Not many people will have the chance to buy a 2014 Honda Accord
Plug-In when it goes on sale in California and New York next year, but
those that do will find a car that performs the way we were promised
gasoline-electric hybrids one day would.
Honda recently announced that pricing for the 2014 Accord Plug-In
will start at $37,980 (plus $750 destination), a premium for the segment
that includes the
Chevy Volt and
Toyota Prius plug-in. But the Accord is a leap forward for Honda, and in some ways, plug-in hybrids everywhere.
The 2014 Accord Plug-In is outfitted with the same features as the 2012 Accord Touring, the top-of-the-line
Honda
sedan, which means that an impressive array of comfort and safety
features come standard. The Accord Plug-In feels like a warm and
engaging luxury car that just happens to sometimes run on battery power,
immediately making it an attractive alternative to the competition.
Inside, the Accord Plug-In sports very comfortable ten-way adjustable
seats with adequate room for five. Technology is impressive but not
overwhelming, with a large touch-screen interface and seven-speaker
audio system tastefully worked into the interior. Soothing lights and
sounds welcome you when the car starts, and high-quality glossy
materials are pleasing to the eye.
Your experience from the outside may be a different story, however.
We’ve discussed the, shall we say, unorthodox appearance of the 2014
Honda Accord Plug-In
before.
In person, the gaping front grille is a little less ghastly, but is
still a design that only its mother could love. In an effort to
differentiate the plug-in from its Accord brothers, Honda probably went
too far with creative freedom.
But that’s not why people will buy the car, anyway. The 2014 Honda
Accord Plug-In will achieve an estimated 115 MPGe with an all-electric
range of 13 miles. The two-motor system is a first for Honda, and in a
short drive around downtown Los Angeles, it came off as a refined and
smooth powertrain befitting its price tag. Under electric power, the
Accord Plug-In will pull mightily when you want it, and then subtly
transitions into the gasoline engine as you gain speed. It’s a promising
system that Honda should attempt to work into more vehicles, especially
as the cost begins to
decrease a bit.
Also very impressive is the standard LaneWatch system that shows a
live video of your blind spot when attempting to switch lanes. Our own
James Flammang wrote an explanation and review of the technology last
week,
here, and it adds a welcome level of technology and safety to the 2014 Accord Plug-In.
If you can get past its price and design, and consider yourself an
early adopter of fuel-efficient technology, the 2014 Honda Accord
Plug-In is a promising newcomer that deserves your attention. Only if
you live in New York or California, though.