2021 Honda Accord Touring Is Spacious and Powerful
The brand new 2021 Honda Accord gets refreshed. There are changes on the inside and outside, so it looks slightly different. You get more standard features, and Honda sensing gets upgraded.
Also, in 2021, there are trim level and powertrain changes. So you know there's a lot of changes for the 2021 model.
This latest review will tell and show all you want to know about the new Honda Accord 2021.
After all, we hope you can decide if this is the right car for you!
2021 Honda Accord Touring Body Design
The latest Honda Accord's front end gets slightly updated for 2021.
Now the grille is more expansive, and the headlights are somewhat slimmer. Honda provides longer and broader lighting.
So the LX trim gets LED low beam headlights while the other receives the full-LED headlight treatment and receives led fog lights, which have also been revised.
The side of the Accord doesn't change. It still sits low to the ground with a sport back shape in the rear.
Whole wheels are refreshed for 2021, start from the 17-inch wheels with the base LX to the more prominent 19-inch wheels on the Touring.
The back pretty much identical, but the lower valence gets tweaked a little bit on the Touring version.
You do have dual chrome finishers on both sides, and all Accords receive full LED taillights.
The trunk is relatively roomy, but you still can fold down the backseats for more cargo space.
Honda Accord Interior
The Accord is equipped with leather trim seats. The rear passengers receive a pair of vents along with a couple of USB ports.
If you're about 5 feet 10 tall, you have approx 12 inches of legroom behind your driving position and 3 inches of headroom.
At the front, Honda Accord provides a modern functional dash and center console design.
The excellent leather-wrapped steering wheel has the ideal thickness.
Buttons on the right are used for adaptive cruise control and changing whatever is presented with the heads-up display.
Now, more buttons on the left side are for phone, voice control, volume, and controlling the information screen inside the gauge cluster.
You have paddle shifters behind the steering wheel, and the gauge cluster combines digital and analog.
The left side is purely digital. You can change what you want to be displayed from the tachometer, digital speed, trip computer, safety systems, and more.
You can set or turn ON/OFF the heads-up display to the left of the steering wheel. You do have buttons for the parking sensor, safety systems, and traction control.
On the door panels, you have two-member seat options.
The 8-inch infotainment screen is bright, and the menu is filled with large icons.
It's easy navigating, and responsiveness is decent. However, the resolution isn't the greatest, especially when you go into reverse.
The 8-inch screen is standard on all trims in 2021 with Apple Carplay/Android Auto.
Below you got two knobs to control the temperature. They change to blue or red depending on which way you turn.
Besides, there are knobs for fan control and a few buttons for modes and defroster options.
Then you have heated and ventilated seats. If you open the cover underneath, you'll find two USB ports and a 12V outlet.
If you move down further, you'll see the new button style shifter that controls the 10-speed automatic.
The 2020 Honda Accord Touring has Eco and sport mode. You have buttons for the parking brake and brake hold.
Besides, you got two cup holders, some storage space, and another 12 volts inside the armrest.
On top, you have HomeLink buttons and a sunroof.
New Honda Accord Engine
As for power sources, there are some changes for 2021.
First, the base 1.5 L turbo engine generates 192 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque. All mated to a CVT transmission. But the 6-speed manual trans is no longer available in 2021.
The second alternative is a 2-liter turbo engine generating 252 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque. All mated to a 10-speed auto transmission. Unfortunately, it no longer offers the 6-speed manual either.
We reviewed many Accords in the past. Start from the base LX to the touring. Every time we think that was a reasonable drive or a near-perfect sedan. It's no different this time.
Honda Accord Pros and Cons
Pros
We already covered some of the 2021 subtle changes on the outside and features inside. But what about the things that didn't change? We mean, why is the Honda Accord so good? Ok, we'll tell you.
First, the cabin noise level is one of the trades for luxury cars. You get inside, start driving, and it is so quiet.
You really don't hear anything, and that is the same as you go inside Accord Touring. Even the base LX trim will do the same.
However, the Touring is super quiet. It's like a luxury car standard. Also, cabin visibility is fantastic. You do have an excellent front windshield and side windows, which are nice and big as well.
The door panels aren't very high, and the rear window got clear visibility even though it's really slanted down. The headrest and the blind spot is incredible.
There's like an extra quarter window on the back, and it really makes the blind spot visibility very lovely. Plus, you get blind-spot monitoring on Touring trim as acceptable driving support.
The seats are very comfortable, and everything's covered in leather. The stitching and the cushion are enjoyable.
The back bolsters will be holding your back, and you aren't sliding around. You feel like you could drive in Honda Accord for hours and not be uncomfortable or get a stiff back or anything like that.
The spaciousness also makes it a near-perfect car. The size is more like a full-size than a mid-size sedan.
