Honda Accord Plug-in is a high-tech hot mess (pictures)
With its modern but bland design, the Accord Plug-in attempts a high-tech coup, but merely catches up with previous efforts from Toyota and Ford.
Wayne Cunningham
Honda adds a plug-in hybrid version of the Accord sedan for the 2014 model year.
The Accord Plug-in gets a few unique styling cues, such as a blue-tinted stripe below the front badge holder.
As a midsize sedan, the Accord Plug-in offers a roomy cabin, comfortable for five.
Honda's Earth Dreams brand encompasses its new efficiency technologies, including a hybrid drivetrain and direct-injection engines.
A lithium ion battery pack takes up extra room in the Accord Plug-in, limiting trunk space to 8.6 cubic feet.
A charging cable adapter that can plug into a 110-volt wall outlet stows under the trunk floor.
The cabin tech interface is confusing, with an LCD at the top of the stack, a smaller touch screen below, and switchgear below that.
Typical for hybrids, the instrument cluster lacks a tachometer, instead offering drivers information on power usage and regeneration.
Honda's maps are bright and colorful, but the navigation system is prone to losing track of the car.
Pandora integration comes standard and requires that the Pandora app be running on a connected smartphone.