Honda Accord PHEV: 115 MPGe for $39,780

The 2013 Accord has 16cu.ft. of luggage volume. The PHV appears to lose the area under the back seat shelf. So it might lose half the trunk volume. Not enough for a family or 4 road trip, but far from complete loss of the trunk.

 

If no fold down or at least a pass-thru, it is almost a fail.

 

It sounds like you need a hatchback, suv, or minivan. I'm sure you wouldn't even look at a sedan. There are some that have completely different needs though.

The problem for the accord phev though is more about other things than the trunk. The prius phv and c-max energi are both about $6K lower before tax breaks, the volt $4K less. If you want a japanes phev, that prius looks hard to ignore versus the accord. Its only 2-3 miles less AER, and gets better mileage after the CD range is gone. If you are OK buying american and want more upscale appointments and more range the volt with 38 aer and c-max with 21 aer looks quite good comparatively. You have to really want a sedan PHEV to choose the accord. Still some will pick it, just not as many as these other 3.

We need to wait to see what is included with both the fusion and accord, but those numbers look like they favor the fusion. I don't expect either to sell well. Fusion energi pricing looks to be a reason for ford dealers to sell fusion hybrids and c-max energis. I expect those coming in really wanting a plug-in at the ford dealer to look at the smaller trunk and price and get switched to the c-max. That should mean that more accord phevs get sold instead of fusion energis but its more about marketing than the better car.

The Prius phvs loss in cargo mainly was through loss of spare tire and under floor storage. Not too bad of a compromise especially with the current discounts.

Its not normal, but gen III got rid of some of the wierdness that press didn't like. I expect the gen IV to get more unique and diverge. There seems to be analysis that the weirdness is responsible for higher sales. The normal hybrids from toyota that sell well are the camry and RX450, so toyota is covering all bases well.

btw: I'm using wierd in a good way. The buy local, not in big box stores and national restaurants here is "keep austin weird".

It still has the weirdness of the gen III, and that may be helping it. It probably should diverge more to sell better. The accord phv is kind of a shoehorn into the car of the system. The wierdness in change of look isn't a good one to me, but the toyota prius story seems to say the phev should look different than the pure ICE car.

 

For those that don't think they can get much in the accord phev. They just don't know how to pack them

 

And there's still more room on the roof.

 

Well yea - but what do you expect? How many states do they sell 'em in. One? ok there may be other states, but not many.

As for the new PiHA (new acronym?) What may be the biggest hurdle that Honda's plug-in will have to over come is Honda's own history. The hybrid Accord was a big let down, then the Gen II Insight was a big let down ... then the Civic traction packs let their loyal owners down in many instances - bringing about a class action suit due to the diminished mileage. Honda really seemed to loose their touch after creating the Gen I insight - which Honda chose to only sell in a handful of states - and yet then Honda claimed they dropped the Gen I due to low sales.
Their plug in will really have to hit a home run considering their last batch of FUBAR's

 

My old camry hybrid may have had a smaller trunk but it still came with the same size gas tank and a spare tire.

 

The Toyota Camry goes from a 15 cu.ft. to 13 in it's hybrid.
The Honda Accord goes from 16 cu. ft. to ? in it's hybrid.

The accord starts with a larger trunk but also most likely has a larger battery so........ 13 also?

 

More before its time it can be argued. It was the first power hybrid. Honda put it out to show that show a hybrid only had to small and underpowered, in appearance that is. According to its Wiki article, the V6 was more powerful than the one in the straight ICE model.

It ended up demostrating the problems in selling a power hybrid. The customers interested in power aren't willing to pay for fuel economy improvements, even if it also comes with a performance increase. At least among the everyman brands. Toyota's first power hybrid was the RX. If it hadn't been hybridized there wouldn't be a HiHy. Honda might of had more luck putting the drivetrain in an Acura at the time.

​

 

The Camry doesn't have a plug. So a much smaller battery. I think 8cu.ft. is the worse case. It depends how much of the 16 is the space right behind the seats and under the rear shelf.

 

As a Honda owner who has lived with no fold down for 5+ years, you can survive without a fold down. Typical 2 car family, only one needs to be able to carry bigger things.

But - I want to buy one new car that improves gas use as much as possible. If I wanted the small car for the family, I would just buy the Volt. We can't take a road trip in the Accord PHEV - so there isn't much point.

Besides, my HCH-II issues meant the Accord would have to be a standout and the trunk seals the deal. Since the plug in was coming first, I had hope it was actually designed well in regards to trunk space and battery.

Why can't anyone focus on highway mileage with a small battery for intown? Is 50+ so hard to achieve? Amazing how few cars will actually beat my 2007 HCH-II on the road - I'm not quite sure the GenIII does but at least the EPA says it does...

Outside of the Gen III - is there any other car that will? And I think we all know the C-max won't.

 

FWIW, ConsumerReports.org - Most fuel-efficient cars should be the result for your gen of HCH and the Gen 2 Prius on CR's tests. The most fuel-efficient cars | Consumer Reports shows results for the current gen.

Their test procedure (and the old EPA test) is described on the last page of http://www.consumersunion.org/Oct_CR_Fuel_Economy.pdf.

Top 20 - MPG Record Holders | PriusChat some hypermiler stats. http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43315&page=5 has some stats. Wayne participated in Hybrid drivers complete run for mileage mark in a Gen 2 Prius. That record's been broken.

There also have been records like 1000 mile tank highway challenge by Japanese hybrid drivers | PriusChat.

 

Point in buying all hybrids is fuel savings not cargo capacity. At best, even the Camry and Fusion hybrids are four passenger cars. You can squeeze in a fifth but it is an uncomfortable squeeze.

The Ford Fusion PHEV, the Camry PHEV will be similar to the Honda Accord PHEV. Mileage will be the number one factor, looks second, tech third, passenger comfort fourth, cargo distant fifth.

Can't really take the family on a road trip in Prius III. At best, daily ski gear for three is the max that fits. Daily ski trip with four requires a Thule roof rack to handle skis and some gear and four would be the max due to seating and cargo limits.

Taking four on more than a daily ski trip would not really be possible in Prius III.

It becomes a cost/usage decision. Do you take enough road trips that doing a ZipCar or rental for special occasions is so costly it justifies going to a larger car with lower mileage? If so, likely none of the current PHEV's will work for you.

 

As far as your argument about cargo space, it was one of my main considerations. I am a golfer and I wanted a vehicle that could could easily hold a set of clubs (preferably sideways) and my push cart in the cargo area. Also, I had to consider mileage, as my daily commute is 70 miles RT. I was shocked how much stuff we packed in there.

We took a trip this summer from Long Island to Maine. My car was able to hold luggage for three people, including my golf clubs. I was still able to average in the low to mid 50s in mpg. I'm sure I'm not alone in considering cargo space as one of the main factors in choosing a car.

 

Your argument about cargo space. I don't worry about it too much, mileage, tech, looks, people then cargo.

Cargo space and hybrids are necessarily mutually exclusive. Fusion and Camry PHEV's will likely have same cargo space as the Honda Accord PHEV so not for you and your golf clubs. Skis are a bit easier with a easy strap on trunk rack so I can live with it.

EV mileage and hybrid mileage are the keys.

 

I say the more hybrid cars the better. I think it is a good looking car and although it maybe a smaller trunk I find "you use what you got".

 

That's amazing as our 70 quart camping cooler takes up 12 cubic feet. Getting tent, sleeping bags, clothing in remaining 10 cubic ft of Prius III cargo. Most I can get one sleeping bag to compress to is about 3 cubic feet and then clothing.

Boot bag runs about 6 cubic feet, so four people is 24 cubic feet and that's leaving the back seat up so skis have to go outside. Ski clothes, it's filled up up.

You can just do three people with skis inside.

The sedans like Fusion and Camry (Camry hybrid back seat doesn't go down) can't do it all so no reasonable person would be making "cargo" a major factor in looking at sedan PHEV.

 

Mazda 6 diesel seems to be what you want...