Besides, you get more rear legroom and cargo room than Toyota Avalon. It's way bigger than a Toyota Camry, although the length and width it's pretty much identical.
We think Honda somehow figured out how to generate more room.
Upfront, you have plenty of shoulder room and the hip, leg, and head. It's just really spacious to makes you feel very comfortable and not squeezed.
The brakes are good and very predictable. It has a linear feel, and the pedal doesn't feel mushy or stiff.
What's also good is the engine, transmission, powertrain combo is fantastic.
So when you compare that on paper to a Camry V6, it's like 50 hp less.
But, you get a very lively engine.
You have so much torque that kicks in right away. 0-60 in 5.7 seconds, we think that's very quick.
The engine is smooth with a 10-speed auto. It provides you the right combination.
Usually, if the transmissions have too many gears, it tends to go down, especially when you're cruising.
But you'll never get a sense like that with 10-speed in Honda Accord. Even it's better than the 9-speed that you see many inside Honda's SUVs and other cars.
Around the bends, the 2021 Honda Accord also does an outstanding job.
The suspension is comfortable, and it could handle corners and bends pretty well.
The Honda Accord Touring comes with an adaptive damper.
So it adjusts to roads, and you feel like it's soaking up everything beautifully. It doesn't feel stiff and gets all the bumps. When you take them hard, you don't get a lot of body roll.
You do have a great steering wheel, which is really thick.
The leather feels good, and the steering is precise. Also, it has a perfect weight.
Cons
We've been saying nothing but good things about Honda Accord because we still think it's the best mid-size sedan you could get today.
The changes in 2021 make it even better. It's an excellent mid-size sedan because it does everything well. It has a powerful engine with silky-smooth 10-speed auto transmission, excellent suspension, and also sporty.
The steering has good weight and precision. You have really nice seats and a spacious, quiet cabin.
Now Honda Sensing gets upgraded for 2021. Although you look at the list of features, it's still the same thing they have been improved slightly.
So emergency braking and warning, auto high beam, road sign assist are still the same.
However, adaptive cruise control does change. It does a better job with braking and more natural.
Your lane assist and lane centering got improvement, so the Accord will stay in the middle better.
There are subtle tweaks to the hotness Sensing that makes it a little bit better.
So is there anything terrible about Honda Accord? Well, there are a few things, and it's not like it's awful; it's just that the competition is better.
For example, there's a heads-up display to tells you the important stuff like how fast you're going, the speed limit, and your rev.
You can change it to a compass or a few things, but the heads-up display in other cars is slightly better. So it's not like this is terrible; it's just that it could be better, the same thing with the screen inside the gauge cluster.
We like how it simulates an analog screen.
You can scroll through so many different things like trip computer, fuel economy, and setting safety features.
But it's not entirely digital. You know other cars in this class have fully digital. So, it could be better.
Honestly, we really like the setup, and we think this is what you need.
You don't need anything fancier than this, but you could argue that others are better.
The infotainment screen and the system works really well. It's not the most responsive or fanciest interface, but the resolution is high, especially when you go in reverse.
Overall it still pretty good. But again isn't a class leader when it comes to infotainment screens. There's one thing that's lacking a 360 view system. In fact, no Hondas offer it for some reason. We guess that's a little negative that you can't get that now.
The sunroof is a normal one, not a panoramic, So that isn't the best. But it pretty much has everything.
You got all the latest stuff like wireless chargers, ventilated/heated seats, heated steering wheel, paddle shifters, heads-up display, memory seats, etc.
As we said, there's nothing wrong with the 2021 Honda Accord. But maybe some of these things are better from other manufacturers.
In terms of cabin, this generation Accord came out in 2018. So it's been three years but based on the competition has, and what they have done, this is one of the best in our opinion.
With the aluminum trim pieces around certain places, dark wood, and soft material, everything in the interior is still very modern, luxurious, and functional. There are no complaints about the dashboard or cabin either.
Honda Accord Price
On the brand new Accord in 2021, there are five trim levels. The base LX MSRP starts under $25,000, and then you have the Sport and the brand new Sport SE trim, which replaces the XE trim.
Next, you have the EL, and finally, you have the Touring, which is around $36,700.
Conclusion
The Honda Accord is the benchmark for mid-size sedans.
For 2021 it gets slightly better. The Accord looks excellent both on the outside and inside.
There's plenty of cargo room and an enormous amount of passenger room.
The Accord is quite comfortable and very fast, especially with a 2-liter turbo engine. You have plenty of techs, and for 2021 wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto are added on.
The slight weaknesses are the infotainment system, and the gauge cluster is a little bit dated.
Also, the heads-up display can be better. Lastly, there's no 360 view camera system or panoramic sunroof options that are available.
Overall, we are giving a brand new 2021 Honda Accord Touring a score of 98.