New 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid

[acdii]

You chose wisely grasshopper! :)

[KLH]

 

Indeed.

[Ted Swing]

I ordered my fusion in late August 2013 and received it early October so HAH would've been an option had I known about it. Honestly, I do have a positive opinion of it from everything I've read. That said, I don't regret my choice because:

 

1) FFH looks much better. HAH is better looking than TCH, but not as good as the FFH or Sonata Hybrid, IMO.

 

2) It's more expensive. The HAH starts at ~$30,000. Though it comes with a few more basic features for that price, that's no help to someone like me who wanted basically the minimal options.

[Toz]

Ted, I just noticed that the FFH S gets the upgraded dash. The Regular S gets the single LED duel guage dash. So you did get at least a little bit more than the Minimal options. (sorry back on topic ) :redcard:

Edited November 7, 2013 by Toz

[Ted Swing]

Ted, I just noticed that the FFH S gets the upgraded dash. The Regular S gets the single LED duel guage dash. So you did get at least a little bit more than the Minimal options. (sorry :redcard:back on topic)

That's true. Even the non-hybrid S has a lot more features than my old car. My situation was such that I had to convince my wife that I wasn't buying more car than we needed which meant being close to mid-20s for price. In the end, I am very happy with it (as is she).

[hybridbear]

Green Car Reports has named the 2014 HAH their Best Car To Buy.

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1088280_green-car-reports-best-car-to-buy-2014-honda-accord-hybrid

[acdii]

Doesn't mean much though. Considering they really haven't hit the lot yet, no report yet on issues, and only a handful of road tests. When the 2010 Fusion became car of the year, it had a track record from previous years and was only an exterior refresh. Would still take a Fusion over the Accord any day.

[Toz]

it looks like the HAH only has one cup holder? Sort of a small detail I know, but on my morning comute I have a passenger and we both have coffee cups. Maybe I am wrong, sort of hard to see from the pictures, but that would be a deal breaker.

[acdii]

Eh maybe Honda figures the passenger isnt doing anything with their hands, let them hold onto their own damned cup. LOL

[murphy]

If your wife is in the passenger seat her cup wil be in the holder and the driver will be holding his hot coffee.

[B25Nut]

It looks to me like there are two cup holders:

http://automobiles.honda.com/accord-hybrid/interior.aspx

[Toz]

It looks to me like there are two cup holders:

http://automobiles.honda.com/accord-hybrid/interior.aspx

Oh! there it is. Dang hard to see in most pictures. Really tucked back in there!

[hybridbear]

Comparison test from Edmunds of the gas 4-cyl Accord and the new Accord Hybrid. My favorite line from the article:

 

We can't help but feel that this is the beginning of the end for the non-hybrid Accord. With the exception of its trunk volume and lower price, the traditional Accord lags in every meaningful measure of midsize sedans. By ditching its transmission, Honda has refined the hybrid experience to a level that traditional powertrains can't achieve.

They comment that the driving experience of running on EV Mode in a hybrid is superior to anything a gas-only car can offer.

 

I agree completely and hope that soon gas-only cars will be a small fraction of new car sales while hybrids, PHEVs and BEVs make up the majority of the sales.

 

Click here for the full article.

[acdii]

But think of the batteries man!!! You have to replace them all the time and they cost a fortune! /sarcasm

 

That really is the one thing holding back hybrids from becoming more mainstream, the battery packs. The first being production=demand, the second being the myth that they fail and cost a fortune to replace. Once these two things are corrected, Hybrids will start to become more main stream. Oh and the price of course, Ford is the only one to offer a non-hybrid and a hybrid at the same starting price with the MKZ. They also have the S Fusion Hybrid, which is a good start.

[corncobs]

I think the success of Tesla will do its part and if TV shows like the last Top Gear showcases the advantages of driving electric it will catch on quicker.

 

If you haven't seen it you can watch it on History and is called "Fully Charged" very entertaining including a new record in reverse driving.

[acdii]

I think the success of Tesla will do its part and if TV shows like the last Top Gear showcases the advantages of driving electric it will catch on quicker.

 

If you haven't seen it you can watch it on History and is called "Fully Charged" very entertaining including a new record in reverse driving.

As long as the media doesn't focus on every tesla that catches fire after debris hits it. Gets pretty annoying with all the sensationalist journilism.

 

Today on NBC, Everything that will scare the crap out of you but has very little if any impact at all in your life.

[corncobs]

As long as the media doesn't focus on every tesla that catches fire after debris hits it. Gets pretty annoying with all the sensationalist journilism.

 

Today on NBC, Everything that will scare the crap out of you but has very little if any impact at all in your life.

That's really too bad but you are right. A burning car (Tesla) sells more "papers" and therefore more ad space.

[hybridbear]

Another positive HAH review and another reviewer who got excellent gas mileage.

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/12/11/test-drive-2014-honda-accord-hybrid/

But with hybrids the ultimate proof is in the MPG pudding, and while many don't deliver anywhere near their EPA rating in the real world, including the Camry and Fusion in my experience, I saw mid-40’s with the Accord and didn’t need to go out of my way to get that view.

[corncobs]

I don't really like reviews like this. Where was the car driven Hwy or city? If it was driven around the city and the result was "mid 40's" it would be 5 MPG under the rated value.

 

I don't know but if I don't drive it myself on the same road under the same conditions I don't really trust some writer who tries to make a living.

