So I'm stopping at my Honda dealership to pick-up a 3.57$ hatch bump stop I had ordered for the Ody, and I see a shiny Accord Hybrid in front of the showroom. And it's black. I like me Accords black. Following the Costco principle (if it's there, grab it), I took her out for a spin.
It was a very - green - car, with only 28km on the odo. The trip computer display read 6.7 l/100km. My urban drive netted a 6.5, but I have no idea what mode was selected (normal, I would guess), and I was not out to break a record. The thing is so quiet and smooth that I had to pay attention - 20 km/h over posted if not. The Accord feels more tidy than, say, a Mazda6 and you can actually see out of it (cough-cough, Optima). Drove part of my commute with it, and on the part where I access the highway from a dead stop the Accord proved pretty brisk. The engine ran up its revs, briefly, but Honda's drivetrain approach removed all CVT "rubber-band" feeling. Revs up, revs downs, no whining, 100km /h came up much earlier than expected (the hybrid is quicker than the regular CVT car according to C&D).
Not as much drivetrain info as in the C-Max tester I had for a week, but I did not play with all the screen modes in my brief drive. The engine does shut off a lot, and combined with the stop/start, I bet fuel numbers in the 5's (as posted) are possible (I had the C-Max at 4.5 in urban).
The trunk is ... trunked by the battery, but at least one full-size suitcase fits and for my use as a 2nd car, the smaller trunk works.
This car would make a terrific high-tech and comfortable commuter, but hybrid Accords are pretty rare and apparently have to be ordered ahead (I was told 2-3 months). Well, should I lean that way, at least I managed to squeak in a test drive while one was available! The tester's sale was apparently pending, and the dealership has a non-Touring hybrid on order. They don't even know what colour they're getting - they were just happy to get one!
