2018 Honda Accord
The new state of the art in mainstream personal transportation.
Even in its final model year, the previous-generation Honda Accord bested the competition to claim last year’s Midsize Sedan Best Buy Award. And after a full redesign for 2018, the Accord was in a good position to garner plenty of consideration for this year’s honors, too.
But none of us predicted the utter domination with which this all-new Accord would rule the category, especially since there was an all-new Toyota Camry standing in its way. And while the new Camry has indeed proved excellent, at no point was this a close race. The 2018 Honda Accord isn’t just the finest midsize sedan money can buy, it’s the most sophisticated, most advanced, most impressive automobile not wearing a luxury badge.
The Three Rs: Reputation, Refinement and Resale Value
The foundation of the Accord’s appeal is the same as its been for decades, just another year and a new generation stronger. While the Accord’s virtues are many, nothing has contributed more to its enduring success than its reputation for providing years of trouble-free, cost-efficient ownership.
And the same attention to detail behind the Accord’s mechanical prowess also contributes to its more intangible advantages. Every switch, knob and button feels just right, and the Accord responds to steering, braking and acceleration commands as if it’s seeing the road through your eyes. If reliability is the Accord’s key ingredient, its pervasive and unparalleled refinement is the secret sauce.
Finally, the Honda Accord is such a smart new-car purchase in large part because it’s such a solid used-car choice. Excellent resale value translates to lower depreciation costs, which means you can pay a little more for a Honda Accord and still spend less in the long run over the course of a full buy-own-sell ownership cycle. The notion of getting the best for less is certainly appealing, but for Honda Accord buyers it’s also a reality.
The Kitchen Sink
The new Honda Accord boasts no fewer than nine of the cool features highlighted on our list of the 10 Best Automotive Technologies of 2018. (And while we do love a good 360-degree bird’s-eye camera, the Accord’s multi-angle rearview camera has its own advantages.)
Honda has been a leader in bringing advanced driver-assist and safety technologies to the masses, and the new Accord is the most advanced Honda yet. The Honda Sensing suite is now standard on every Accord, our favorite elements of which are the adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow and lane-keeping assist functionalities. Adaptive cruise control watches the vehicle ahead and adjusts speed accordingly, even in stop-and-go traffic, while lane-keeping assist reads lane markers and provides subtle but meaningful steering assistance. Additional driver supports include blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, and a new driver-attention monitor that can sense when a driver might be getting fatigued and suggest a break.
The 2018 Accord also boasts an all-new and much improved infotainment system featuring a tile-based user interface with tap, swipe, pinch and zoom functionality, just like your smartphone. In combination with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, Honda’s new system is among the best in the industry.
In addition, the latest generation of HondaLink telematics offers emergency roadside assistance, remote locking/unlocking, remote engine start, stolen vehicle tracking, geofencing, and speed tracking. The head-up display projects vehicle speed, turn-by-turn directions and traffic sign information onto the base of the windshield. Pay a monthly fee for a built-in cellular data connection and you can turn the Accord into a Wi-Fi hotspot. And available NFC (Near Field Communication) technology makes it exceptionally easy to pair any NFC-equipped Bluetooth phone.
Sheer Desirability
Whether you’re more attracted to practical considerations like roominess and fuel economy, or more exciting elements like technology and design, the 2018 Honda Accord is powerfully seductive. The primary powertrain’s combined fuel economy rating of 33 mpg is tops in the class. There’s more rear-seat legroom in the new Accord than in flagship luxury sedans like the Lexus LS. And the exterior styling is positively premium, a sleek but substantive shape that feels more advanced than anything else in the segment.
The midsize sedan segment isn’t short on excellent entries. In fact, there’s truly not a bad choice in the group right now. But the thoroughly impressive new 2018 Honda Accord is the best choice for the most buyers, and that’s why it’s this year’s Midsize Sedan Best Buy.
Oh, and one more thing: The brilliant new Accord is also this year’s Overall Best Buy.
Video Tour: 2018 Honda Accord
More 2018 Honda Accord
Build and price your own 2018 Honda Accord to see this week’s Fair Purchase Price, 5-Year Cost to Own and more, or check out the Accords for sale today at dealers near you.
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