2011 Honda Accord makes a great choice in the class of Affordable Midsize Cars, the class has changed drastically due to rivals becoming better and better. Before buying a 2011 Honda Accord, be sure to test drive some of its higher-ranked competitors to see how they compare. The Ford Fusion, for instance, was Motor Trend’s 2010 Car of the Year. Additionally, the Fusion features top-notch interior trims and Ford’s highly-acclaimed SYNC infotainment system. Although the Accord boasts competent systems it cannot compete with SYNC’s high-tech options.
It offers loads of space, convenience features and style, while still being cheaper than the Honda Accord. Be sure to check for the best deals for this month and current Honda Deals that may be available on a 2011 Honda Accord.
Honda Accord: The Details
The Honda Accord was updated in 2010. The easiest-to-spot changes are found on the 2011 Honda Accord’s exterior. Additionally, the 2011 Honda Accord can be had in a new leather-equipped Special Edition (SE) trim. Car and Driver points out, “This is clearly Honda's Hyundai Sonata fighter, albeit with 21 fewer ponies."
For 2011, the Honda Accord receives the first significant updates for its current-generation platform. "What midsize sedan should I buy?" The answer to this question has long been "Honda Accord." With impressive new competitors, the 2011 Honda Accord now has more serious rivals to compete against.
There is one bright spot for 2011, because the Accord's engines choices are now more frugal. Thanks to aerodynamic tweaks, engine friction reductions and revised transmission gearing, the four-cylinder Accord now has an EPA rating of 23 city/34 highway, a rise of about 2 mpg that takes the Accord to the top of the fuel economy chart for family sedans. Unfortunately, the Accord's interior hasn't changed much for 2011. The Accord also comes in a sporty coupe body style, something that few other automakers offer in their midsize models. So we still recommend the Accord.
Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options
The 2011 Honda Accord is available as a midsize sedan and coupe. The sedan comes in LX, LX-P, SE, EX and EX-L trim levels, while the coupe comes in LX-S, EX and EX-L trims.
The LX-P trim adds 16-inch alloy wheels and an eight-way power driver seat. The SE adds leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, power-adjustable driver lumbar and heated front seats. The EX-L adds automatic headlights, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, Bluetooth, a seven-speaker upgraded sound system, satellite radio and the option of a navigation system with voice control and a rearview camera. A V6-equipped EX-L also gains driver seat memory settings and a four-way power passenger seat.
The coupe's LX-S trim is equipped similarly to the LX sedan, but gets 17-inch wheels and a six-disc CD changer. The EX coupe does not include the power-adjustable driver lumbar, but does get the EX-L sedan's upgraded stereo without satellite radio.
Powertrains and Performance
The 2011 Honda Accord LX trims and SE are powered by a 2.4-liter inline-4 engine that produces 177 horsepower and 161 pound-feet of torque. With the automatic, EPA-estimated fuel economy for both LX and EX versions is 23 mpg city/34 mpg highway and 27 mpg combined. The Accord EX and EX-L can be equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 good for 271 hp and 254 lb-ft of torque (251 with the manual-equipped coupe). The coupe can also be equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox.
Safety
Every 2011 Honda Accord comes with antilock disc brakes, stability and traction control, front side airbags and side curtain airbags. In Edmunds brake testing, the various Accords we've tested over the years have stopped from 60 mph in about 130 feet -- on the long side for this class of car.
In the government's new, more strenuous crash testing for 2011, the Accord earned top five-star ratings all around for overall performance, front-impact protection and side-impact protection.
The Honda Accord satisfies the principal needs for family-car shoppers, but Honda's dropped the ball in a few areas, and competitors are more than catching up.
The second-best-selling sedan in America, the Accord is still worth your consideration, particularly given the 2011 model's improved gas mileage. I drove a four-cylinder Accord SE sedan. The SE trim level is new, slotting between the lower-end LX and LX-P and the higher-end EX and EX-L. There's also an Accord coupe and an Accord Crosstour wagon; the Crosstour is covered separately on Cars.com. It's also the only Accord to offer factory 18s, which go on V-6 EX-L models.
The Accord's four-cylinder makes 177 horsepower in LX, LX-P and SE models. It's tuned for 190 hp in EX and EX-L sedans, and in all four-cylinder Accord coupes. At least Honda's drivetrain is efficient: With a fuel-saving cylinder deactivation system, the V-6 Accord sedan gets an EPA-estimated 24 mpg in combined city/highway gas mileage. That's up 1 mpg over last year's V-6 Accord, and it's better than most six-cylinder family cars. The four-cylinder Accord gets a combined 27 mpg. That's up 2 mpg over last year's four-cylinder, and it ties the Optima and Altima for best fuel efficiency among four-cylinder family cars.
All V-6 Accord sedans get an automatic. Quiet and comfy, the Accord is not.
Conversely, the Accord has always been one of the more engaging family cars to drive. At highway speeds, the steering wheel's hefty weight is impressive.
Four-wheel-disc antilock brakes are standard. The prior-generation Accord had near-Volkswagen levels of cabin quality. A navigation system is optional on EX-L models. My test car didn't have it, so I had to make do with the Accord's standard auxiliary MP3 jack.
