- Joined
- Apr 13, 2013
- Messages
- 3,221
I got a loaner 2018 Accord Sport for the day while my Pilot was at the dealer getting its LCA bushings replaced (service bulletin).
Coming from other Honda products, I felt right at home with this car. Despite the tech-intensive interior, I quickly became acclimated with everything. The digital instrument cluster was nice and clear; climate control and entertainment display were intuitive. Getting a comfortable seating position was easy. The seats were on the firmer side, and I found the bottom of my thighs getting sore after some time. The firm steering reminded me of older Hondas. Ride quality with the 19'' rims was excellent, even over bumpy roads. I love how Honda suspensions tend to firm up and soften up as needed. Brakes were solid, with a firm pedal feel and little travel. I was very impressed with the powertrain. The 1.5T is no slouch. It rapidly gets up to speed on the highway and it's easy to cross 80+ if you're not paying attention! The CVT didn't buzz or drone and is well-paired to this engine. Mash on the gas and the engine + CVT respond immediately w/o sounding strained.
I did notice a few oddities, but then again, this is a loaner that's likely abused by people:
- Excessive wind rush noise on the passenger B-pillar with the windows down.
- Occasional clunk when letting of the brakes.
- Idle appeared to dip low when no accessories were on, causing the armrest to noticeably shake. IDK if this is due to the aggressive fuel/electrical load mapping on these newer engines. When I turned on the A/C, the idle speed bumped up and smoothed out again.
Coming from other Honda products, I felt right at home with this car. Despite the tech-intensive interior, I quickly became acclimated with everything. The digital instrument cluster was nice and clear; climate control and entertainment display were intuitive. Getting a comfortable seating position was easy. The seats were on the firmer side, and I found the bottom of my thighs getting sore after some time. The firm steering reminded me of older Hondas. Ride quality with the 19'' rims was excellent, even over bumpy roads. I love how Honda suspensions tend to firm up and soften up as needed. Brakes were solid, with a firm pedal feel and little travel. I was very impressed with the powertrain. The 1.5T is no slouch. It rapidly gets up to speed on the highway and it's easy to cross 80+ if you're not paying attention! The CVT didn't buzz or drone and is well-paired to this engine. Mash on the gas and the engine + CVT respond immediately w/o sounding strained.
I did notice a few oddities, but then again, this is a loaner that's likely abused by people:
- Excessive wind rush noise on the passenger B-pillar with the windows down.
- Occasional clunk when letting of the brakes.
- Idle appeared to dip low when no accessories were on, causing the armrest to noticeably shake. IDK if this is due to the aggressive fuel/electrical load mapping on these newer engines. When I turned on the A/C, the idle speed bumped up and smoothed out again.