2013 Accord Pricing is Competitive

[xcel]

Improved interior and exterior design, better fuel economy. more standard features and even somewhat competitive pricing. What’s not to like?

Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - Sept. 10, 2012

2013 Honda Accord LX - $22,480 with the CVT to start and a 27/36 city/highway rating.

In the release this morning, Honda states the new Accord is priced in line with the old one and is set to debut on September 19 with a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) ranging from $21,680 for the Accord LX with the 6-speed manual transmission (the 24/34 mpgUS rating is questionable) to $33,430 for the Accord Touring. Destination and handling is set at $790 per vehicle.

The all-new Accord with its direct injected 2.4L I4 is approximately $300 more on average than the outgoing model with the Accord LX up by just $200. The 2012 Honda Accord LX with the 5-speed AT price is in fact $22,280, just $200 less than the new one.

More standard features

Finally every new Accord is equipped with alloys, Bluetooth HandsFreeLink and USB/iPod integration. In addition, Pandora internet radio compatibility, SMS text message function a rearview camera, an Expanded View Driver's Mirror, , dual-zone automatic climate control, and a 160-watt AM/FM/CD audio system are also standard.

Drivetrain

The 2013 Accord lineup is powered by the new direct injected Earth Dreams engines and all-new 6-speed and CVT transmissions. Three transmissions are available, including the first-ever application of a continuously variable transmission (CVT) on the 2.4L I4 models, a 6-speed automatic on V-6 models, and 6-speed manual transmissions on 2.4L I4 and 3.5L V-6 Coupe.

Infotainment

New features include the first application of the all-new cloud-based HondaLink system featuring Aha, which allows drivers put away their smartphones and still stay connected to the people, music and social media they love according to the company.

Also debuting on the 2013 Accord is Honda LaneWatch blind-spot display, which uses a camera integrated with the passenger-side mirror and the vehicle's 8-inch color display to provide for an enhanced view of the passenger-side roadway. LaneWatch is standard equipment on EX and above versions of the Sedan, and EX-L versions of the Coupe.

The 2013 Honda Accord continues to be covered by one of the worst warranties in the business at 3-year/36,000-mile Limited Vehicle Warranty, a 5-year/60,000-mile Powertrain Limited Warranty, and a 5-year/unlimited-mile Corrosion Limited Warranty.

2013 I4 Accord Sedan Pricing

Model	Transmission	Pricing	EPA ratings (mpgUS city/highway/combined)
Accord LX	6-speed MT	$21,680	24/34/28
Accord LX	CVT	$22,480	27/36/30
Accord Sport	6-speed MT	$23,390	24/34/28
Accord Sport	CVT	$24,190	26/35/29
Accord EX	6-speed MT	$24,605	24/34/28
Accord EX	CVT	$25,405	27/36/30
Accord EX-L	CVT	$27,995	27/36/30
Accord EX-L with Navi	CVT	$29,995	27/36/30

I skipped the V6 as anyone foolish enough to drive an Accord so equipped is being driven more by their ego than sense.

Competitive Comparisons

Year	Make	Model	Base Price ($USD)	Engine	Transmission	HP and Torque (lb-ft.)	Weight (pounds)	Passenger Vol. (cu. ft.)	Cargo Volume (cu. ft.)	EPA Estimates (mpgUS city/highway)
2013	Honda	Accord	$22,480	2.4L	CVT	185/181	3,192	103.2	15.8	27/36
2013	Hyundai	Sonata	$20,895	2.4L	6-speed AT	200/186	3,199	103.8	16.4	24/35
2013	Kia	Optima	$21,200	2.4L	6-speed AT	200/186	3,223	102.2	15.4	24/35
2013	Nissan	Altima	$21,500	2.4L	CVT	182/180	3,108	101.9	15.4	27/38
2013	Ford	Fusion	$21,700	2.5L	6-speed AT	175/175	3,427	102.8	16.0	23/33
2012	Toyota	Camry	$22,055	2.5L	6-speed AT	178/170	3,190	102.7	15.4	25/35
2013	Chevrolet	Malibu	$22,390	2.5L	6-speed AT	197/191	3,393	100.3	16.3	22/34

Bolded specs are Best-in-Class.

Other recent 2013 Honda Accord stories:

• 2014 Accord_PHEV – Honda's Prius PHEV_Fighter with ~ 13 Miles on the Plug
• 2013 Accord – 39 or 40_mpg Highway Is Out But 36 “Aint Bad”
• Honda’s New Paint Process Saves Energy During Construction
• 2013 Accord’s DI 2.4L. Possibly 39_mpg highway with the CVT?

