2014 Honda Accord Hybrid to start under $30,000

The original half-baked Honda Accord Hybrid sold poorly for a just a few years, leaving the company to concede the hybrid family sedan market to Ford and Toyota. Now Honda is back with an efficient variation of its current, impressive Accord, scheduled to join the existing plug-in hybrid when it goes on sale October 31st.

The Accord Hybrid uses the same powertrain technology as the Accord Plug-In Hybrid, which went on sale in New York and California last spring, but it has a smaller battery. Honda claims the new Accord Hybrid is EPA-rated at 50 mpg in the city, 45 on the highway, and 47 mpg combined. (Visit our guide to fuel economy.)

For comparison, the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid are EPA-rated at 47 and 41 mpg overall, respectively. In our fuel-economy tests, the Fusion Hybrid returned 39 mpg overall, and the Camry Hybrid earned 38 mpg overall. (Consumer Reports has found that EPA fuel-economy ratings for hybrids are often overstated.)

We’ll believe the new Accord numbers only until we see how it fares in the real world when we test it.

The Accord Hybrid will be available in three trim levels:

• Base Hybrid lists for $29,945, including destination. It includes blind-spot detection, back-up camera, dual-zone climate control, and 160-watt stereo with USB inputs and Pandora compatibility.

• EX-L adds leather interior, a memory driver’s seat, seat heaters, forward-collision warning, and a sunroof, costs $32,695.

• Top-of-the-line Touring adds navigation with traffic, adaptive cruise control, and an audio hard drive for $35,695.
  
  

The Accord Plug-in, with an 11-mile electric-only range, comes in a single trim level for $40,570 before a $2,500 tax incentive.

The standard four-cylinder Accord got 30 mpg overall in our tests, achieving 40 mpg on the highway—impressive for this size sedan. The Hybrid boosts fuel economy significantly, but at a price.

–Eric Evarts

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