2014 Honda Accord Hybrid First Drive

Edmunds.comEdmunds.com Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 10,316
edited September 2014 in Honda

image2014 Honda Accord Hybrid First Drive

The 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid is one midsize gas-electric sedan that makes it easy for drivers to achieve the promised EPA fuel economy.

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  • redgeminiparedgeminipa Member Posts: 74
    "Look closely. There's a pair of foglamps hidden in the functional lower grille." Um... NO, THERE ISN'T. Whoever guessed at what that is needs to look even CLOSER! When you come up with the correct name for what that SINGLE foglight-looking-thing is, let us know.
  • engineer_mbaengineer_mba Member Posts: 11
    This car is intriguing. There is no CVT and there are no individual mechanical gears. Instead, the electric motor serves as a "single-speed reduction gear". I would be interested in seeing this mechanism in action. I still don't completely understand how the electric motor "mimics" the functions of a conventional transmission. Oh well, as long as it works.....
  • duck87duck87 Member Posts: 649
    The fact that this car has no real transmission is a stroke of genius. Almost no losses when the engine is directly driving the wheels, and brings us one step closer to the endgame of mechatronic integration of electric and engine components.
  • cjasiscjasis Member Posts: 274
    Prius level fuel efficiency without the odd looks and poor driving dynamics? Sounds like an amazing commuter car. Especially for those of us in S. CA that are stuck slugging it out in traffic where hybrids seem to perform quite well.
  • anythngbutgmanythngbutgm Member Posts: 4,277
    Sounds like a brilliant car and IMO, the Accord is currently the best in class with the Mazda 6 a very close second. I think this new hybrid confirms the lead.
  • greenponygreenpony Member Posts: 531
    From what I remember, CNG & diesel engines are more efficient, especially when running as a generator (as in this hybrid's application). I have to wonder when an automaker will create a marketable diesel-electric or CNG-electric hybrid. I understand the reason fro the decision to stick with gasoline, but I think mpg's could be further improved with an alt-fuel hybrid.
  • lions208487lions208487 Member Posts: 240
    Solid car with good performance. My question with any hybrid, is what happens after 100K miles when the limited warranty on the hybrid power-train is done?

    Anyone have any experience with a 100K or more miles on a Pruis, and what issues if any are you experiencing?
  • lions208487lions208487 Member Posts: 240
    @greenponey- I agree, and I would like to see a combustion hydrogen engine, since Shell and Chevron have speculated plans to add hydrogen fill stations, that would provide the required infrastructure
  • duck87duck87 Member Posts: 649
    @greenpony: CNG engines aren't more efficient, but they use an alternative fuel source that's easy to get in the US (no foreign dependence) and is extremely clean burning for low emissions. Since Honda already makes CNG cars, they can conceivably make a C
  • rmhpmirmhpmi Member Posts: 37
    So, if you drive this car "normally" you might average 42 MPG? Not bad. But not outstanding either. Not sure I'd pay $30K for it. But I'm a number cruncher and I am sure they will sell lot's of them. Just not to me.
  • juddholl10juddholl10 Member Posts: 84
    @duck87: You'd be surprised. The urea supplements in new diesels manufactured in the past 5-10 years are as clean if not cleaner than their gasoline counterparts. Some have been quoted to emit cleaner air than they take in.
  • noburgersnoburgers Member Posts: 500
    I'm too lazy to do the math today to see how many years the payback is in fuel savings (for my driving). I did it a couple of years ago for the Sonata hybrid and it wasn't worth it, because the gap in price between a GLS and Hybrid were much larger--the hybrid had much more content. Here, you are just adding the hybrid bits to the same trim level(s).
  • agentorangeagentorange Member Posts: 893
    I cannot help wondering how much efficiency was given up just to satisfy the whiners who cannot understand CVT transmissions and their different sensations. There is no need for the transmission to simulate steps other than to satisfy those who get twitchy without them.
  • empowahempowah Member Posts: 71
    The hybrid pays for itself pretty much immediately. A $3,000 premium over a 72-month 1.49% interest loan amounts to $43.58 per month. If you drive 1,000 miles per month, the standard car costs $133.33 per month in fuel (assuming 30 MPG, $4/gal), while the hybrid costs $80 per month in fuel (assuming 50 MPG, $4/gal).

    Overall, that's about $9.75 per month less. Once the loan is paid off, you save even more. And chances are, come resale time, the hybrid will be worth more than the gasoline-only car. Hybrids also have longer maintenance intervals and use up brake pads less frequently, and in CA emission states, hybrid components are covered for 10 years, 150,000 miles.
  • mazeronimazeroni Member Posts: 5
    What it sounds like is Honda got its act together and built a worthwhile hybrid system. The latest iteration of the Insight hasn't gotten much love, but from the sound of things, a car built atop this hybrid system would do well against the Prius.
  • duck87duck87 Member Posts: 649
    @juddholl10: By what metric? Certainly not when it comes to smog. You can do your own comparisons between gasoline hybrids (or PZEV gasoline vehicles) vs. current diesel offerings: http://www.driveclean.ca.gov/ It should be mentioned that Urea Injection s
  • redgeminiparedgeminipa Member Posts: 74
    As for my first comment, it was in reference to picture #4. It DID have a caption that said there were fog lights hidden in the lower grille. They since removed the caption altogether.
  • shatnershatner Member Posts: 176
    Very impressive. More power than the V8's I grew up with at 47 mpgs in a comfortable package for not a ton of money.
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