BREAKING: C&D picks Accord over Camry and Sonata in battle of hybrid sedans

[brages]

Fresh from the March/April 2025 edition, a new comparo pits mid-size hybrid sedans against each other and the aging Accord pulls out a shocking W!

https://www.caranddriver.com/review...755420/2025-mid-size-hybrid-sedan-comparison/

Interesting to see these three widely different drivetrains basically ended up about equal in the test and the allegedly superior driving dynamics of the Honda were enough to push it over the edge. Sonata - parallel hybrid, Accord - series (serial?) hybrid that switches into a parallel hybrid when it locks into overdrive cruising gear, Camry - constant blend of parallel and serial hybrid.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Oh, if only the Accord wasn't so bland looking...

 

[brages]

Oh, if only the Accord wasn't so bland looking...

One person's bland is another person's classy and understated. I like the Accord's looks best out of the bunch.

One thing about the test is they did it in cold weather and all the hybrids got poor mileage compared to their EPA ratings.

 

[cptbarkey]

and yet that delta keeps widening.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

View attachment 263250

and yet that delta keeps widening.

That makes sense. The turbos on the Accord didn't help them at all!

 

[brages]

View attachment 263250

and yet that delta keeps widening.

 

[lakestone]

All of these are bland, boring, soulless, uninispiring, refrigerator-looking-like appliances. For A2B casrs, they are grossly overpriced, all of them, especially the Hyundai.

 

[JoelB]

In the end C&D's opinion really doesn't matter. Consumers speak with their wallets. Whatever sells best is best. Since the entire goal of the auto industry is to generate money.

 

[OVERKILL]

All of these are bland, boring, soulless, uninispiring, refrigerator-looking-like appliances. For A2B casrs, they are grossly overpriced, all of them, especially the Hyundai.

"But is it exciting?!"
"Son, a coma patient has more laughs. This here is like driving a potato."

 

[supton]

Goes against my biases... therefore they are wrong.

 

[Hohn]

Fresh from the March/April 2025 edition, a new comparo pits mid-size hybrid sedans against each other and the aging Accord pulls out a shocking W!

https://www.caranddriver.com/review...755420/2025-mid-size-hybrid-sedan-comparison/

Interesting to see these three widely different drivetrains basically ended up about equal in the test and the allegedly superior driving dynamics of the Honda were enough to push it over the edge. Sonata - parallel hybrid, Accord - series (serial?) hybrid that switches into a parallel hybrid when it locks into overdrive cruising gear, Camry - constant blend of parallel and serial hybrid.

“Aging” Accord? This generation dates to 2023, how is that “aging”? Product cycles are much longer now.


As for bland, well that’s why I bought a 2022 with the 2.0T. Bland it is decidedly not. When 270lb ft comes in just off idle and you’ll struggle for traction until 40mph, it’s not bland.

 

[I<3oil]

And, of course, we subjected the cars to our thorough instrumented testing regimen, including our 200-mile, 75-mph highway fuel-economy test.

Finally, some actual real-world testing. None of this "we did 55mph on a level straight road" for the highway testing crap.

 

[Leo99]

Goes against my biases... therefore they are wrong.

You can apply that mindset to a lot of situations.

 

[jakeuten]

C&D picked the Accord for a sedan comparison? In other news, the sun rose this morning.

 

[edyvw]

Fresh from the March/April 2025 edition, a new comparo pits mid-size hybrid sedans against each other and the aging Accord pulls out a shocking W!

https://www.caranddriver.com/review...755420/2025-mid-size-hybrid-sedan-comparison/

Interesting to see these three widely different drivetrains basically ended up about equal in the test and the allegedly superior driving dynamics of the Honda were enough to push it over the edge. Sonata - parallel hybrid, Accord - series (serial?) hybrid that switches into a parallel hybrid when it locks into overdrive cruising gear, Camry - constant blend of parallel and serial hybrid.

What is so different? The time when you realize that you are driving a refrigerator and want to commit suicide because life went on and as Pink Floyd would say, "you missed the starting gun?"

 

[VersatileGuy]

Honda needs the persuasive powers of speculative awards more than Toyota.

 

[brages]

“Aging” Accord? This generation dates to 2023, how is that “aging”? Product cycles are much longer now.

Well, the Camry is "all-new" for the 2025 model year so the Accord is old in comparison. And the Sonata is really old but was facelifted for the 2024 model year.

 

[2005jettatdi]

We have had my wife's Accord Sport L Hybrid for just over a year now. We have no complaints. I like the looks of the car. The jet fighter dash is a little overwhelming, especially for me since I do not drive it much. For us, it was only between the Camry and the Accord and the Accord came out slightly ahead. Since we both have a light foot on the gas pedal, we get much better mileage than in the article.

I have a Mach E and it gets up and goes on battery only, so I really do not understand why hybrids do not just run on electricity rather than a complicated system the puts power directly to the drive wheels from the engine. I am not comfortable with the very high revving that goes on on long, steep hills. Seems to me, not being any kind of engineer, a system that only applies electricity to the wheel motors or battery makes more sense. I assume that would mean a bigger battery pack and maybe that is a big part of it.

I have decided hybrids, especially plug in hybrids, make more sense than EVs.

 

[brages]

What is so different?

One is a parallel hybrid with a traditional 6-speed automatic. One switches from series hybrid to parallel hybrid at cruising speed and has a single overdrive gear. The other uses the Toyota style power split that is sort of both a series and a parallel, at the same time, in differing proportions.

 

[brages]

I have a Mach E and it gets up and goes on battery only, so I really do not understand why hybrids do not just run on electricity rather than a complicated system the puts power directly to the drive wheels from the engine.

I think it's an interesting question.

When a Honda is running in "hybrid drive" mode, the gas engine powers a generator and the electricity from the generator drives the wheels. BUT there is an efficiency penalty in converting the power between the modes, so going to "engine drive" - where the engine is directly driving the wheels - is more efficient.

Now when a Toyota is using its eCVT to simulate a gear ratio, at the steady state you have one motor generating electricity and driving the other motor. So a Toyota in steady state drive has a varying amount of this efficiency penalty as well, depending on what gear ratio is being created.