2023 Honda Accord

While the official unveiling happened on November 10, 2022, there is no release date for the new 2023 Honda Accord sedan yet, nor any word on when orders open. The car is just coming out now and new information will soon be available, so chat with your dealer to at least get a spot in their order bank if possible.

The price of the 2023 Honda Accord has not been announced yet, but we don't think there will be a significant change in starting price. Expect to see it rise by around $500, perhaps, which should bring the LX in at about $27,000. The EX should cost around $29,000. The remaining hybrid trims should terminate in a Touring with an MSRP close to $40,000, but we review the Accord Hybrid lineup separately.

There aren't many mid-sized sedans left and while we could list the Hyundai Sonata, VW Passat, Nissan Maxima, and Chevy Malibu, these are all reaching the end of their respective lines with no direct replacements planned. That leaves the mid-size sedan segment mostly to the Japanese automakers now, with the new Accord battling the revitalized Nissan Altima and the aging Toyota Camry. The old Accord already had the measure of these rivals on paper, even if the Camry sells more units. But the older Camry is still available in an entire lineup of ICE and hybrid versions, including big-engine V6 performance versions, so it's anybody's guess how the new Accord's two-powertrain lineup will go down with buyers.

The styling of recent Hondas has not always been universally popular and the 2022 Accord had quite a lot going on at the front with the busy headlights and chrome grille garnish. The latest car is a welcome change, therefore, with any remaining flab pulled tight as a drum into an athletic new shape with a pronounced crease on the side. It looks ready for action and eschews the traditional three-box sedan shape for a quite striking coupe-like profile hiding a traditional trunk.

LEDs are used all around and the rear light bar is only interrupted in the center by the Honda logo. Unfortunately, the two base 1.5 trims run on rather small 17-inch alloy wheels - Blade Silver for the LX and Pewter Gray for the EX - although we think Honda will probably make larger wheels optionally available when the configurator goes live. They're unlikely to fill the wheel arches like the hybrids' 19s, which is probably also why none of the press photos so far have shown the smaller-wheeled models. Take note that all the accompanying images are of the range-topping Touring Hybrid and no photos of the base LX and EX Accords have been released by Honda yet. One notable addition for the EX is a moonroof, which should help to make the already spacious cabin feel even airier.

Information about the Honda Accord's paint colors has also been cryptic and all we know for sure is that there are going to be eight colors and that three of them are new - Urban Gray Pearl, Canyon River Blue Metallic, and Meteorite Gray Metallic. That leaves a total of seven remaining colors from last year, of which we now know only five will be retained, but we don't know which five. They were Crystal Black Pearl, Platinum White Pearl, Modern Steel Metallic, Lunar Silver Metallic, Sonic Gray Pearl, Radiant Red Metallic, and San Marino Red.

The new Honda Accord's exterior dimensions mostly follow the template set by its predecessor, including unchanged numbers for the 111.4-inch wheelbase, 73.3-inch width, and 57.1-inch height. The rear track has been increased by 0.4 inches and the body has been stretched by 2.8 inches; its length has grown to a not-so-midsize 195.7 inches. Seeing that the car has remained very similar in size and still has the same 1.5-liter engine and transmission, the curb weights of last year's 1.5-liter cars can be regarded as fairly accurate for the new Accord, which would indicate a range of between 3,150 and 3,230 pounds.

The biggest news on the engine front is that the 252-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged engine is no longer offered in the Accord and that the hybrid powertrain is new and borrowed from the 2023 CR-V Hybrid. That leaves a lineup with two powertrain combinations only - the 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) in the two bottom trims and the 204-hp/247-hp hybrid with a transmission-less "two-motor hybrid system" in the four top trims.

The 1.5-liter engine in the Honda Accord LX and EX trims has outputs of 192 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque and while these figures may have remained unchanged, the engine has been revised with a more rigid oil pan and crankshaft, as well as a revised direct-injection system. Together, these changes ensure better engine refinement and lower emissions. Coupled to a CVT that has been updated to lower noise levels, performance should closely approximate that of the previous car, which is to say a 0-60 sprint in the low-seven-second region. Honda says that Step-Shift programming can simulate gear changes when applying full throttle, and this boosts the drivability and performance of the new Accord. As before, the Accord directs power to the front wheels only, whereas rivals like the Toyota Camry offer all-wheel drive.

No EPA economy estimates have been released for the 2023 Accord yet, but it is safe to assume that the figures should match or beat those of the old car. With more or less the same weight, presumably refined aerodynamics, and Honda's claims of lowered tailpipe emissions, it's possible that the 1.5-liter engine could conceivably improve by an mpg or so on last year's best figures of 30/38/33 mpg on the city/highway/combined cycles. Assuming the 14.8-gallon fuel tank is retained, it should give a 1.5-liter Accord a range of close to 490 miles between fill-ups. Good as that may be, the hybrids should be able to achieve around 47 mpg.

Honda has moved its cabins upmarket in the past few years and the interior of the new Honda Accord is no exception. In common with the latest Civic and CR-V, there is a full-width grid-mesh pattern on the HVAC vents and in the Accord, this mimics the pattern of the radiator grille. There is a pleasing style and substance to the other fittings and furnishings and the Body Stabilizing Seats used in all Honda Accord trims look the business and should be very comfortable. Some of that additional 2.8 inches of length went to the rear-seat passengers and the legroom in the second row is up nearly an inch to a gargantuan 40.9 inches, a figure that leaves both the Camry and Altima in the dust. For a normal sedan with an enclosed trunk, the Honda Accord's trunk space of 16.7 cubic feet is class-leading as well, even if it's no bigger than before; the Camry's cargo space of 15.1 cubes is slightly smaller.

The improved suspension, new seats, better refinement, and more space should ensure that all on board are as comfortable as possible, and Honda has thrown plenty of tech at the new Accord to ensure that passengers stay entertained. However, it is worth a mention that, while the 10.2-inch digital gauge cluster is a standard fitment on all trims, the big 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen is not. If you're going to forego the hybrid, you have to stick to one of the two bottom LX or EX trims, which means the seven-inch touchscreen you will be stuck with is even smaller than that of last year's car. At nearly half the size of the big screen, it will look rather forlorn in the high-tech new interior and it's small wonder that Honda hasn't released photos of it yet. It will be a deal-breaker for some.

At least all trims get Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, over-the-air updates, a front camera with a 90-degree field of view, and front radar with a 120-degree field of view. The flagship Touring hybrid gets wireless charging and Google integration and we're willing to bet the small-screen base trims will not get access to this. Honda wants a 50-percent hybrid sales mix for the new Accord and decontenting the base trims is an effective way to steer people in the direction of the base hybrid Sport trim.