Hybrid expands Honda Accord’s enduring appeal

What can be said about a car that has been almost universally acclaimed as among the very best of its kind for more than two decades? Probably not much that isn t positive, right? That is definitely the case with the Honda Accord. The Accord has been a perennial favorite for lots of auto critics for many years, first showing up on the Car & Driver Ten Best list in 1983. For whatever reason, the Accord didn t register well with me until the mid-1990s, but since then it s been one that I look forward to testing every year. Adding a hybrid version just makes sense, of course, and in typical Honda fashion, the engineering of the combination gas and electric powertrain makes the transition almost seamless. You know you are driving a hybrid but not because of any untoward behavior from the drivetrain or other aspects of the Accord s driving personality. The Accord received a bit of a styling update last year and added horsepower under the hood for the standard four and six cylinder gas-only engines. The hybrid gets better mileage while delivering unexpectedly impressive performance with no penalty in driving utility or pleasure. Thank the addition of the electric motor and Honda engineering for the added performance. Only Honda would take the hybrid concept normally associated with less performance as a condition of improved economy and demonstrate that the combination can produce more horsepower, 253, than the gas engine alone, 244. Inside and outside, the Accord hybrid is identical to the regular Accord, which means superb fit and finish everywhere, a passenger cabin that is laid out intelligently and comfortably, a trim, conservative exterior styling and road manners that are clearly meant for folks who can appreciate that driving need not always be merely a point a to point b activity. Actually, there are some small visual clues to the hybrid such as slightly different looks in the spoilers front and rear and the tail lamps. Even long-time Honda fans can still have trouble distinguishing the hybrid from a gas-only Accord. If there is a downside to the Accord hybrid, it s, where else, but the bottom line of the sticker, which bases at more than $30,000 and goes up from there. But the higher price brings with it all the usual virtues of a Honda, plus better performance and fuel economy, two things you almost never get to experience together in a family sedan. Next week Mark Tapscott gets behind the wheel of Mercedes Benz SL550.