2019 Honda Accord

Overview

For decades, the Honda Accord has been one of America's best family cars. Its consistent evolution and remarkable execution has earned it a place on our 10Best Cars list almost every year—and it finds itself there again for 2019. It continues to top its class of family cars with driver-friendly handling and upscale accoutrements. Its fun-to-drive nature and various powertrains provide diverse performance that trends toward sporty. The Accord's hallmarks remain graceful handling, a spacious interior, and reasonable pricing, and after all these years, it's still earning our love and admiration. It's not only one of the best family cars for 2019 but one of the best cars, period.

What's New for 2019?

Following a complete redesign for the 2018 model year, Honda has made few changes to the 2019 Accord lineup. The higher-output 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and the hybrid powertrain are now the only two powertrains offered on the top-of-the-line Touring model. All models see a slight price increase. Otherwise, everything is as it was last year.

Pricing and Which One to Buy

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

Likes: Powerful optional 2.0T engine, smooth-shifting automatic, fun-to-drive nature.
Dislikes: Occasionally coarse hybrid powertrain, Honda Civic levels of road noise.

The lineup starts with a 192-hp turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-four, but our favorite is the 252-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four that sits atop the engine pyramid and can come with either a six-speed manual or a 10-speed automatic that shifts with an almost seamless nature. Both engines are smooth operators, but the 2.0-liter offers a rush of power that can easily spin the front tires in first gear. A hybrid is also available and is powered by a four-cylinder and two electric motors.

The Accord's chassis is well sorted and encourages the driver to push the car hard through corners, where it exhibits a minimal amount of body roll. The steering is light, as befits a car in this class, but we wouldn't mind if it transmitted a little more feedback from the road. Still, it's hard to complain about a helm that's accurate and predictable. The Accord's ride is firmly controlled but never harsh, which helps it strike a winning balance between a sports sedan and a practical family car.

Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

The new version of the Accord has nixed the previous generation's V-6 and naturally aspirated four-cylinder engines in favor of a pair of downsized turbo fours, and the results are generally positive. Both engines returned strong results in our real-world highway fuel-economy testing. On our highway loop, the Accord Touring 2.0T with the 10-speed automatic bested its own EPA highway ratings by delivering 35 mpg and did much better than a 2018 Camry we tested with its 301-hp V-6 engine, which earned 29 mpg. Our test of an Accord Sport 1.5T with a six-speed manual transmission delivered even more promising returns at 38 mpg.

Interior, Infotainment, and Cargo

Likes: Accommodating cabin, stylish design regardless of trim level, intuitive and quick infotainment system.
Dislikes: Limited ability to personalize options, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are not standard.

The Accord's interior is surprisingly spacious, and rear-seat passengers in particular will be happier in an Accord than in almost any other mid-size sedan. Honda's no-options trim structure means that most decisions about its features are made for the driver, but virtually every Accord has handsome interior furnishings and at least some creature comforts. The top Touring trim is thoroughly decked out, with heated and cooled leather front seats, heated rear seats, and a head-up display. Lower trim levels have their own charms, though. Among them: Honda's attractive and comfortable cloth seats and interior trim.

All models come standard with touchscreen infotainment on either a 7.0- or 8.0-inch display. Bluetooth and USB connectivity are also available across the board, but Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are reserved for the system with the 8.0-inch touchscreen. We found the system to be quick, attractive, and easy to use; even low-tech folks should find it intuitive. Honda offers a 10-speaker premium audio system with a 450-watt amplifier on the EX-L model, but lesser Accords have either a four- or eight-speaker system.

Not only does the Accord's 17 cubic feet of cargo space beat out the next-best car in the class, but the Accord hybrid doesn't lose any cargo space as a result of its electric-powertrain components. In our testing, the regular Accord held two more carry-on bags with the rear seats folded than we fit in the nearest competitor. The Accord's interior storage space is middle of the road in this class, and its interior storage setup isn't nearly as useful or as thoughtful as those of the Honda Civic or the Hyundai Ioniq, for instance. Still, the Accord should meet the basic needs of most drivers.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

The 2019 Honda Accord boasts a five-star safety rating from the National Highway Transportation Administration as well as a Top Safety Pick classification from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. An array of standard driver-assistance features puts crucial crash-avoidance technologies in every Accord, including automated emergency braking and lane-keeping assist. That doesn't mean that every piece of safety tech is standard, however. Blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and parking sensors still cost extra. Key safety features include:

• Standard automated emergency braking
• Standard lane-keeping assist
• Standard adaptive cruise control

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

Honda's warranty coverage is adequate but falls short of the class-leading coverage periods provided by Hyundai, while the Chevy Malibu and the Toyota Camry stand out in this class by offering complimentary scheduled maintenance.

• Limited warranty covers 3 years or 36,000 miles
• Powertrain warranty covers 5 years or 60,000 miles
• No complimentary scheduled maintenance