The Honda Accord has been in production since 1976 and is one of Honda’s best sellers. The mid-size vehicle has gone through a lot of change in the last 40+ years and is now in its 10th generation.
Exterior Design
The 2019 Honda Accord has a wide stance, long hood lines and a curved back end. The front headlights, daytime running lights, and rear tail lights are all LED with the intention of providing better illumination.
Our road test included dual exhaust with chrome finishers to give the Accord more ‘bling’ and style. Most 2019 Honda Accord models come with 19” aluminum-alloy wheels.
The one-touch power moonroof with tilt feature was appreciated on our road test and the amount of sunlight let into the cabin added to the spacious feel inside.
Interior Design
The 2019 Honda Accord interior is quite spacious and comfortable with a 12-way power adjustable driver seat. There’s plenty of legroom in the vehicle, which is great for taller passengers.
The front dashboard is kept relatively streamlined with dual climate controls placed in a row and outside of the infotainment system.
The infotainment system is easy to use and has all the features you’d expect in today’s market. It also has trip and fuel mileage calculator for those who are keen on keeping their consumption to a minimum.
The 7” touchscreen combines conventional volume and tune/scroll knobs. There are buttons on the side for quick access to the map, phone, or audio features (or these can be accessed via the home screen too). The navigation was also quite accurate when we tried searching for various locations.
The reverse camera has three different views that you can select from and warns you when there’s cross traffic behind you. The camera view and its angle did take some getting used to.
The Honda and Acura electronic gearshift is one my favourite designs because I’m a firm believer that I should be able to operate the gearshift without actually looking at it. For example, moving from reverse to drive after backing out of a spot should be easy and seamless without me needing to take my eyes off the road. The gearshift has a different type of button for reverse so after finding that as a reference point, it’s easy for you to discern where neutral and drive is. If you need to shift to neutral before applying the emergency brake, you’ll need all the seconds you save from not having to look at the gearshift. The only downside is the location, being placed next to the cupholder makes it susceptible to spills every now and again and it’s not easy to clean if fluid gets into the buttons.
The 2019 Honda Accord steering wheel and instrument panel is the busiest portion of the dashboard with 13+ buttons on the steering wheel alone (which also has a scroll and paddle shifters) for phone, cruise, voice command, and other features. It makes sense to keep things within easy reach of the driver, though I do wonder how much is too much sometimes.
The rear passengers have their own rear console ventilation and heat as well as additional USB charging ports and rear outboard heated seats.
A note about the blind spot in the 2019 Honda Accord - depending on where the driver and front passenger seats are placed, there is some obstructed view of the blind spot on the passenger side.
Our road test did come with Honda’s Blind Spot Information system, in addition to lane keep assist, Collision Mitigation Braking System, Forward Collision Warning System, and other active safety features. For our Canadian climate, our road test included a front windshield heater.
Under The Hood / Basic Maintenance
The engine bay in the 2019 Honda Accord is crowded with various plastic shields and plumbing though do-it-yourself items are placed within eyesight.
As you can see, the washer fluid reservoir is located close to the front of the vehicle and within easy access to refill and see the fluid level. The battery is located up top next to the brake fluid level reservoir.
In case of an emergency and you need to jump start the vehicle, note that the ground where you connect the negative end is located on the other side of the engine bay.
Speaking of emergencies, the spare tire is located in the trunk under the floor panel and alongside the tire jack and tools, Honda provides a funnel for you to use in case you need to top up your engine oil (which is more common than you think with extended oil change intervals, have a read at the owner’s manual if you plan to purchase the vehicle).
Child Car Seat
In terms of installing a rear-facing child car seat, the 2019 Honda Accord is quite spacious so you may not need to move the front passenger seat too far forward to accommodate the car seat’s recline angle (depending on the size of the child car seat, of course).
The rear seat bench has a slight incline so you may require pool noodles or a rolled towel during a rear-facing child car seat installation in order to get the correct recline angle. The seat cushions are quite firm so they’ll be able to handle the amount of compression you’ll be doing during install.
The headrest of the rear seats is relatively flat so when you install a forward-facing child car seat, you may not need to remove the head rest. Still, you may choose to remove the headrest to get the back of the child car seat to sit flush with the car’s seatback.
The UAS anchors are clearly marked and readily exposed once you flip the panel down. Tethers, as expected, are located directly behind the headrests.
Storage / Trunk
Trunk space in the 2019 Honda Accord is sufficient for a couple of suitcases. The trunk narrows closer to the rear seats.
There is storage in the centre console, with an upper tray that slides to provide compartmentalization and ease of access to the rest of the storage underneath. Charging ports are also located here.
There are a few more charging ports at the front of the vehicle below the centre stack as well as a wireless charger for your cellphone (if supported).
If you have longer items, the 2019 Honda Accord offers 60/40 split in its rear seat and it folds relatively flat with the trunk floor.
The 2019 Honda Accord has remained true to its purpose, an all-around sedan that is comfortable for longer road trips and gets you from A to B every day. The enhancements in performance make this sedan fun to drive, and is responsive when you need it. Starting price for the 2020 Honda Accord is $28,490 CAD.
Model tested:
2019 Honda Accord Touring
2.0L 4-cylinder turbocharged engine
10-speed automatic transmission
Front-wheel drive
Seating Capacity: 5 people
Road Test Terrain: 60% city, 40% highway
2020 Honda Accord Touring 2.0 starts at $40,190 CAD