The 2021 Honda Accord comes with three different drivetrain combinations. The base engine is a 1.5L turbocharged 4-cylinder producing 192 horsepower. Transmissions available with this engine include a 10-speed automatic or a continuously variable transmission that can alter gear ratios on the fly, the 6-speed manual is extinct in 2021. Also, the optional V6 from years past has also been replaced with a 4-cylinder turbocharged engine. This one displaces 2.0L and makes 252 horsepower, slightly less than the V6 engine it replaced. However, the new engine does make significantly more torque than that old V6 while also producing better mileage, so overall, it's a tradeoff most buyers would be happy to make. Power is sent to the front wheels via either a 10-speed automatic with the 2.0L turbo engine or a CVT with the 1.5L turbo.
The Honda Accord comes in five trims, LX, Sport, Sport SE, EX-L and Touring. LX trim is available with the 1.5L engine. It includes 17-inch wheels, LED daytime running lights, dual-zone climate control, a rearview camera displayed on an 8-inch color LCD screen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, USB ports, pushbutton starter, and Honda Sensing collision mitigation.
Sport models are available with either turbocharged engine and will have a CVT transmission with the 1.5L or a 10-Speed automatic with the 2.0L engine. Standard features on the Sport include 19-inch wheels, aluminum pedals, full LED headlights, LED fog lights, paddle shifters, power driver seat and 8 speakers. If buyers option the Sport with the bigger engine, they'll also get heated front seats, a power moonroof, a blindspot warning system, heated mirrors, SiriusXM satellite radio and a remote starter. To get the features of the 2.0L in the 1.5L, one can opt for the Sport SE trim. The Sport SE adds standard leather and power passenger seat, which is not a standard feature with either engine option on the Sport trim.
The EX-L does not include the paddle shifters and 19-inch wheels from the previous trim, but it will gain driver's seat memory, auto-dimming rearview mirror, wireless charging pad, premium 10 speakers, front and rear parking sensors, and blindstop monitor with rear cross-traffic alert.
Top-of-the-line Touring models are offered only with the 2.0L engine and come even better outfitted than the EX-L with power-adjustable passenger seat, navigation system, adaptive dampers in the suspension, heads-up display, ventilated front seats, and paddle shifters.
The Honda Accord is a mid-sized sedan, competing in a crowded segment against the Toyota Camry, the best-selling car in America for the past 15 years. But the Accord is no second-best, but rather it provides savvy buyers with a more interesting alternative in a category populated with uninspiring sedan options. The Accord offers everything a buyer would expect of a mid-sized car, including excellent ergonomics, a roomy interior and all the storage space a family might need. However, it promises to keep driving interesting. The Accord doesn't reduce driving to a chore; it reminds its driver that transporting yourself from place to place can be fun and engaging.
