2024 Honda Accord Review and Test Drive

Should you go turbo or hybrid? And is Touring trim worth the upgrade?

Christian Wardlaw | 

Feb 12, 2025 | 6 min read

Christian Wardlaw

In 2023, Honda redesigned the Accord sedan. In the process, the Sport, EX-L, Sport-L, and Touring versions of the car added a standard fourth-generation Honda Two-Motor hybrid powertrain, increasing the prices of those models. You can read more about the hybrid models in the 2023 Accord Sport Hybrid review.

Honda retained the previous Accord's turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine in the base LX and step-up EX trim levels, making these variants more affordable for value-seeking buyers. Capital One did not publish a review of a turbocharged 2023 Accord last year, so this review is partly about a 2024 Honda Accord EX equipped with that base engine.

Honda also introduced a new Google built-in infotainment system in last year's Accord, offering it exclusively with Touring trim. Since last year's Sport test car lacked it, the other part of this review concerns the 2024 Accord Touring, its more upscale interior, and its more sophisticated technology. The top-of-the-line Accord is nice, but the infotainment system didn't pass my testing (likely due to no fault of its own).

The 2024 Accord lineup continues in the same six trim levels as last year: LX, EX, Sport, EX-L, Sport-L, and Touring. The Accord LX starts in the high $20,000s, and Honda prices the Accord Touring at about $40,000, including the destination charge to ship it from the Marysville, Ohio, assembly plant to your local dealership.

Both test vehicles for this review arrived in Honda's appealing Canyon River Blue paint, and neither had options or accessories. The Accord EX wore a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $31,005, including the $1,095 destination charge. The Accord Touring's MSRP was $39,985 with destination. Honda provided the vehicles for this 2024 Accord review.

Christian Wardlaw

Changes to the 2024 Accord, Turbo Power, and LX vs. EX Trim

Honda did not officially announce any changes to the 2024 Accord, but a significant safety-related update exists. Starting with EX trim, blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert systems are standard instead of optional. In 2023, only the Accord Touring offered these features as part of the car's base price.

Otherwise, unless Honda forgot to share another vital detail like that, the 2024 Accord is practically the same car the company sold in 2023. That means the LX and EX models have a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine under the hood, powering the front wheels through a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The engine makes 192 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 192 pound-feet of torque between 1,700 rpm and 5,000 rpm. That's a broad power curve reminiscent of the best turbo fours from German brands.

Select the Accord EX, and you'll pay about $2,000 more than the Accord LX. For the extra money, you get the formerly optional blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert systems, plus a darker finish for the 17-inch alloy wheels, heated exterior mirrors, a power sunroof, a dual-zone automatic climate control system, a 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat, heated front seats, a 60/40-split folding back seat, and upgraded stereo speakers.

Christian Wardlaw

Driving the 2024 Accord EX

Honda's attempt at dressing up the Accord EX with a darker-finish wheel falls flat. You can upgrade to a Honda Performance Division (HPD) wheel design and it looks terrific — but costs more than $2,000. For another grand, you can get the more powerful and fuel-efficient Accord Sport Hybrid.

So then, budget buyers will stick with the stock 17s. They're not a liability because Honda expertly tunes the Accord's suspension, steering, and brakes to deliver an enjoyable driving experience. You can hustle this car on a mountain road, comfortably cruise on a long road trip, and navigate the humps, holes, and heaves on any city's pavement. There is a reason the Accord consistently lands on the Car and Driver "10 Best" list.

The turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine is well suited to the 2024 Accord. The slightly more powerful hybrid powertrain feels more responsive due to its instant electric motor torque. Still, once the turbocharged gas engine revs into peak torque territory, the Accord EX is satisfying to drive. The CVT is also relatively refined, only occasionally exhibiting the transmission type's characteristic drone.

By choosing the Accord EX, you'll save almost $3,000 compared with an Accord Sport. However, the turbocharged engine is less efficient than the hybrid powertrain. The EPA says the Accord EX will get 29/37/32 mpg in city/highway/combined driving, while the Accord Sport earns ratings of 46/41/44 mpg. That's a substantial 12-mpg difference in combined driving. In my testing, the 2023 Accord Sport averaged 37.8 mpg while the 2024 Accord EX returned 28.7 mpg, narrowing the spread.

Christian Wardlaw

Google Seamless Sophistication Doesn't Deliver

My other test car was the 2024 Touring, which has top-of-the-line features. The highlights of the exclusive equipment include unique wheels, rain-sensing wipers, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, wireless smartphone charging, rear USB charging ports, a head-up display, and an impressive 12-speaker Bose premium audio system. In addition, the 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system includes Google built-in with Google Maps, Google Assistant, and access to the Google Play Store.

Unfortunately, my experience using the Touring's Google built-in technology was dissatisfying. My only explanation is that something in the test car wasn't set up correctly. When attempting to use Google Assistant, the technology often responded with, "Oops, something went wrong." That doesn't reflect my experience in other vehicles equipped with this tech.

All Accord Hybrids have a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Alexa Built-in, but that digital assistant wasn't helpful, either. So, I stuck with my iPhone, Siri, and the wireless Apple CarPlay technology, which worked almost flawlessly.

As for the Touring's added comfort and convenience features, the front seats are quite comfortable. Usually, my wife complains about vehicles that lack a front seat height adjuster. However, because the Accord's front passenger seat cushion is mounted high enough off the floor and shaped to provide good leg support, that wasn't an issue for her. Also, it's worth noting that the Accord has a huge back seat that is perfectly comfortable for tall adults. And with Touring trim, they get their own USB charging ports.

Christian Wardlaw

Hybrid Upgrade Likely Worthwhile

It's a shame that the Touring test vehicle's digital voice assistants (Alexa and Google Assistant) did not meet expectations. Typically, both of those technologies work well. But that underscores an important point. My take is that for convenience, reliability, and simplicity, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto remain the best options. So, if you were planning to upgrade to the Accord Touring for its Google-built-in technology, you might want to reconsider.

As for choosing a turbocharged Accord over one of the hybrid trim levels to save money, you will when buying or leasing the car. But eventually, if you keep it long enough, you'll spend the money you saved up front at the gas station (and then some).

All vehicle pricing includes MSRP plus destination charges (set at the time of publication), and will be rounded to the nearest thousand.

Christian Wardlaw

Chris says his first word was "car." For as long as he can remember, he's been obsessed with them. The design. The engineering. The performance. And the purpose. He is a car enthusiast who loves to drive, but is most passionate about the cars, trucks, and SUVs that people actually buy. He began his career as the editor-in-chief of Edmunds.com in the 1990s, and for more than 30 years has created automotive content for CarGurus, J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, the New York Daily News, and others. Chris owns Speedy Daddy Media, has been contributing to Capital One Auto Navigator since 2019, and lives in California with his wife, kids, dog, and 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata.