2013: Used Car Review
When people talk about the Honda Accord -- which
was completely redesigned for the 2013 model year -- it's often described as
bulletproof, a gold standard and the best in its class. Accolades such as these
don't come easily, but they certainly aren't exaggerations. As far as used cars
go, the 2013 Honda Accord is one of the safest bets on the road. Sure, you can find cars with
more pizzazz, such as the Hyundai Sonata, or better
fuel economy, such as the Passat TDI, but when
it comes to overall owner satisfaction, the Accord runs away with the prize.
In addition to its excellent reputation for
reliability and high resale value, the Accord strikes just the right balance
between ride comfort and good handling, satisfying acceleration and good fuel
economy, and interior comfort and convenience. The Accord can accommodate up to
five passengers and has room for a good amount of luggage or groceries in its
trunk. Top-of-the-line models come standard with leather seating, navigation
and adaptive cruise control -- all very desirable options. The Accord remains a
conservative sedan, however, so if you're looking for features such as a
turbocharged engine, a panoramic moonroof, a high-end audio system or heated
rear seats, you'll need to look at other sedans.
What We Like
Lots of standard features; spacious interior;
excellent fit and finish; quiet ride; good handling; impressive continuously
variable automatic transmission (CVT); available manual transmission
What We
Don't
Limited features on entry-level trims; sleepy
styling; 4-cylinder engine can feel underpowered at times
Fuel Economy
& Engine Specs
The Accord's standard engine is a 2.4-liter
4-cylinder that's good for 185 horsepower and 181 lb-ft of torque. In the Sport
trim, the same engine produces a bit more power, rated at 189 hp and 182 lb-ft
of torque. With the 6-speed manual transmission, the Accord is rated at 24
miles per gallon in the city and 34 mpg on the highway. The automatic CVT
improves those figures to 27 mpg city/36 mpg hwy (26 mpg city/35 mpg hwy with
the Sport).
The optional 3.5-liter V6 produces 278 hp and 252 lb-ft of torque and can be mated to a 6-speed
automatic, or in the coupe, a 6-speed manual. Fuel economy for this engine is
rated at a remarkable 21 mpg city/34 mpg hwy with the automatic and 18 mpg
city/28 mpg hwy with the manual.
Standard
Features & Options
For 2013, the Accord offers six trims and two body
styles. The Accord sedan comes in LX, Sport, EX, EX-L, EX-L V6 and Touring
trims. The Accord coupe comes in LX-S, EX, EX-L and EX-L V6 trims.
The Accord LX features 16-inch alloy wheels,
dual-zone automatic climate control, a rearview camera, cruise control, a tilt-telescopic steering wheel,
Bluetooth, USB audio connectivity, Pandora Internet Radio compatibility, a
4-speaker AM/FM/CD stereo with auxiliary and USB/iPod input, and the i-MID
infotainment system with an 8-in screen.
The LX-S coupe is similarly equipped to the
LX sedan.
The Sport trim adds 18-in wheels, a rear
spoiler, a 10-way power driver's seat with adjustable lumbar, fog lights, a
leather-wrapped steering wheel and paddle shifters (CVT-equipped model).
The EX builds on the LX trim with 17-in
wheels, 6-speaker audio, a power driver's seat with power lumbar, a
leather-wrapped steering wheel, a power sunroof, heated side mirrors, keyless
entry with push-button starting and a blind spot monitoring system.
The EX-L includes leather seating, a
driver's-seat memory feature, LED brake lights, HondaLink smartphone and app
integration, a 4-way power passenger seat, heated front seats, and a premium
7-speaker touchscreen audio system with satellite radio.
The EX-L V6 simply adds a V6 engine to the
EX-L trim.
The Touring comes standard with a V6 engine,
navigation, LED headlights and adaptive cruise control.
As Honda has a one-trim-fits-all policy, there are
few options, but the EX-L and EX-L V6 trims are available with navigation.
Pricing
Because the Honda Accord holds its value well, be
prepared to pay a premium even when the car has higher mileage. To get a good
idea of the Accord's price range, we suggest using the used-car values at KBB.com. You can also search the AutoTrader Classifieds to see what models are currently for sale in your area.
Recalls
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) has issued the following recalls for the 2013 Honda Accord:
A recall was issued due to a possible fuel filler
neck that is out of specification and can cause the fuel pump to not properly
seal the fuel tank.
Recall repairs are required by law, even if the
vehicle is out of warranty. Your dealer can check to see if the repairs were
performed, and if not, will fix the car at no charge to you.
Safety
Ratings & Warranties
The Honda Accord sedan's safety record appears to
be quite good. NHTSA gave the Accord four stars in its front crash test and
five stars in the side-impact and rollover tests. The Accord coupe earned five
stars in all three tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the
Accord sedan its highest rating of Good in its offset, side-impact and
roof-strength crash tests, while the Accord coupe earned similar marks in all
but the small-overlap front crash test, for which it received an Acceptable mark.
The Accord left the factory with a
3-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and a 5-year/60,000-mile
powertrain warranty. Both are fully transferable. If you buy a certified
pre-owned Accord, it will have gone through a 150-point inspection and will come
with an extension of the basic warranty (4 years/48,000 miles). If the
vehicle's new-car warranty has expired, it will instead come with a
1-year/12,000-mile basic warranty from the date of purchase. The powertrain
warranty is also extended by 7 years/100,000 miles from the date that the
vehicle entered service.
Other Cars
to Consider
Kia Optima -- The Optima offers a more sophisticated design and more features than
the Accord, and its resale is almost as good. The Optima's repair history,
however, is not as good as the Accord's, but it does have a longer basic
warranty (5 years/60,000 miles).
Ford Fusion -- The Fusion is an excellent competitor for the Accord, offering
hybrid, all-wheel-drive and even plug-in-hybrid models, but the Fusion has had
a number of recalls, and its resale and fuel economy figures are not as good as
the Accord's.
Toyota Camry -- The Camry is every bit the Accord's equal, with similar features,
fuel economy and resale values. The Camry's hybrid option, however, offers
superior fuel economy.
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