2018 Honda Accord: Need a Second Opinion?
The awards and accolades keep coming for the new 2018 Honda Accord. It was named “2018 North American Car of the Year” in Detroit at the beginning of January (ahead of the Kia Stinger and Toyota Camry) and then crowned “2018 Canadian Car of the Year” by AJAC at the Toronto auto show on February 15.
We have already written quite a bit about the new Accord, including a review by our veteran contributor Denis Duquet and a comparison with the Camry. I recently put the car to the test myself, so if you are considering it for your next vehicle purchase, let me give you further insight.
The stuff of luxury sedans
Let’s start with the design, which may be somewhat polarizing especially with that bold grille up front, but still full of character and presence. The available LED headlights, in particular, had me thinking Acura. I quite liked the rear three-quarter view with those muscular hips and flowing roofline reminiscent of a grand-touring coupe. The wheels (19 inches in diameter, in my case) are just as superb. I won’t pretend the 2018 Honda Accord is the most attractive midsize sedan on the market right now (the Mazda6 still is, in my mind), but it definitely marks a big improvement over the previous generation.
Inside, you’ll find a modern, high-quality cabin with neat fit and finish. The many controls prove user-friendly. In fact, I quickly got used to the whole layout. Kudos for the new centre display, which works like a charm even though I’m not exactly fond of the way it rests on the dashboard, and kudos as well for the digital instrument cluster behind the wheel, with a configurable left section where you decide the info you want to see.
The available leather seats provide a great dose of comfort and there is a ton of room inside the Accord (almost as much as in a full-size sedan) and also in the trunk (473 litres). The main complaint I had during the week was an undesirable amount of wind noise, which seemed to come from all around and not just from the sunroof overhead.