The 2016 Honda Accord Sedan has been given a host of changes this year to keep it up-to-date with current trends in vehicle communications and safety technology, styling, performance and fuel economy advancements. Notable changes include front and rear styling revisions, structural improvements to the body and platform, a new lightweight aluminum hood, steering and braking upgrades, new safety and infotainment upgrades, revised interior trim and fabrics, new split folding rear seatbacks, and larger 19-inch tires and alloy wheels on top models.
2016 Accord Sedans continued to be offered in LX, Sport, EX-L and Touring trim levels ranging in price from $24,150 to $35,790. 2016 MSRPs have risen between $100 and $800 depending on the trim level while the Freight/PDI charge remains steady at $1,695.
Powertrains haven’t changed for 2016: a 185 hp 2.4L four cylinder is offered in the LX, Sport, EX-L and Touring trims while a 278 hp 3.5L V6 is available in the EX-L and Touring trim levels. As before, four-cylinder Accords are available with a standard six-speed manual transmission or optional continuously variable (automatic) transmission but V6-powered Accord Sedans come only with a regular six-speed automatic transmission. (The Accord Coupe V6 is also available with a manual transmission).
The Accord sedan is also available as a hybrid: here is our review of the 2015 model.
The 2016 Accord Sedan’s revised styling is a little bolder and flashier than last year but the car’s basic proportions and dimensions haven’t changed. Look closely and you’ll see more chrome in the grille, new LED daytime running lights, protruding lower lip, and a new hood design. At the rear are new LED tail lights and a revised bumper with a new chrome strip. Truthfully, the changes just seem to complicate the simplicity of the original 2013 design.
All 2016 Accord sedans have new-style alloy wheels: the EX has larger 18-inch wheels while the Sport and Touring trims come with larger 19-inch tires and wheels. Oh, and there’s a new colour available on LX and Sport trims: ‘Lunar Silver Metallic’.
Inside are new seat fabrics and improved side bolsters on leather seats, a new gloss black interior trim on LX and Sport trims, carbon-fibre look trim in the Sport trim, and wood-grain finish in the EX-L and Touring trims. A 7-inch touchscreen and rearview camera with a choice of three views: normal, wide and top-down – are now standard on all Accord sedans. As before, the rearview camera image is displayed in the upper 7.7-inch screen. The addition of split folding rear seatbacks, replacing the single folding rear seatback, is a change that was long overdue.
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Also new for 2016 is the addition of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to the Accord’s infotainment system. By plugging into the system, drivers can operate their smartphones using the 7.0-inch touchscreen in the centre dash which permits swiping, pinching and tapping just like a smartphone or tablet. With Apple CarPlay, drivers can access radio stations, smartphone-linked navigation and apps such as Phone, Messages, Maps, Music and others using the touchscreen or by voice using Siri. Apple CarPlay is compatible with iOS 7.1, iOS 8.3 and later and iPhone 5 or later. Similarly, Android Auto can be used with features like Google Maps, messaging, music and numerous other apps. It’s compatible with Android OS 5.0 (Lollipop) and higher. The downside to these in-car smartphone functions is the cost of the data downloads, depending on your phone plan.
