Best Reviewed
Family Cars
- Best family car overall 2011 Hyundai Sonata *Est. $19395
- Best family-car value 2011 Kia Optima *Est. $19200
- Best large family car 2011 Buick LaCrosse *Est. $27130
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- Outstanding quality and reliability
- Comfortable, roomy interior
- Good fuel economy (with base engine)
- Strong acceleration (with optional V-6)
- Secure, confident handling
- Costs more than other top-rated sedans
- Inconsistent safety scores
- Dashboard is cluttered with buttons
- Road noise can be intrusive
Free Price Quote for 2009 Honda AccordThe Honda Accord strikes the best balance for most families, according to reviewers. Experts say its time-tested performance, quality, reliability, fuel economy, comfort and passenger room won't disappoint shoppers in the market for a family sedan, but two flaws cause the Accord to slip in some ratings: Its price tag and a glaring blemish on its otherwise excellent safety record.
First, the good points -- and reviews say there are many. The Accord is big enough to handle long-legged passengers in both front and back, but it still "moves with the light step of a running back," Car and Driver reviewer Tony Swan says. Its fuel economy (25 mpg mixed city/highway with the base four-cylinder engine) places it among the top nonhybrid family sedans, and year after year, owners have reported that the Honda Accord is well-built and dependable.
Although some testers complain that the new, bigger Honda Accord is no longer fun to drive, most experts find the Accord agile and peppy, for a family sedan. Several testers note a lot of road noise inside the Honda Accord, and MotherProof.com reviewer Sherrice Gilsbach heard "both a high-pitched, electrical-sounding whine and a pounding noise like a flat tire" emanating from her test car. Reviewers also find the array of button controls on the instrument panel and center stack to be cluttered and confusing.
Experts' main concern, however, is the Accord's oddly low score in a federal side crash test. The Accord earns perfect scores in government frontal and rollover tests, plus the highest possible recommendation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) based on its good performance in frontal, side and rear crash tests there. However, backseat passengers in the Accord have an 11 to 20 percent chance of suffering a serious injury if a pickup or SUV crashes into the side of the car at 31 mph, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tests show. For most family sedans, the risk is less than 6 percent.
Still, the Accord now handily beats its old nemesis, the Toyota Camry (*est. $19,395 to $29,045) on almost every measure in reviews (although the less expensive Camry is still the best-selling car in America). But two rivals are challenging the Accord's supremacy among critics.
The Hyundai Sonata (*est. $18,700 to $26,550) isn't as agile as the Accord, reviews say, but tests show it's just as good in every other way, and it costs thousands less, making the Sonata a better pick for families on a tight budget. The Mazda6 (*est. $18,550 to $28,465) also costs less than the Accord, and most experts find the Mazda both sharper-looking and sportier to drive. The Mazda6 is even roomier than the Accord, and it earns perfect government crash-test scores, although the IIHS had not yet tested it when we checked. In exchange for more size and power, however, the Mazda6 gives up a couple of mpg, and experts have not had a chance to judge this new car's dependability (although they say Mazdas have been reliable in recent years).
The Honda Accord seats five, and its folding rear bench seat includes a center armrest/trunk pass-through. The base Accord LX trim (*est. $20,905) includes a 177-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. It delivers 25 mpg in mixed driving with the five-speed manual transmission (22 mpg city/31 mpg highway), or 24 mpg with the five-speed automatic (21 mpg city/30 mpg highway). Plenty of experts test the Honda Accord LX and none complain about any lack of features, though William C. Montgomery at TheTruthAboutCars.com notes that the stereo sounds thin.
The step-up Honda Accord EX (*est. $23,605) boosts horsepower to 190 without hurting fuel economy. For $3,000 more, you can get even more power with the Honda Accord EX's optional 271-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6. That engine is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission and incorporates Variable Cylinder Management, a system that discreetly shuts down two or three of the six cylinders when they aren't needed. Fuel economy with the V-6 still dips by a few mpg (19 mpg city/29 mpg highway/22 mpg combined).
The Honda Accord EX trim also adds a few standard features, including power lumbar support for the driver's seat and a six-CD changer. An Accord EX-L version (*est. $25,605) adds luxury standard features such as heated leather seats and XM satellite radio, plus an optional navigation system with Bluetooth hands-free calling that isn't available on lower models. The Honda Accord EX-L's price rises steadily as you add options; an EX-L with a V-6 engine stickers for $28,705. The Honda Accord is backed by a three-year/36,000 mile basic warranty.
There's no shortage of review coverage for the class-leading Honda Accord. It's a contestant in almost every head-to-head family sedan comparison we found, including those at Car and Driver, Cars.com, TheTruthAboutCars.com, Motor Trend, The Globe and Mail of Toronto and Edmunds Inside Line. All are valuable, expert analyses that judge the cars' practical value for families. Each review weights certain factors (such as price) differently, so it's good to take them all into account when judging the Accord. As usual, if we could read only one review, we'd pick the one at Consumer Reports; it covers just about every aspect of the Accord and ranks it clearly against the competition. Tests at ConsumerGuide.com and MotherProof.com aren't head-to-head, but each publication tests and rates a wide variety of family sedans. We found objective fuel-economy and crash-test data at government websites and at the nonprofit IIHS. J.D. Power and Associates is one of the few sources besides Consumer Reports that conducts its own reliability surveys.
