2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Reviews, Pricing & Specs

At a glance, you could easily mistake the 2023 Accord for a fancier (and much more expensive) luxury sedan. We routinely fielded numerous questions and positive responses from onlookers during our time with the car. From our perspective, especially when viewed from the side, there’s more than a hint of Audi’s sleek A7 luxury sedan in the lines of the 2023 Accord—and that’s definitely not meant as a complaint.

Stretching roughly 7 centimetres longer than before, the 2023 Accord sports a sleek exterior with a redesigned front grille and updated LED lighting at the front and rear. During a first drive event early in 2023, our first impressions were that this updated model still looks very like an Accord, but with a more refined and near-luxury look to its lines. Although it’s a bit blockier and slab-sided than early iterations, it is undoubtedly an Accord.

The new model has a more upright front grille, blacked-out LED headlights, and LED taillights that span the width of the rear end. Honda stretched the overall length by 7.1 cm and increased the rear track by 1 cm. This conspires to give the car a planted stance that’s accentuated by its long and flowing roofline that neatly tapers to the trunk.

The Accord Touring is available with six exterior colours and rides on 19-inch alloy wheels with black accents. A set of gloss-black Honda Performance Development (HPD) 19-inch alloys are optional, though they cost a substantial $3,565 for the set. We think it’s smarter to save your money since the standard wheels are plenty attractive.

The interior styling is similarly updated with new dashboard design and a standard digital instrument display. In the Accord Hybrid Touring, a 12.3-inch touchscreen with highly sought after features like Amazon Alexa, wireless device charging, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are equipped.

Our tester sported Canyon River Blue Metallic paint and a black leather interior. If you prefer cloth seats, they’re standard in the Hybrid Sport.

Irrespective of trim level, every Accord Hybrid is equipped with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine and two electric motors that form the foundation for the hybrid system. This powertrain sends 204 horsepower to the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT). A front-wheel drive (FWD) drivetrain is the only choice here. Unlike some key rivals, including the Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry, the Accord is not available with all-wheel drive (AWD). Honda’s Econ mode is standard.

That shouldn’t be a deal breaker, in our opinion, because the Accord Hybrid gets down the road smoothly and efficiently. We noticed during our initial test drive earlier in the year that the Accord switches seamlessly between electric power and its gas motors. It won’t overwhelm you in terms of its sheer acceleration, though it has more than enough power to make highway merges and passing maneuvers quick and easy. The suspension also does an excellent job when it comes to absorbing bumps and other road imperfections. It’s never overly firm in how it gets down the road, nor is it too pillowy and soft.

Honda also augmented the regenerative braking system in the Accord Hybrid, bumping it up from four levels of regen to six. The result is an experience that’s easier to fine-tune, and it can help driver’s unfamiliar with regenerative braking get more comfortable.

Aided by its agile handling, the Accord is relaxing to drive in any type of environment. And despite the recent increase in length, it’s equally painless to park in tight spots. This is the kind of car that proves familiar and relaxing after only a few minutes spent behind the wheel.

The cabin of the 2023 Accord adopts the layout used in Honda’s Civic sedan and hatchback, as well as the CR-V compact SUV. One of its best visual treats is a strip of honeycomb mesh trim which neatly hides the dash-mounted air vents for the standard dual-zone climate control. While the infotainment screen takes pride of place atop the dashboard, a convenient row of buttons and dials to control cabin temperature are within easy reach of the driver and front passenger. This is also where you’ll find buttons for the heated and ventilated seats that come standard on the Touring trim. Heated seats are standard on every Honda Accord sold in Canada, while a heated steering wheel is included on every Accord Hybrid and heated rear seats are equipped on the Touring. Everything feels solid and built to last, and this adds to the Accord’s upscale feel.

Interestingly, the Accord Hybrid now has a traditional gearshift sprouting from the centre console. The previous version had a series of buttons to engage Park, Reverse, Neutral and Drive. This wasn’t necessarily bad, but we think this solution is better. There’s less guesswork involved and, at the very least, the gear lever is a convenient spot to rest your hand when adjusting HVAC settings. And yes, Honda has wisely kept a dedicated volume control knob on the dashboard alongside the infotainment screen. The automaker learned its lesson after some of its previous infotainment systems relied on touch-screen volume controls that were maddening to use.

