accord touring is how comfortable the power adjusted leather and fabric driver’s seat is. Infinitely adjustable, heated and cooled (Touring) our drivers claimed Accord’s driving position to be pleasingly spacious.
For greater specification detail: Your Honda News reported on the press reveal of the reinvented 2018 Accord from New Hampshire. So, let’s cut the chase. How does Honda’s 10th generation Accord compare to 2018 Toyota Camry? 3 weeks ago, Your Honda News spent some quality seat time behind the wheel of 2018 Toyota Camry XLE V6, a good car by any measure. However, when weighing the sometimes subtle differences of two segment front runners, the Devil is often lost in the details.
Visually, both Accord and Camry present a pleasing body architecture, run close to the pavement, are wide-tracked and sweeping of roof to trunk line. Truthfully, Camry may lead the segment in interior design appeal. Yet 2018 Honda Accord nails it in functionality, an exceptional tablet-like command touch screen size and placement. And yes, from what I could see, Accord’s 2nd row is just a tad roomier and seat-comfortable than Camry. However, neither sedan offers copious amounts of headroom in the second row — tall rider beware.
Regardless: The majority of daily commuters in the U.S. and beyond drive solo to work. So for me, what truly measures a good commuter car is seat comfort, ride refinement, maneuverability, and over all drive dynamics. 2018 Honda Accord thanks to a redesigned suspension, improved frame rigidity, active noise cancellation, and stabilitrak, is mind-blowingly float-like-smooth when transitioning on and off of traffic worn surface streets and highways. 2018 Honda Accord Sport is absolutely the best car for the money in its segment — bar none.
Featuring 2 new engines and transmissions, including the only 10-speed automatic in the segment, Honda takes Accord to aclass topping level of sophisticated ride refinement and ease of operation. 2018 Honda Accord Sport 1.5L Turbo is a perfect daily commuter.
I was reminded while driving on the streets of Eugene, Oregon in the rain how good Honda’s not so entry-level 1.5L Accord Sport tully is. It just goes to show that one needn’t spend upwards of $40K to purchase an impressive ride. * priced from MSRP $23,570 plus delivery, dealership prep, taxes, etc.. Price as tested: Sport CVT $26,580.. MPG realized in mixed driving: 26.9 MPG.
What we like: Price point, new styling, toque-rich, fuel efficient engines, ride dynamics
What we’d change: More headroom in row two, a little less “cooler” plastic trim on the interior.
All or part of this article was first published in Honda-Torque News
Photo and content attributions: Parks R.. McCants 2018. Thanks for reading.