Our Sources
1. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
Consumer Reports' rankings include just about every family sedan on the market, including the Honda Accord. Testers scrutinize the cars' ride quality, handling, comfort and more, in a thorough and unbiased fashion. Unlike most other reviews, Consumer Reports also collects data on the cars' reliability and depreciation.
Review: Honda Accord, Editors of ConsumerReports.org
2. Car and DriverDetails/Subscribe
Car and Driver's Tony Swan tests three basic family sedans -- the four-cylinder, manual-transmission models of the brand-new 2010 Ford Fusion, the Mazda6 and the Honda Accord. The Accord is his top pick, with the best ride, braking and refinement of the three. The Accord is also a Car and Driver 10Best pick for the 23rd time in 27 years.
Review: 2010 Ford Fusion vs. Mazda 6, Honda Accord, Tony Swan, Apr. 2009
3. Cars.com
Cars.com tests and ranks three family sedans -- the Honda Accord, Mazda6 and Toyota Camry -- in several categories, such as baby-seat friendliness and price. Although the Mazda6 wins the most categories, editors downgrade it for subpar fuel economy. The Honda Accord is the editors' choice.
Review: Cars.comparison: Family Sedans, Mike Hanley, Kelsey Mays and David Thomas, Jan. 2, 2009
Like other economy-conscious reviewers, TheTruthAboutCars.com's William C. Montgomery chooses base four-cylinder models for his latest Japanese family-sedan comparison. The Honda Accord beats the lackluster Toyota Camry in head-to-head tests, but the Accord's own lack of fun keeps it below the Nissan Altima and Mazda6.
Review: Comparison Test/Review: Third Place: 2009 Honda Accord LX, William C. Montgomery, Oct. 28, 2008
In this second-opinion review, editor Robert Farago disagrees with his colleague, William C. Montgomery, at TheTruthAboutCars.com. He asserts that Honda has "done the right thing" by enlarging the Accord, even though it hurts fuel economy and the fun factor, because it makes the Accord appeal to a wider audience. Farago critiques most facets of the Accord, from the seats to the original-equipment tires (which he finds cheap).
Review: Take Two: 2009 Honda Accord LX Review, Robert Farago, Sept. 5, 2008
6. Motor TrendDetails/Subscribe
Motor Trend tests 10 family sedans and ranks them from best to worst. Although editors praise the Honda Accord, it ranks fourth behind the Volkswagen Passat, Hyundai Sonata and Toyota Camry.
Review: The Familial and Frugal: Four-Cylinder Midsize Sedan Comparison Test, Editors of Motor Trend
The Globe and Mail conducts its own family sedan comparison, choosing five Consumer Reports favorites and the new Mazda6 as the contestants. Reviewer Jeremy Cato downgrades the Honda Accord to fifth place, saying it costs more and gets lower safety scores than the others.
Review: Comparing Mid-Size Sedans, Jeremy Cato, Jan. 22, 2009
8. Edmunds.com
The Honda Accord is a Top Recommended Sedan under $25,000 at Edmunds.com. Picks are based on the site's thorough, expert testing of every family sedan on the market.
Review: 2009 Top Recommended Sedans, Editors of Edmunds.com
At Inside Line, the enthusiast-oriented companion site to Edmunds.com, the new Mazda6 beats Edmunds.com's favorite, the Honda Accord in a head-to-head test. Reviewer Chris Walton finds the Mazda6 faster, smoother and easier on gas than the Accord.
Review: Comparison Test: 2009 Mazda 6 vs. 2008 Honda Accord vs. 2008 Nissan Altima, Chris Walton, Sept. 7, 2008
ConsumerGuide.com road tests virtually every car and truck on the market, ranking each one against a class average. This site's results and recommendations are a valuable resource, but the numerical reporting format can be tricky to read. The 2009 Honda Accord earns an above average score for its class and a Best Buy designation.
Review: 2009 Honda Accord: Road Test, Editors of ConsumerGuide.com
11. SaferCar.gov
The Honda Accord earns perfect scores in all government safety tests except one: the side-impact crash test. The Accord scores a three out of five for protecting rear passengers in a side crash, whereas most family sedans score a five.
Review: 5-Star Safety Ratings, Editors of SaferCar.gov
12. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
The Honda Accord is a Top Safety Pick at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which crash tests family sedans and rates their ability to protect passengers in front, side and rear-end collisions. This chart shows how the Accord's safety stacks up against its rivals'.
Review: Midsize Moderately Priced Cars, Editors of Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
13. FuelEconomy.gov
The Environmental Protection Agency classifies the Honda Accord as a "large car;" its fuel economy compares very well with the muscle cars and luxury sedans in that category. The EPA names the Accord one of the two most fuel efficient large cars you can buy (along with the Hyundai Sonata).
Review: 2009 Most and Least Fuel Efficient Vehicles, Editors of FuelEconomy.gov
14. MotherProof.com
When MotherProof.com reviewer Sherrice Gilsbach first begins to test the Honda Accord with her two small children, she loves its trunk space and convenient cabin storage. However, she soon finds nits to pick, including the Accord's lint-magnet upholstery and noisy ride.
Review: Accord Proves First Impressions Aren't Everything, Sherrice Gilsbach, Sept. 2008
The Honda Accord's reliability is "among the best," according to this owner survey. The Accord's body/interior reliability is only average, but its powertrain, features and accessories get good marks for dependability. Scores are based on 2009 surveys of owners who bought their cars in 2006. Note that the Honda Accords bought during that timeframe are the previous-generation model.
Review: 2009 Vehicle Dependability Study -- Midsize Car, Editors of J.D. Power and Associates
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