[B25Nut]

 

I was able to drive the 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid today at my local Honda dealer. Our weather was 68 degrees and clear. The car had been purchased last month at another dealer by a women who discovered she couldn't afford it and returned the car. My dealer picked it up with 280 miles on it, thinking that since their first one sold in five minutes, they'd have a quick turnover. They've had it for ten days now. It's a Touring and they are asking $38K. There was no window sticker so I don't know the exact options it has.

The (short) lifetime MPG for this HAH is 33.1. The dash MPG, representing the figure from the 15 miles the current dealer had driven it, was 27.1. My 5 mile test drive got this up to 31.3 mpg. The HAH's characteristics are very similar to the FFH. Acceleration and engine noise seem to be the same. Some may say the HAH's brakes are a little better. They are very good. I didn't experience the disconnect that's been reported by some between what the ICE is doing and the gas pedal inputs, but I'm probably already accustomed to this since the FFH does the same thing (but you only notice it by looking at the Empower or Engage display). The Accord's display did not tell me anything about the ICE/EV ratio, but that could be due to my unfamiliarity or the display options not being set correctly.

The one characteristic I really didn't like was the deceleration when I let off the gas pedal. Each time it felt like a regular car going into first or second gear. There is no "coasting" in the HAH, which is the same feature that the Tesla Model S has due to the aggressive regenerative charging. I'm very glad Ford engineers didn't choose this for the Fusion.

Top of the line Honda interiors are generally very nice. I like the looks of Honda's leather seats. Short term they are comfortable, but I can't judge if that applies to long trips. My wife felt they were too hard, but that could be since she's really likes the cushy feel of her FFH passenger seat since I modified it so she'd sit higher. One of the first things I checked was whether the HAH had a height adjustment on the passenger seat. It doesn't, but it's not set as low as the Fusion's.

The dash looks really nice, but for initial use it seems complicated. But I would probably have this response to any first time drive of an unfamiliar manufacturer's car. I'm prejudice since I'm familiar with the basic functions of MFT, but I feel that, with the exception of the climate, it takes less effort to make control changes than any other non-luxury system.

The back seats of the HAH seem to have more leg room. Since the center console is undercut on its bottom at the back, my wife's foot fit in that space when she crossed her legs when sitting in the right back seat. She liked that. When I sat back there, my hair touched the roof. In the FFH, I have at least a 1" space.

The trunk is deeper, but I feel there's overall less useful cargo area. There is very little space above the battery, and the back seats do not fold down to expand the cargo area.

The one feature of the HAH that my wife fell in love with is the camera in the right side mirror that shows you what's on your right side when you activate the right turn lever. The view is displayed in the bottom screen of the dash. It is really nice, and is something Ford should adopt. I hope they do, since my wife says her next car must now have this feature.

Is the Honda Accord Hybrid going to blow the competition away with easy to achieve high MPG? My first experience says no, but it was too short to really come to that conclusion. I feel the best the HAH will do is be as good as the FFH MPG-wise, but the Fusion's great looks, folding rear seats and matching quality will soon put the FFH at the top of the hybrid sedan competition.

Edited December 23, 2013 by B25Nut

[corncobs]

Thanks for taking the time writing this down very honest view and would probably match mine.

[hybridbear]

I don't like the HAH rims...great write-up B25Nut!! Thank you!

[hybridbear]

I also posted this in the eCVT thread, but wanted to bring it up here since the technical info from Ashley about the Ford eCVT sounds eerily similar to how Honda has described the operation of the new HAH.

 

 

Additional info from the response to my PM to Ashley with technical questions:

1)The eCVT uses an electric motor, final drive, planetary gear set, a transfer shaft, and the starter/generator electric motor. The planetary gear set is used so that the ICE can drive either just the starter/generator or, if needed, provide extra power to the final drive in addition to what the electric motor is providing. The shop manual (which you can purchase access to here) will outline in more detail how these parts function. The Ford engineering team selected this design for many reasons, but that info is proprietary.

2) The ICE is not directly connected to the wheels. It can either just provide power by turning the generator or, if needed, can provide torque to the final drive through the planetary gear set. The primary purpose of the ICE is to the charge the battery. However, it is also possible under heavy load conditions to have the planetary gear set direct torque to the final drive of the transmission assembly from the ICE. So the ICE can provide extra power for acceleration by turning the generator or directly providing torque through the planetary set. Most of the time it will only turn the generator.

 

Honda has said that their ICE is used only to turn the generator most of the time. Honda specifically said that in freeway driving the ICE will connect directly to the wheels. Ford says that the ICE usually just turns the generator but that it can sometimes provide torque to the wheels. The Prius splits the ICE torque in a fixed ratio between the wheels and the generator. Interesting to see the design detail differences. Perhaps Prof Lolder will chime in with a better understanding of what all this means...

[dalesky]

I still like my FFH exterior and interior styling much much better not even 5 or even 10 MPG more would turn me over.

 

If they found a way to get the MPG # save for real world driving hopefully more people will join the hybrid driver family.

Almost every time I get in my FFH, or walk up to it, I'm impressed with the styling and equipment it comes with. For me the driving comfort is excellent, and the long distance driving in this car is as good as my Maxima was, which had been my standard. It's not a competition for me. I am happy with what I have, and also like the rest of the car companies for what they are trying to do. It all adds up to helping make us less reliant on foreign oil, keep the air cleaner, and drive more sensibly.

[GrySql]

It all adds up to helping make us less reliant on foreign oil, keep the air cleaner, and drive more sensibly.

 

Oh no! Does this mean you're selling the Mustang GT?

 

We just got back from a little 50 mile jaunt in ours and what a contrast between cars.

But, you're right, in between a few full throttle burnouts I did drive more sensibly. ;)