Experienced Adrian McQueen
Photography by Adrenaline Lifestyles
Summertime is in full swing and road trips are on the uptick. This was a great time for the arrival of the 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring as I had a couple road excursions planned. I knew that I was in store for a week with one of the best mid-size cars in the market.
The Honda Accord has been manufactured by Honda since 1976, with the four-door sedan model being the best seller in the United States since 1989. Since the Accord’s introduction in the market, it has been offered as several different car body styles and versions such as the coupe, wagon, hatchback, sedan and a crossover.
Upon first look, the exterior of the Accord captures your attention with 19-inch alloy wheels, LED fog lights and the rear spoiler. The sharp and stylish full LED headlight shape is recognized as a Honda with this signature look. The Accord platform makes extensive use of Advanced High Strength steel. This includes some Hot Stamped, Ultra High Strength Steel. The crash structure, on road dynamics and NVH are all better for it.
The interior of the Accord has a luxurious feel with the leather-trimmed seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel and the heads up display. The front seats are heated and ventilated, while the rear seats are heated. The Accord is very spacious inside. Whether you are making short trips around town and settled in for the long haul, you will enjoy the comfort of the ride. The infotainment system comes well equipped with navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, SiriusXM, HondaLink and a 10 speaker premium audio system.
The Accord has a 2.0-liter i-VTEC, 4-cylinder engine. The ride is engaging as much as it is practical. Off the line, you need to give it more throttle than expected to receive the quick response. The Accord’s chassis is noticeably more responsive and sporty. Corners were handled well in the Accord. The Hybrid model includes 4-wheel disc brakes, front MacPherson Strut suspension, rear multi-link suspension, electric power steering and the ECO assist system.
The 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring received a five-star NHTSA overall safety rating and comes fully equipped with Driver, Passenger, Front Head, Rear Head and Front Side Air Bags, 4-Wheel ABS, Brake Assist, Electronic Stability Control, Daytime Running Lights, Child Safety Locks, Traction Control, Lane Departure Warning and Lane Keeping Assist. The Honda Sensing suite of active safety gear includes adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning with lane keeping assist, and road departure mitigation (RDM). RDM is designed to prevent unintended departure from the pavement.
As a parent of a toddler, installation of car seats is important to me. The rear doors swing wide and have large openings to insert a car seat. The Accord has additional legroom that allows more space for a car seat without compromising front-seat legroom. The Accord hides its latch anchors behind a flap sewn in at the bottom and tucked in at the top and is easy to reach. You can also easily see the Honda anchor through the rear window while reaching for it. Installation and removal was a fairly easy process.
The Accord is comfortable, spacious, and reliable. It is quiet, in addition to being a smooth ride and tight handling. As for fuel economy, the Accord Hybrid delivers 44 mpg in the city, 41 mpg on the highway and 43 mpg combined. This came in handy as my trips to the gas station were limited.The Accord has always been one of my favorite automobiles and is still ranked at the top of its class, going up against the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell, the Ford Fusion Hybrid, Toyota Camry Hybrid, the Honda Insight and the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. The model that I reviewed comes in at $37,590. Please enjoy the photo gallery.