Honda says it adjusted the frame design of the front seats to provide better support. After many hours spent behind the wheel in both California and New York, we can vouch that these seats deliver plenty of comfort and always left us feeling refreshed for more driving adventures. The same is nearly true of the accommodations in the rear of the Accord. Legroom and shoulder room is generous—not to mention better than what you get in direct rivals like the Toyota Camry Hybrid and Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. Yet we discovered overall headroom is impinged upon by that sleek tapering roofline.

Some passengers found it absolutely fine back there, while others we had climb aboard did not. This is at least something to consider, especially for any Accord shopper who plans on routinely traveling with taller folks in the second row. On a positive note, trunk space is generous at 473 litres in capacity. It’s surprisingly deep and easy to access thanks to a low load floor. Unlike some high-riding SUVs, you won’t need to heave bulky cargo up high to get it stowed. Your back and shoulders will thank you, trust us.

The standard non-hybrid Accord is fitted with a 7-inch touchscreen display and 10.2-inch digital instrument display. Stepping up to the Accord Hybrid brings the same digital gauges, though it upgrades the infotainment system to a 12.3-inch touchscreen. It took us only a few minutes to get familiar with the commands and intuitive menus. The graphics are easy to navigate and with the Touring trim you get all the available tech touches Honda offers on the Accord. This goes some way to justify splurging on this range-topping trim. We were happy to see the physical volume knob and climate control buttons when we first drove the Accord early in 2023, but this time around, it was the advanced tech features that caught our eye.

These tech features include wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto connectivity, a wireless device charging pad conveniently located in the centre console, Google Built-in with Google Assistant and onboard Google Maps, Amazon Alexa, and a head-up display. A 12-speaker Bose audio system, HD radio, and four USB ports also come along for the ride.

Considering its primary role is as a sensible family sedan, it’s no surprise the 2023 Accord comes with a healthy roster of active safety features. Both hybrid and non-hybrid Accords are equipped with a multi-angle rearview camera, automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, traffic sign recognition, traffic jam assist, pedestrian and cyclist detection, and a rear-seat reminder. Most of these are part of what’s called the Honda Sensing bundle of safety items.

With the Accord Hybrid Touring, added safety features include front and rear parking sensors and the head-up instrument display mentioned previously.

The Accord and Accord Hybrid have what Honda refers to as its next-generation airbags. It’s also worth mentioning Honda engineered the 2023 Accord to have slimmer front A-pillars, the benefit being a better and more expansive view of the road ahead. After all, one of the best ways to avoid an accident is being able to spot trouble before its too late.

Since our first encounter with the Accord Hybrid earlier this year, it has gone on to score a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. It earned a rating of “Good,” the highest possible score, in every crash test, along with the effectiveness of its headlights, crash avoidance and mitigation, and its compatibility with child seats. As such, we’ve bumped up our original score of 8/10 for safety to the current ration of 9/10.

If you like what you’ve read but wouldn’t mind having a little more money left in your pocket, take note that the least expensive Accord Hybrid is the Sport Hybrid trim that costs $42,964 (including destination and other fees). Opting for the fully loaded Touring model adds about $3,500 to the new car price, though it does come with every bell and whistle that can be added to this five-seat sedan.

If you can live without the hybrid engine, the regular Accord powered by a 192-hp turbocharged 1.5-litre turbo four-cylinder starts at $38,964, fees in. This engine is also paired to a CVT, meaning no version of the Accord is currently equipped with a traditional automatic transmission. To its credit, the fuel economy figures posted by the Accord Hybrid are guaranteed to appeal to car shoppers with an aversion to gas-guzzling engines. The Natural Resources Canada-estimated 5.0 litres per 100 kilometres in city driving, 5.7 highway, and 5.3 combined is impressive.

All variants can be fed a diet of regular gasoline. Value has been a hallmark of the Accord for decades, and this holds true for the redesigned 2023 model.

It also compares favourably to the Toyota Camry Hybrid and Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. Granted, the Toyota has a base trim that offers a lower entry-level price. But once you add features to make it comparable to the Accord Hybrid’s level of content, this advantage all but disappears. This is one of the reasons the Touring trim, despite being the priciest of the Accord Hybrid lineup, actually makes smart fiscal sense when you consider all that comes with it.

We even think it compares nicely to a luxury-badged competitor, such as the posh Lexus ES Hybrid which has a starting price of approximately $56,000 including fees. It’s not often a top trim makes a strong case for potentially being the best value, though we think this applies to the 2023 Honda Accord Hybrid.

Note: Images show a US model.