Used 2022 Honda Accord

We like the 2022 Honda Accord a lot. So much that we gave the Accord an award for best buy among midsize sedans.

The Accord is a high point of its class. Sure, a few more recent arrivals have one or two smarter and shinier tech features, but the Accord has always had strong engineering on its side, resulting in excellent reliability and robust resale values.

Even if it’s not exactly super-thrilling, the Honda Accord is nevertheless enjoyable to drive. That’s not something we can say about most of the SUV/crossovers edging sedans out of suburban driveways. If a buyer is brave enough to get a sedan, the Accord is an extraordinarily risk-free choice.

The 2022 Honda Accord Hybrid is reviewed separately.

Some SUVs are kind of fun behind the steering wheel, but most of them ride too high to have anything like the same kind of precision as a well-calibrated sedan. And the 2022 Accord is a well-calibrated sedan.

Not that it’s overly sporty. The Accord can be a great, comfortable-riding car for long trips. But on a snaking country road, it responds well to driver inputs. The top Touring trim has an adaptive suspension as standard, providing a greater range between pillowy and pushy.

Both of the turbocharged 4-cylinder engines are energetic. The 1.5-liter version has its maximum torque come in nice and low at 1,600 rpm and keeps on giving until 6,000 rpm.

The 2.0-liter is noticeably more muscular. It also comes with a 10-speed automatic transmission, whereas the 1.5 is paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). We realize that a lot of people don’t care; they just want to put the thing in D and get home. But for anyone who prefers even a little focus to their driving experience, the 10-speeder/2.0-liter combo is the way to go.

A feat of clever packaging has turned the 2022 Accord into one of the most spacious midsize sedans. Even that sloping roof doesn’t affect rear headroom too much. And rear legroom of 40.4 inches cannot be matched by the competition.

At the front, there are comfortable seats, quality materials, and a user-friendly infotainment system with a good-sized 8-inch touchscreen. The Accord doesn’t bother with a transmission shift lever, though. A row of buttons for PRND does the job instead. It takes a little getting used to, but does create some stowage space in the center console.

Trunk volume of 16.7 cubic feet is yet another of the Honda Accord’s best-in-class measurements.

It probably won’t win as many design competitions as Best Buy Awards, but the 2022 Accord looks palatable enough for most people’s tastes. Midsize sedans aren’t really personal statements, anyway. Unless the statement is: I don’t want to drive a crossover SUV like everyone else. That’s okay by us.

Premium paint colors are offered across the range, like Platinum White Pearl or Radiant Red Metallic. A Black Accent package changes a few details front and back into that color. A Bronze Accent package does the same thing with, naturally, bronze-colored elements.

Buyers can take those ideas further with black-finished or bronze-finished alloy wheels available as individual options. Every 2022 Accord has alloy wheels, either 17 or 19 inches in diameter.

THE DRIVER’S SEAT
It doesn’t do anything really fancy, like a massaging function or active bolstering, but if we’re sitting in the driver’s seat it means we’re enjoying the 2022 Accord to the full.

THE REST OF THE CAR
This is the trouble with the 2022 Accord. It does the usual Honda thing of being really good in so many areas that nothing in particular stands out. Yet there’s no real reason to criticize it, either.

LX is the starting point for the 2022 Accord lineup. It comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, LED low-beam headlights, LED taillights, dual-zone automatic climate control, and cloth upholstery.

Advanced safety features include forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning/lane-keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control, road sign recognition, and automatic high beams.

The infotainment system has an 8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration, Bluetooth, two USB ports, and a 4-speaker/160-watt audio setup.

Not bad, but the next-up Sport trim is a better call. It adds full LED headlights and fog lights, 19-inch alloy wheels, leather-wrapped steering wheel, 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, two USB ports for the rear passengers, and a 180-watt/8-speaker audio system. It’s also eligible for the 2.0-liter engine and 10-speed automatic transmission (the Sport 2.0T is $32.6K), which brings heated front seats, remote start, Smart Entry with Walk-Away Lock, wireless phone charging, blind-spot monitoring, moonroof, rear-seat reminder, and satellite radio.

Acquiring more equipment in a new Honda Accord is best accomplished by choosing a higher trim. The main options across the range are premium paint, a couple of appearance packages, and underbody aerodynamic additions.

Sport SE is only available with the 1.5-liter engine, but brings most of those extra features that accompany the 2.0-liter unit. Not the moonroof, blind-spot monitoring, wireless charging or satellite radio, however.

EX-L goes back to 17-inch alloy wheels to optimize ride comfort, while adding blind-spot monitoring, moonroof, front/rear parking sensors, self-dimming rearview mirror, universal garage door opener, 4-way power-adjustable front passenger seat (also in the Sport SE) and leather seating surfaces (likewise), plus wireless charging, wireless smartphone integration, satellite radio, and a 10-speaker/450-watt audio system.

At the top of the 2022 Accord lineup, the Touring 2.0T comes solely with the 2.0-liter engine, plus 19-inch alloy wheels, adaptive suspension, rain-sensing wipers, low-speed braking control, head-up display, tilt-down function for the passenger-side mirror when reverse gear is engaged, heated/ventilated front seats, heated outboard rear seats, navigation (with turn-by-turn directions in the head-up display), and Wi-Fi.

The base engine in the 2022 Accord range is a turbocharged 1.5-liter 4-cylinder unit generating 192 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque. Drive goes solely to the front wheels, which is true of any 2022 Accord.

With this 1.5T engine, the automatic transmission is of the continuously variable variety.

In the engine bay of the Touring 2.0T is a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder unit developing a more muscular 252 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. This engine links up to a 10-speed automatic transmission. The Sport model is also offered with this drivetrain.

Both engines are fine with regular gasoline.

1.5-liter turbocharged inline-4 (LX, Sport, Sport SE, EX-L)
192 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm
192 lb-ft of torque @ 1,600-5,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 30/38 mpg (LX, EX-L), 29/35 mpg (Sport, Sport SE)

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 (Sport 2.0T, Touring 2.0T)
252 horsepower @ 6,500 rpm
273 lb-ft of torque @ 1,500-4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 22/32 mpg