Early Conclusions

All in, I think the new Accord is a welcome addition to the mid-size class. It was unfortunately downsized leaving only the Hyundai Sonata as a full-sized car according to the EPA. The loss of the double wishbone upfront is also disheartening but like every other major competitor other than possibly the all-new upcoming 2014 Mazda6, they are all equipped with struts upfront. On the styling front, while better, there was no risk taken and no reward will be provided by comparison to the upcoming 2013 Fusion or current Sonata/Optima. Interior pieces have experienced cost cutting with more hard plastics yet its presence appears more refined. I wish I could put my finger on that one…

2013 Honda Accord Interior

The Accord will have particular trouble with the new and class leading 2013 Nissan Altima. The all-new Altima has a number of “Best-in-Class” capabilities in its court including a lower price of just $21,500 with the automatic CVT, stronger straight line performance at just 7-seconds to 60 and a higher fuel economy rating at 27/38 mpgUS city/highway that has already proven itself to be a solid mid 60 mpgUS performer when pushed using just basic and intermediate techniques.

That said, the Accord is back with “improved” styling, slightly lower weight, more fuel economy, quite a few additional standard features and a price that is close to the rest. With its reputation for bulletproof reliability (my 05 has only been “so so” reliable), it will sure to reach more than just a few driveways this fall. Unless of course the all-new upcoming 2013 Ford Fusion grabs those same buyers attention and soon afterwards, wallets even with the base 2.5Ls pitiful FE figures?

[civic94coupe206]

looks like its cvt or manual. i going to have to wait on this, honda cvt's are not that reliable, I had quite a few 96-00 civic hx cvt's come to my friends transmission shop before. maybe they have improved, but still.

I believe its still a great car, a little dissapointed that its getting 36 mpg haighway rated.

[xcel]

Hi Civic94Coupe:

I have to agree with you on all counts. It is not a revolutionary addition to the mid-sized ranks but an evolutionary one and when was the last time we saw a Honda's fuel economy ratings target the middle of the pack? The Altima with its 38 mpgUS highway ratings stands out as a clear winner and with its actual capabilities of 64.6 mpgUS on a 100 + mile RT loop proven in TN earlier this year, the Accord has its work cut out for it. In fact the entire mid-size segment has its work cut out for it when up against the all-new 2013 Altima.

I added the competitive comparison table to the above preview for quick reference.

Wayne

[msirach]

It still needs a total redesign. Styling is still yesterday. I have driven the previous gen Altima several hundred miles and the smoothness is FAR better than the CVT in the Insight Hybrid and Civic Hybrid.

[MaxxMPG]

There still seems to be a lot of resistance to the CVT and I see more posts online complaining about the noise and loose/disconnected feeling than praise about smoothness or fuel economy.

The CVT, as a concept, can be made reliable in execution, but there are compromises. I suspect that Honda's six-speed automatic is too expensive to build and therefore the CVT was the only way to improve FE beyond their 5AT. Honda automatics use a countershaft design - basically the same layout as a manual transmission - rather than the planetary gearsets of other automatics. Planetary gearsets can be built to handle higher torque and higher GVWR, and can be made simpler - which means more compact and lower assembly cost.

The planetary-based automatics are up to 8 forward ratios and soon we might have 9, in a ZF-sourced unit planned for the Dodge Dart. These units are still compact and costs are reasonable, and there is no reason to think reliability will suffer due to the additional ratios because they work their magic with an extra clutch pack and an extra planetary gearset. In the ZF nine speed automatic, two planetary gearsets are nested, where the ring gear of the inner gearset is the sun gear of the outer gearset. This is something you can't accomplish with a countershaft design. Checking online for Honda transmission patents, I found one a while back that had a combination planetary and countershaft design, but I don't imagine it will ever reach production. And without a much larger form factor, I don't expect to see Honda automatics with more than six forward speeds, hence the adoption of the CVT.

The Accord seems to be a nice evolution of the concept, but what Honda really needed was - to overuse a word - a revolution. What Hyundai did with the Sonata and Kia did with the Optima totally redefined the cars and in effect redefined the brands. Time will tell if Nissan's Altima does the same as well.

And on the topic of adopting European platforms for the US market, it appears that Ford shows us how it can be done successfully while GM's Chevy Malibu and Buick Regal do the opposite, with their C-segment interior space wrapped in D-segment size, and FE and weight falling toward the bottom of the pack.

The Accord will sell well to Honda loyalists, but I am not confident they will win much market share without a helping of Happy Honda Days cash to sweeten the deal.

[PaleMelanesian]

Huh. Car and Driver really likes it. CVT included.
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...t-drive-review

[Carcus]

Autoblog gives the CVT a thumbs up as well.

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/10/2...-review-video/

/I'd like to give "lane watch" a try

[Carcus]

On the cvt issue:

I think "modern" 6+ speed transmissions are also affected with the disconnect issue. Throttle by wire and computer "ciphering" when you mash the go pedal can lead to delays and unexpected/inconsistent rpm response as well.

[PaleMelanesian]

Right. At some point the number of gears becomes close enough to continuous that it may as well be.

[Carcus]

From Wayne's competitive list, I believe I've driven all but the Sonata in the last year (all 2011 or 2012 models).

I'd rank them:
1. Altima
2. Optima
3. Fusion

I'd expect the 2013 Altima to widen it's lead in my rankings.

/ The Accord and Camry seemed dated and somewhat boring. The Malibu felt like it came up short in overall quality.