2015 Honda Accord Hybrid/Plug-in Hybrid Quick Spin Review

The 2015 Honda Accord Hybrid/Plug-in Hybrid provide a notable advantage for a brand that already offers plenty.

In this case, we’re talking about the top fuel economy grades in a very important segment, as the Accord Hybrid provides the highest fuel-economy grades of any unplugged mainstream mid-size sedan. And they can be combined with a significant electrically assisted driving range in the plug-in model, as well as hallmark Honda quality—and a robust level of standard content—throughout the range.

(Just note that, as of this writing, dealers are still offering the 2014 Honda Accord Plug-in.)

The Accord hybrids share most of their design cues with their traditionally powered sedan siblings, albeit with specific touches like the blue-accented grilles and similarly tinted chrome bezels for their exterior lighting; speaking of which, LED daytime running lights are standard for the hybrid Accord sedans, while the upper trims provide LED headlamps and taillights. Also standard is an aero-enhancing rear decklid spoiler that complement’s a muscular exterior shape and deeply sculpted front fascia.

The well-engineered cabin relies on a technical design theme, with the center stack separated into distinct zones for the Accord’s intuitive switchgear and screens, and again, there are hybrid-specific highlights like a gauge-cluster display for battery usage and regeneration levels (both in real time), along with overall battery-charge level and more typical vehicle info.

With an EPA line of 50 mpg highway/45 mpg city/47 mpg combined, the 2015 Honda Accord Hybrid owns a 6 mpg advantage over its Toyota rival in terms of combined driving, and that’s thanks primarily to Honda’s innovative two-motor hybrid setup. It blends a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder gas engine that was tuned just for hybrid performance; a 124-kW AC electric motor that delivers 226 lb.-ft. of torque for instant acceleration; and another, smaller electric motor that acts as a secondary generator. The result is a mix of all-electric, hybrid and traditional power that supplies a total of 196 hp and optimizes efficiency to match a variety of different driving scenarios.

The Accord Plug-in leverages the same technology—but a more powerful battery pack—to extend its electric driving range to 13 miles; after which, its hybrid powertrain can take over for up to nearly 560 more miles of travel.

The 2015 Honda Accord Hybrid earned a 5-star overall safety score from NHTSA, and although the hybrid model wasn’t tested separately by the IIHS, the standard Accord is a Top Safety Pick of that latter group.

Further, the Accord Hybrid showcases SmartVent front side airbags, a rearview camera and the Honda LaneWatch blind-spot system as standard equipment, with forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control and lane-departure warning all available among the upper-range models.

Backed by a premium powertrain and up-level amenities, the 2015 Honda Accord Hybrid has an MSRP of $29,305, while the EX-L model starts at $35,055 and the top-of-the-line Touring model opens from $35,055. Of course, that price of admission also covers such lux features as a satellite-linked Nav system with voice recognition and 8-inch high-res screen, a 360-watt audio system (with subwoofer), a leather cabin boasting heated front seats and a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with two memory settings, and Bluetooth for hands-free calling and audio streaming.