I left Sugar (my faithful '03 Honda Accord) at home this summer and took a road trip with a friend to Southern Utah. Sugar and I had made all the big trips over the last few years, and I thought it was someone else's turn to drive. My friend had just traded his 1997 Honda Accord for a 2003 Nissan Maxima (traitor!!), and I was eager to try it out.
Admittedly, it was cushy: The leather seats. The miles of leg room. Very. Cushy.
But you know what else it was? A big ol', irresponsible gas hog.
On every other trip we'd taken south, we'd gas up my girl Sugar once on the way out of town and once on the way home. Splitting gas costs was a breeze.
On the other hand, Big Bertha (as I lovingly named her) drank like a fish. Every time we stopped for gas, my friend would mutter a few choice words and begrudgingly fill the tank. In fact, every 50 miles or so, he'd say, "Will you look at that? My Honda had so much better gas mileage! Stupid !*@$%#." It was a very colorful drive. (I think he might be having a little buyer's remorse.)
For as long as I we've been friends, the only trade he'd ever talked about was a hybrid. So when he finally sold his trusty Accord, the purchase of Big Bertha was a bit of a shock. In fact, when I asked about it, he got cranky... so I'm guessing he considered a hybrid before making a different purchase.
The Maxima he's driving now ballparks at about 21-28 mpg, depending on whether it's in town or on the open road. The Honda Accord Hybrid runs at a very attractive 45-50 mpg. And the new Honda Hybrids are plenty deluxe.
So let's take a quick look at just three of the Hybrid Accord's fantastic features:
- Honda LaneWatch: LaneWatch is an ingenious safety feature that comes standard on all Hybrid Accords. It's a tiny camera, mounted on the passenger-side mirror that automatically activates when you signal right. Its live video feed gives you four times more viewing power than using the mirror alone.
- Earth Dreams Technology Engine: According to Honda, the 2.0-liter, 16-valve, i-VTEC 4-cylinder engine and the electric motor are fed by a lithium-ion battery pack. They're all channeled through an electronic continuously variable transmission (E-CVT) for a combination of efficiency and performance like never before. Roughly translated: The new Hybrid Accord drives more like the Accord you already know and love than ever before!
- HondaLink: If you're like me, your car is more than just a driving machine. It's your home-away-from-home and you need to be connected. HondaLink is an application-based platform that connects you to your music, podcasts, and vehicle services, news and more! This is serious (and safe!) connectivity.
Are you hooked yet? If you need to explore the Hybrid a little more, click HERE for the full tour. And when you're ready, pop on over to Ken Garff Honda of Orem to take a little test drive. Any of our friendly staff will help you choose the right car for you.
