We've had a long string of Honda Accords (95, 98, 04, 10, 14) and it might be time for the next one.
I'm sort of intrigued by the idea of a hybrid, but Honda has never sold that many, so you don't hear much about them. I'd like to hear some first hand opinions about them from an owner. I've never even ridden in any kind of hybrid before.
The current (!) debate is between the Hybrid and the 2.0 Touring with the non-CVT 10 speed automatic. Our last three Accords were V6s.
Anybody?
In reply to Woody (Forum Supportum) :
I have zero direct experience with Honda hybrids besides taking a first-gen Insight for a test drive when they were new. However, I think the reason you don't hear much about them is they tend to just function like regular cars.
I run a Honda service department. The only issues we see are people turning off the adaptive cruise control.
I remember the take rate for the 1st gen Accord hybrid was abysmal. The engineering philosophy was "V6 acceleration with 4 cylinder MPG." Turns out hybrid owners don't want to pay more money and get the same fuel economy as the guy with the base model Accord. It definitely seems like they've done an about-face with the newer models
I have a 2018 PiH Clarity, which is pretty similar. I think I actually test-drove an Accord Hybrid first when I was looking at Clarities because that's all most dealerships had on the lot.
It's not a very exciting car, but it's a comfortable and effective appliance that I think I can keep happily for many years. It has pretty much become our main everyday-use car now that the Leaf is gone. The feel (or lack of feel) of the CVT is a little strange at first but you get used to it.
I just know that they are good donors for all sorts of aluminum suspension and body parts for when you are building a Traccord.
I'm pretty sure the later generation Accord Hybrids use a direct drive with decoupler type of setup, where it hooks directly to the engine at higher speeds and uses the electric motor for accelerating from a stop. Pretty cool tech, and avoids a fragile belt driven CVT, even if it tends to drive like one.
No clue about long term durability though. I've really got no need for any type of Accord right now, but I'd get the hybrid if I was going to get a new Accord right now just to experience the nifty tech.
My wife has a 2019. 25,000 miles so far and zero complains. I like it a lot as a family car. The 47mpg overall epa rating is pretty realistic. The price premium for the hybrid over a similarly equipped gas model is pretty minimal so I see no downside for non-sports car applications (and you're buying an accord so that seems to be the use case here).
A buddy of mine is a used car dealer that specializes in hybrids. He says the Hondas are screwed together well but that the hybrid batteries all die before Toyota's do, without fail. Apparently they are good cars otherwise.
pointofdeparture said:A buddy of mine is a used car dealer that specializes in hybrids. He says the Hondas are screwed together well but that the hybrid batteries all die before Toyota's do, without fail. Apparently they are good cars otherwise.
I don't know anything about the new ones, but I have heard this about the old ones as well.
Additionally, as mentioned earlier, the older Honda tech had a motor bolted between the engine and CVT transmission as opposed to the engine & motor feeding separate inputs of a planetary gearset like the Toyota (and Ford) setups. More complex and less efficient. However, it did mean you could have a manual hybrid (see Insight and early Civic Hybrid)
So my concerns are:
-How noticeable / seamless is the transition from electric motor to gasoline engine, and vice versa?
-How does 212hp at 6200rpm and 232lb-ft at Zero (Hybrid) compare to 252hp at 6500 and 273lb-ft @ 1500-4000 (SAE net) (2.0 Touring)?
-I've heard that the electric motor (or engine) drones a bit when accelerating hard.
And finally, in spite of the fact that Honda just sent me an email advertising zero percent financing, the lots at two big dealerships that I visited are nearly empty. Slim pickings for sure. It's like trying to buy a Honda in the early / mid-80s: Put down a deposit and wait.
And the battery life thing could be a pretty big factor too, as we tend to keep these things for a fairly long time. I still have the 2010 and the 2014.
Woody (Forum Supportum) said:And the battery life thing could be a pretty big factor too, as we tend to keep these things for a fairly long time. I still have the 2010 and the 2014.
Hybrid batteries fall under the federal emissions category so 80,000 miles or 8 years (may have been bumped to 100,000 miles, 10 years?)
I have spoke with an individual (he was considering buying one of my cars at the time, I do not know him) whom had his accord hybrid battery pack changed under warranty after buying it used private party as it died before the federal warranty expired.
In reply to daytonaer :
Good to know.
I'm bumping this thread, as new cars are starting to trickle into showrooms. We more or less stopped looking, because supply had been so dreadful that we weren't able to test drive any cars, and I didn't want to gamble on both a hybrid powertrain and a CVT at the same time.
The seven month old alternator in our 2014 Accord failed last weekend and we dropped it off at the dealership to have it replaced under warranty. On Monday, the showroom was empty, but I noticed that there was an Accord Hybrid in there when we were picking up the car on Wednesday. They actually had two in stock, and we were able to take one for a spin.
Basically, it drove like a really quiet Accord. I didn't hate the CVT like I had expected to, and barely noticed the fact that it was a hybrid. The only time it felt different was at the very end of the ride when we were stopped to make a left turn back into the dealership. It feels odd when you creep forward a few feet at a time. I'm guessing that's the result of being in pure electric mode at that point and having all the torque available.
The Hybrid vs. non-Hybrid debate may be a non issue, as there don't seem to be any 2.0Ts with leather arriving anytime soon, and we want to do something while the trade in value is high. The car that we're replacing is at 95,000 miles and they've made a decent offer on it.
Color choices are slim, and that's where the conversation stands at this point.
FWIW, CVTs seem to keep getting better and better.
QuasiMofo (John Brown) said:I run a Honda service department. The only issues we see are people turning off the adaptive cruise control.
Serious question: How is this an "issue", or do you mean that they're so problem free that they don't have issues?
Additional context: I'm eyeballing one as well, since they're apparently better than the Camry Hybrid in every way except color choices.
David S. Wallens said:FWIW, CVTs seem to keep getting better and better.
I know this is a little pedantic, but neither Honda nor Toyota use CVT's in their hybrids, even though Toyota calls theirs an eCVT. Both brands use electric motors to propel the cars.
In reply to Uncle David (Forum Supporter) :
Literally change the oil annually and drive them like you stole them.
If I decide to get out of toy cars and no longer need the pickup I am grabbing a CRV hybrid.
In reply to QuasiMofo (John Brown) :
I just quoted you and sent it to my wife.
No one seems to know about the Clarity plug-in hybrid. Basically a bigger, more practical Chevy Volt, and gets 45 miles on a charge before turning on the engine.
In reply to maschinenbau :
They also still sell the Insight which slots nicely between the CiViC and Accord.
I get sad whenever I think about the fact that the excellent 3.5 V6 is no longer available in the Accord.
In reply to QuasiMofo (John Brown) :
Wife has been offered Acuras, Volvos and Mercedes.
Wife likes Accords.
In reply to maschinenbau :
I see a Clarity fairly regularly and then noticed a 2nd one somewhere a few weeks ago. They are exceedingly rare, and when I saw the first one for the first time I thought it was a Toyota Mirai as it looked pretty ugly...or far out their, depending on your style sense.
I wasn't aware they were for sale, or that they were still available at dealers. I think if I bought a car that...strange(?) looking, I would need to wear very dark glasses all the time. Or at least while going to and leaving the car. Puts me in mind of the 1st generation Nissan/Datsun 200SX from the mid 70s, with 2 extra doors.
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