2020 Honda Accord Hybrid

After 2017, the Accord adopted a more Eurocentric styling approach with its full redesign in 2018. For 2020, the Honda Accord Hybrid's exterior styling remains unchanged; you get a handsome front fascia that shares styling elements with the Civic range of compact cars. Standard exterior features include LED headlights with auto on/off, an active shutter grille, and LED fog lights, and one-touch moonroof on higher trim cars. 17-inch machine-finished alloy wheels are standard across the lineup, and available paint colors are shared with the regular gas-fed variant, including Platinum White Pearl and Radiant Red Metallic.

The Honda Accord Hybrid is classified as a midsize four-door sedan, and measures in with an average exterior size for its class. Total length comes in at 192.2 inches and the overall height is 57.1 inches. The Accord Hybrid is 73.3 inches wide and rolls on a wheelbase of 111.4 inches. The Accord Hybrid weighs 3,428 pounds and carries around a weight penalty of 297 pounds over the non-hybrid base Accord.

The Accord Hybrid is powered by a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and a pair of electric motors. The gas-powered engine produces a total of 143 hp and 129 lb-ft of torque at 3,500 rpm and features the Brand's famed i-VTEC cam timing system as well as direct fuel injection. With the added power of the twin electric motors, the Accord offers a total power output of 212 hp and 232 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels via a continuously variable automatic transmission. An AWD system is not offered. Around town, the Hybrid feels plucky thanks to low down electric torque, but up top, it feels strained, which doesn't inspire confidence when out on the freeway. Mash the accelerator pedal and the Accord Hybrid will cruise from 0 to 60 mph in the low seven-second range; it's not the slowest in its class, but it's a long way off the mid-five-second 0 - 60 mph time of the 2.0T gas-powered Accord.

The Accord Hybrid has a trick up its sleeve; it might look like just another four-door cookie-cutter sedan to most, but those who have been fans of the Accord platform will know that Honda likes to make their midsize sedan drive and handle like a much sportier car. The artificially light steering and absent steering feel are low points on the hybrid model, but the Accord turns into corners with great eagerness and will maintain impressive mid-corner grip, despite riding on not-so-great all-season eco tires from the factory. Touring models get adaptive dampers, which stiffen things up a tad, and make the driving experience even more engaging. The Accord is one of our favorite driving cars in this segment, but if you want all-out performance, you'd be better off looking at the 2.0-liter turbocharged Sport model, which is available with a six-speed manual transmission.

The gas-powered range of Accord cars already impresses with their economical range of small capacity turbocharged engines; the 1.5-liter turbocharged Accord with CVT transmission will return commendable gas mileage figures of 30/38/33 mpg city/highway/combined. The Accord Hybrid makes those figures seem like they were taken from a Hummer with a flat tire; you'll net 48/47/48 mpg in the Hybrid, a truly astounding figure for a midsize sedan, but as impressive as that sounds, the Toyota Camry Hybrid will do even better at 51/53/52 mpg. The gas power plant gets a 12.8-gallon fuel tank, which should allow the Hybrid Accord a maximum range of around 614 miles.

There's enough space for five adults inside the 2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, and the addition of a battery pack beneath the rear passenger seating space does not impact the overall seating space. Technically rated as a full-size car by the EPA on dimensions alone, the Accord Hybrid offers 37.5 inches of headroom in the front and 37.3 inches in the rear and 42.3 inches of legroom up front. Passengers in the back will enjoy a massive 40.4 inches of leg-emancipating freedom.

The general perception around hybrid vehicles is that they usually have to sacrifice interior and trunk space to make way for large and unwieldy packs of batteries. Thankfully this is not the case with the 2020 Accord Hybrid. Thanks to smart planning and packing, the Accord does not have to offer up any of its class-leading 16.7 cubic feet of trunk space. The Toyota Camry can only muster 15.1 cubic feet of space by comparison. The trunk lid on the Accord has a tall opening angle, which is great for getting larger items in the back but is limited by a narrow lower opening. Small-item storage is taken care of by a set of front and rear cupholders, a center console storage box, a glove box as well as four-door pockets and available seatback pockets.

The Hybrid model is available in four different trim levels, so standard specs differ accordingly. In base trim, Honda offers the Accord Hybrid with standard adaptive cruise control; traffic sign recognition lane keep assist and more as part of their Honda Sensing driver-assistive technologies package. Other standard features include dual-zone automatic climate control, push-button start, front, and rear 12-volt power outlets as well as a security system with remote entry and trunk release. Higher up in the range, features such as a 12-way power-adjustable driver's seat, one-touch power moonroof, blind-spot assistance as well as wireless phone charging, Wi-Fi connectivity, and a HomeLink universal garage door opener become standard features.

One of the biggest issues we had with the ninth-generation Accord was its unbearable infotainment system; it was clunky, unresponsive, problematic to get used to, and caused many headaches where it should have eased them. Thankfully the 2018 redesign brought with it a system that was finally capable, and so it has remained unchanged for 2020. The standard seven-inch system feels intuitive and offers features such as Bluetooth with HandsFreeLink, a USB charging port, and a 160-watt, four-speaker sound system. Higher up in the range, the display grows to eight inches and includes navigation, an eight-speaker sound system, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto integration as well as SiriusXM satellite radio. Touring models add Wi-Fi streaming capability, wireless phone charging, and near field communication.

The Accord Hybrid model has not been recalled once since its launch back in 2018, and unlike its non-hybrid sibling which has received a number of complaints about problems with loose trim pieces and random rattles, the Hybrid seems to enjoy a better standard of build quality. Honda covers the 2020 Accord Hybrid with a basic three-year/36,000-mile warranty, while the battery gets eight years of unlimited mileage cover.

The Accord offers class-leading levels of safety in the midsize hybrid group of cars; after review of the 2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, the NHTSA scored it a full five out of five stars on their rating system. And, while the IIHS hasn't reviewed the Accord hybrid yet, the gas-powered Accord, which shares the same safety features, scored a Top Safety Pick award. All Accord Hybrid cars come with standard adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation, traffic sign recognition, and more, as well as a slew of standard airbags.

The current Honda Accord Hybrid has been with us for two years but still feels modern and offers class-leading interior space, gas mileage, and an enjoyable driving experience. The Honda Accord Hybrid takes the superb balance of the gas-powered car and channels its focus more in the direction of hypermiling fuel economy figures - but it doesn't lose out on the great levels of driver engagement we've come to love. Although the Hybrid powertrain is more than capable of pulling the midsize sedan around town, it loses steam at higher speeds. We commend Honda for not compromising on the interior or trunk space; clever design and packaging means you won't be able to tell the Hybrid apart from a normal Accord. Excellent safety features, an improved infotainment system, and a quality interior all point to an excellent hybrid sedan, which, starting at only $25,470, should be on anyone's radar when shopping in this class.

The cheapest Hybrid model you'll be able to get your hands on is the self-titled Accord Hybrid, which goes on sale for a starting MSRP of $25,470, only $1,600 more than the gas-powered base model. Next up is the more luxurious EX Hybrid model, which goes for $29,370, followed by the EX-L Hybrid, which is priced at $31,870. At the top of the range sits the Touring Hybrid, which will set you back $35,140. These prices do not include tax, license fees, registration, and a destination fee of $930.

Honda offers the Accord Hybrid in four different trim levels, so it all boils down to how many creature comforts you want. If you're purely interested in getting as many miles out of a tank of gas, then stick with the base model, where you get standard LED headlights, dual-zone climate control, a seven-inch infotainment system with Bluetooth streaming, premium cloth seats and class-leading passenger space. If we were the ones doing the shopping, we'd go with the $31,870 EX-L, which in addition to all the features you'd find on the EX - such as a one-touch power moonroof and blind-spot monitoring - adds leather-trimmed seating surfaces, driver's seat memory functionality as well as four-way power-adjustability for the front passenger seat and a premium 450-watt ten-speaker sound system. The Touring model adds even more premium goodies such as ventilated front seats, wireless phone charging, and a head-up display for those with the extra bucks on hand.

Toyota's well-loved Camry puts up a stiff fight in the midsize hybrid sedan category, but does it have what it takes to steal customers away from the impressive Accord? The 2020 Toyota Camry Hybrid is powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine and a set of electric motors that produce a combined total output of 208 hp - good enough for a gas mileage figure of 51/53/52 mpg city/highway/combined. The Camry's drivetrain is more efficient and feels more potent out on the street where the Accord fails to impress, especially at higher speeds. The Camry's victory is short-lived, however; the Accord is the more enjoyable car to drive and actually engages the driver, whereas the Camry wants to place him or her into a light coma at any given opportunity. The Accord offers more passenger and trunk space, as well. The Accord takes this one on driving pleasure alone but doesn't sacrifice in other areas that count.

Other than the Toyota Prius, the Honda Insight has to be one of the most famous and well-known hybrid vehicles on American roads and has become Honda's poster-child for eco-friendly motoring. The 2020 Honda Insight forms part of the third generation of cars introduced in 2019 and is classified as a compact four-door sedan. Powering the Honda Insight is a naturally aspirated 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a set of electric motors that offer a combined 151.5 hp. The Insight won't win any drag races, but it will glide by most gas stations with an impressive fuel economy figure of 55/49/52 mpg city/highway/combined. The Insight is a smaller car, so you won't get the same passenger and trunk space as you'd find in the mid-sized Accord, but the interior feels just as well put together, and you still get Honda's great Honda Sensing safety and driver-assistance suite which includes road departure mitigation system, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and more. With a price difference of around $2,500, the Accord looks like the better deal here.