2020 Honda Accord: Model overview, pricing, tech and specs
There's nothing new here, except for price hikes.
Few things in life are as immutable as the existence of the Honda Accord . This stalwart of the midsize sedan segment has been picking up awards for decades, and before a time when crossovers ruled the land, the Accord was arguably Honda's most important car.
The landscape is a little different now, but the Accord is still here. The sedan entered its 10th generation in the 2018 model year, with very few updates for 2019, save for some pricing adjustments. As luck would have it, that's the case once again for 2020.
Read more: Our 2019 Honda Accord review.
Powertrain and specs
The 2020 Honda Accord is available with one of two engines. The base is a 1.5-liter turbocharged I4 putting out 192 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque, while the uprated unit is a 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 that makes 252 hp and 273 lb-ft. A continuously variable transmission is standard on the 1.5-liter, and a 10-speed automatic is standard on the 2.0-liter, but a six-speed manual is available on both engines when the Sport trim is selected.
LX, EX and EX-L trims with the 1.5-liter engine are Honda's most efficient non-hybrid Accords, achieving an EPA-estimated 30 miles per gallon city and 38 mpg highway. The Sport trim drops to 29 mpg city and 35 mpg highway with the CVT, while the six-speed manual is even lower, at 26 mpg city. The most efficient 2.0-liter trim is the EX-L, at 23 mpg city and 34 mpg highway, with every other trim achieving just 22 mpg city and 32 mpg highway.
If that's not enough efficiency for you, there's another option. The Honda Accord Hybrid combines a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated I4 with an electric motor to produce a net 212 horsepower. The 2019 Accord Hybrid achieved 48 mpg city and highway in all trims, and while Honda has not confirmed anything for 2020 just yet, there's no reason to assume anything would be different here.
The Accord's dashboard is straightforward, with dashboard materials depending on the trim.
Interior
The Honda Accord offers seating for up to five adults. All trims except for EX-L and Touring make do with cloth seats, while those two variants rock leather-trimmed upholstery instead. Only the base LX has a driver's seat with manual adjustment; the rest wield 12-way power adjustment. In the second row, every trim except LX features a 60/40 split fold-down -- the LX folds down, too, but the seatbacks are combined into a single piece. Front heated seats are available starting on the EX trim, and only the Touring trim extends that heating to the rear.
Whether it's a hybrid or not, the 2020 Honda Accord has a generous 16.7-cubic-foot trunk. That puts it ahead of competitors like the Toyota Camry (15.1 cubic feet), Chevy Malibu (15.8) and the outgoing Hyundai Sonata (16.3).
Technology
Honda is pretty democratic with its tech offerings. The base Accord LX is the only trim to sport a 7-inch screen without touch capability, paired to a single 1.0-amp USB port. Every other trim gets an 8-inch touchscreen Display Audio system with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto . Sport trims get a single 2.5-amp USB port up front, while other trims also have a second 2.5-amp USB port in the center console.
Embedded navigation is standard on Touring models and available on EX-L variants with either engine. Touring models further ramp up the tech offerings with wireless device charging, a Wi-Fi hotspot and near field communication.
On the audio front, the Accord LX has a four-speaker audio system, while Sport and EX trims boost that to eight speakers. EX-L and Touring variants raise the count to 10 speakers, including a subwoofer.
Every single Accord now comes with Honda Sensing, the automaker's suite of active and passive safety systems. This includes forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control and traffic sign recognition. LX and Sport 1.5T trims do not receive blind-spot monitoring, but every other trim does. Touring models also receive parking sensors.
Honda Sensing should offer some serious peace of mind to every Accord buyer.
Options and pricing
The 2020 Honda Accord starts at $24,800 (including the mandatory $930 destination charge). That will net you an LX-trim Accord with a whole host of standard equipment, including Honda Sensing, dual-zone automatic climate control, keyless start and LED headlights. The Sport 1.5T trim costs $27,460 regardless of the transmission choice, picking up LED fog lights, a power driver's seat, a better infotainment system, sport pedals and leather on the steering wheel and shift knob.
Move up to the $28,700 EX trim and you get blind spot monitoring, keyless entry, heated side mirrors, a power moonroof, active grille shutters, front heated seats, HD Radio and satellite radio . The $31,200 EX-L ramps it up even further with leather-trimmed upholstery, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a power front passenger seat and a 10-speaker audio system.
That covers the 1.5-liter models. The 2.0-liter Sport trim costs $31,990, and the EX-L 2.0T trim raises the price further to $33,200. At the top of the lineup is the $37,030 Accord Touring. Only available with the 2.0-liter engine, the Touring adds a head-up display, rain-sensing wipers, courtesy lights, parking sensors, ventilated front seats, embedded navigation, a Wi-Fi hotspot and wireless device charging.
As for the Accord Hybrid, Honda has not yet confirmed pricing for the 2020 model.
Availability
The 2020 Honda Accord is currently on sale at dealerships nationwide. The 2020 Honda Accord Hybrid will be announced at a later date.
