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Honda Accord Hybrid Review
When the engine is running, the belts operate the 4.6 cubic inch compressor, but when youre sitting still in traffic or at a stop light in idle stop mode, it switches over to a smaller 0.9 cubic inch electric compressor. Warm or humid air from surroundings continues to be chilled, backed only by the silence-breaking hum of the compressor, helping you keep your cool.
Under braking and coasting, the IMA system also works as a generator to recharge 144-volt battery pack thats comprised of 120 Sanyo Nickel-Metal Hydride cells. While hybrids havent been around long enough to call this system age old, its standard fit in all hybrid vehicles. Innovation in this department comes in the form of improved efficiency; the Accord Hybrid posts a segment-leading 95.2 percent regenerating efficiency, increased from the Civics 93.5 percent. Aside from a slightly grabby brake pedal which starts the process, this is yet another one of the many non-intrusive features of the IMA hybrid system.
The Accords IMA system, in combination with additional economy-minded tailoring, makes for some eyebrow-raising math. Take for example the city rating, which is 30 mpg; 25 percent of the reduced figure can be accounted for by the Idle-Stop system. Cylinder-deactivation lops off another 15 percent from the city figure, and a massive 57 percent when cruising on the highway, which is an impressive 40 mpg.
High Points
- Powerful acceleration
- Additional torque provided by the electric motor
- Nearly seemless operation
Low Points
- Lackluster mileage (for a Hybrid)
- Costly (the Hybrid trim is comparable to an Accord EX V6 with leather)
- No Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) offered (at the expense of economy)
Performance and Handling
As the majority of the weight of the hybrid system is over the front wheels, Honda has adjusted the Accords suspension, well, accordingly. Mildly upgraded are the springs and dampers which are given a slightly firmer rate to compensate, but the changes are difficult to notice, feeling mostly the same. With the electric motors ability to provide 90 percent of its 100 lb-ft peak torque at lest than 4,000 rpm, there is a notable effect on the front wheels. Slightly wider tires attempt to assist, Honda has managed to cure one of my biggest comfort-related complaints that have to do with Hybrids in this latest Accord - maintaining temperature in Idle Stop mode, thanks to an air conditioner that too is a hybrid. Honda Accord Hybrid has clearly aimed for performance. The heart of it all is the latest version - the third-generation version -- of Honda's Integrated Motor Assist, or IMA, technology. It makes a major contribution in two ways.
First On the conservation side, the IMA acts as a generator. It captures all sorts of wasted energy -- e.g., it regenerates heat into electric power when you brake -- and stores it as electricity in the hybrid's small nickel-metal hydride battery pack.
Second, when you need a real boost to merge in traffic, the IMA kicks in. The thin electric motor mounted between the gasoline engine and the five-speed automatic transmission provides as much as 16 hp and 100 lbs-ft of torque. Think of it as an electric supercharger
And the power comes on with a smooth and almost startling efficiency. The hybrid zoom is simply delightful. Here we have a fast and efficient, no-compromises green car. In fact, the hybrid is a full second faster at 0-100 km/hour than a conventional V-6 Accord.but the economy-built tires have difficulty coping, particularly in the wet. Torque steer, something unusual to hear in Accord sedans tugs away in corners, another unusual trait not normally found in Accords. Meanwhile, a switch to an electric power assist makes for light if not numb steering.
Gas Mileage
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Trim |
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FWD Automatic |
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Engine |
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3.0L V-6 w/IMA |
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MPG (City/Highway) |
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25/34 |
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Safety
- 3.0L 24-valve V6 engine with 253 HP and 232 lb-ft of torque
- Integrated Motor Assist (IMA)™
- Variable Cylinder Management (VCM)™
- Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS)
- Daytime Running Lights (DRL)
- Permanent magnet motor
- 5-speed automatic transmission
- Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) battery pack
- Digital fuel mileage indicator
- Remote entry system
- Immobilizer theft-deterrent system
- Electrically assisted rack-and-pinion steering
- 16" lightweight alloy wheels
Reliability and Maintenance
In daily use you barely notice it shutting down the engine at a stoplight with a soft shudder. The same when you nudge the gas and the engine comes to life, propelling you forward. In the city, this feature accounts for about 25 per cent of the difference between the standard Accord's city mileage and the hybrid's.
Interior and Comforts
Essentially, with the extra cost to fit the Accord with the new technology, Honda made the Hybrid the top of the line model, equipping all options available on the EX-V6 and more. Leather-trimmed heated seats, digital climate control, ABS brakes, traction control, and side curtain airbags are all standard. The Hybrid is also the most refined Accord, with extra noise-damping equipment, as well as a six-disc CD stereo system with noise cancellation. So hushed and isolated is the car at speed that you might find it difficult to argue something like the much more costly Lexus ES330.
There is also the only option of a touch-screen satellite navigation system with voice-operated commands, a system pulled straight out of the Acura TSX. Other than this, the Accord Hybrid is very much a "what you see is what you get" affair, what you get, being everything.
One switch that stays blank, normally filled on regular Accords is the power glass sunroof. This was the only thing stripped from the options list, done so to help preserve weight.
Exterior
Honda has kept the Accord Hybrid understanded and uncluttered in the styling department. This is par for the course in terms of Honda and body styling. This is not to say that the car is unattractive. The truth is that the Accord Hybrid is virtually indistinguishable from a conventional version of the sedan, something many buyers might find appealing. Detailing on the Accord Hybrid is limited to a hybrid badge, unique wheels, trunk-mounted lip-spoiler and tailights.When adding up all the aerodynamic-minded additions like the wheels, spoiler and antenna, the 0.30 to 0.29 Cd helps slim fuel consumption by 5 percent on the highway.
Styles and Options
The Honda Accord Hybrid comes in one four door sedan bodystyle. The only option remains a satellite-linked navigation system ($2000).
