If you are looking for a different vehicle, it seems like right now is the worst possible time. Everything is more expensive, and new automobiles are among the most affected consumer products. According to Kelley Blue Book, the average price of a new vehicle exceeded $50,000 for the first time in history in September 2025.
While the popularity of trucks and SUVs is undeniable, sedans still offer the best of everything, from cargo space to fuel economy. Specifically, sedans like the Honda Accord have an excellent value-for-dollar proposition with the long-term reliability to match. Even in its top-tier Touring Hybrid configuration, the 2026 Accord starts under $41,000. The entry-level LX and SE models range from $29,000 to $32,000.
Millennials, Gen Z, and first-time buyers have sought out the Honda Accord for reasons like this. In Strategic Vision’s New Vehicle Experience Study (2023-2025), the Accord was the most popular midsize sedan among young and first-time buyers.
- Base Trim Engine
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1.5L ICE
- Base Trim Transmission
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CVT
- Base Trim Drivetrain
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Front-Wheel Drive
The right balance of standard features
It’s the little things
Like the smaller Civic sedan and hatchback, Honda’s focus for the 2026 Accord is on straightforward tech and connectivity without the feature bloat that raises the starting MSRP. LX and SE models, the price leaders in the Accord lineup, now come standard with a nine-inch color touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a Qi wireless phone charger. The list isn’t extensive, but filtered. Buyers have enough functionality without too much cost.
And that’s the selling point. In my work in the automotive industry, I see plenty of future vehicle technology, including self-driving cars. It’s all cool, but when I leave in the morning, the first thing I do is drop my phone on the wireless charging pad in my vehicle. I cue up 101 WRIF, one of Detroit’s legacy rock stations, on the touchscreen. Honda appears to understand that some customers just want good, basic functionality, and has designed the 2026 Accord accordingly.
The nine-inch color touchscreen inside the 2026 Accord is about 30 percent larger than before, and it includes a physical volume knob, in case you have a favorite rock station, as I do.
Affordable doesn’t mean dull
Sporty and touches of luxury
The Sport Hybrid and Sport-L Hybrid are for those who like that midnight exterior vibe. They feature blacked-out mirrors, badges, and B-pillar trim. The shark fin antenna above the rear window is also darkened.
Starting MSRP for the Sport Hybrid and Sport-L Hybrid is $34,990 and $36,680, respectively. While that is a bit higher for the 2026 Accord lineup, it’s well below the average MSRP of new vehicles today.
Those wanting to indulge the Accord’s more luxurious side can do so with the Touring Hybrid model. Standard features include heated and ventilated front seats, a Bose stereo, Google built-in, and Alexa Built-in. The starting MSRP is near $41,000 for the Touring Hybrid, including the destination charge. That’s high for a Honda Accord, but it’s still below the national average.
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Safety is always first
We hope you never need this
The Accord’s best attribute is the Advanced Compatibility Engineering body structure, or ACE, but it’s something we hope you never need or experience. It’s designed to save your life and your family in a front-end collision, often the most dangerous type of impact. ACE is engineered for worst-case scenarios, from an intoxicated driver drifting across a lane to unavoidable bad weather. Here is how it works.
Within the broader topic of vehicle safety, there is a category called passive safety. As the name suggests, it’s the opposite of active safety, which encompasses things like traction control, anti-lock brakes, or blind-spot monitoring. Under the passive safety category are several key concepts, including crash energy, intrusion, and dissipation. Honda’s ACE structure, as a passive safety feature, is designed to address these.
During a collision, crash energy is created. That energy is unmitigated and chaotic. Safety innovations like crumple zones attempt to quell this energy by dissipating and channeling it away from the cabin where you are sitting. The danger is when that crash energy intrudes into the vehicle.
As a network of interconnected structural elements, ACE surrounds the Accord’s front end. During a frontal collision, ACE channels crash energy to both upper and lower structural components, including the floor frame rails, side sills, and A-pillars. In effect, these “pathways” are distributing frontal impact forces throughout a greater percentage of the Accord’s total structure, reducing the chances of those forces entering (or intruding) inside the car.
ACE is one of the main reasons why the Honda Accord has a 5-Star overall safety rating from NHTSA. While the Accord has many other great features, ACE is the best one in my book.
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Gasoline and hybrid options
Good fuel economy either way
The entry-level LX and SE have a 1.5-liter turbocharged VTEC engine with 192 horsepower and 192 lb-ft. of torque. A continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) with Honda’s Step-Shift programming simulates gear changes while driving.
Sport, EX-L, Sport-L, and Touring are the hybrid models, offering a total system output of 204 horsepower and 247 lb-ft. of torque.
By dividing its powertrain lineup this way, Honda is targeting two types of buyers. Those seeking the lowest monthly payment can look at the LX and SE, while those who prioritize fuel economy can choose from the hybrids.
2026 Honda Accord EPA-estimated fuel economy
|
Trim Level |
City |
Hwy |
Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
|
LX |
29 |
37 |
32 |
|
SE |
28 |
36 |
31 |
|
Sport |
46 |
41 |
44 |
|
EX-L |
51 |
44 |
48 |
|
Sport-L |
46 |
41 |
44 |
|
Touring |
46 |
41 |
44 |
Simple and safe
Honda has produced over 13 million Accords at its Marysville Auto Plant in Ohio since the facility opened in 1982. Like past Accords, the 2026 model’s highlights are affordability, practical features, and safety. Among my peers in the automotive industry, it’s a respected and distinguished nameplate, but that’s just a fancy way of saying it’s a good car.
