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What is the best car for a modern Australian family?
The question is better to answer today than it has been, partly because of the stampede of SUVs over 20-odd years and more recent gentrification of dual-cab 4×4 utes (both of which have also left the waters of what defines a family car is in first place).
Needless to say, with the amount of choice currently available, we’ve never had it better.
But, having spent the past few months behind the wheel of the 10th-generation Honda Accord as part of our long-term evaluation fleet, we’ve been reminded of what’s great about the past when traditional sedans were the only option.
There is no pretence about the Accord, however. I don’t mean it’s trying to give you a sense of adventure with the ability to cross the country on that path less traveled.
And, consequently, its character isn’t compromised by pretending to offer more than it can.
That’s a conservative option that won’t win you medals in the race to keep track of the Joneses, sure. During our time with the Accord, we found that there is much to like about it.
How much does the Honda Accord e:HEV RS cost?
Honda in Australia has only one variant of the Accord, the $6,900 drive-away eHEV RS that we’ve had for the past couple of months.
| Model | Drive-away pricing |
| — | — |
| 2026 Honda Accord e:HEV RS | $64,900 |
In comparison to its most direct rival, the Toyota Camry which is available across a much wider range of model variants with prices starting at $39,990 plus on-roads for the entry-level Ascent and topping out at $53,990 plus on-roads for the flagship SL, it was difficult at first to find the extra value in the Accord’s $10k price premium.
Nevertheless, while it would be interesting to compare the Accord with the flagship Camry in a head-to-head analysis, our experience behind the wheel has revealed more about the Honda that helps justify its price and quasi-premium position.
To see how the Honda Accord lines up against the competition, check out our
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What is the Honda Accord e:HEV RS like on the inside?
One key element of that is just how comfortable and easy it is to live with.
It is not too exciting in its design and could be splashed with a more colour, but the basics are bang-on space, comfort and vision.’ Sure (the mostly black interior)
They are supportive and plush front seats that provide an excellent adjustment for myriad drivers, while the steering wheel falls nicely to hand with simple cruise control controls and audio functions on each of the horizontal spokes.
The back has acres of room to allow two adults to travel comfortably in, and rear vents, USB outlets (and a fold-down centre armrest) and built-in sun blinds are all part of the back for .
And the full-length panoramic sunroof bathes the cabin in light, making it feel even more spacious.
The only thing that was a little difficult though it was the fact that even with the sunroof blind closed – is that when you park in the sunlight, there’s much heat from the black leather trim and so did the cabin unbearably hot to enter on bluster summer day. It also makes the lack of ventilated (or even heated) seats an obvious absence for a car of this price, and position.
The air-conditioning, thankfully, works as a cure for the cabin’s cooling relatively quickly. It works just as well when running on battery power alone, like it does when the petrol engine is ticking over, unlike many other hybrids. For example, we love the flat-plane toggles to adjust the air flow too; they provide a clear reference for which direction is chosen.
For other purposes, the cupholders in the centre console are a treat to secure’very big containers’ from large water bottles to small coffee cups; The tray at base of the center has – for instance — i.e., he is always wireless phone charger; there are plenty of door bins on both front and back
Similarly, the 10 as for digital conveniences. A 2-inch instrument cluster of 4-in instruments is lucid and easy to read in its most traditional theme with twin dials for road speed and energy use (percentage terms on either side) plus a multi-function section in the centre that can switch between trip, audio and safety system information. A bar graph theme that pushes the speed and energy readouts to the outer extremities can also be selected for drivers, as well as a driver’s choice.
The use of Google Maps for directions is particularly useful as you can display the map and selected route in front of you, not only puts key navigation information in better line of sight but also means that the central touchscreen may be used for a different purpose (e.g. audio or other applications through the Google Built-in suite).
The head-up display is also crystal clear and reflects the right information in front of the driver, and as such there’s wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring.
For boot capacity, we tested the Accord’s generous 570-litres of storage space with weekly grocery runs and a long weekend getaway as well as its lavish 550 litre (650 liter) storage room for weekday groceries. More than handling any family activity, it is more than a broad-ranging aperture and relatively low loading height.
| Dimensions | Honda Accord e:HEV RS |
| — | — |
| Length | 4975mm |
| Width | 1862mm |
| Height | 1449mm |
| Wheelbase | 2830mm |
| Cargo capacity | 570L |
To see how the Honda Accord lines up against the competition, check out our
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What’s under the bonnet?
The Accord uses a 2-year . The front wheel wheels are driven by the continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) which is a natural aspirated four-cylinder petrol engine and two electric motors sandwiched between 0-litre naturally aspended four engines. Together they produce 135kW of power and 335Nm of torque which, in fact – to be honest – doesn’t sound all that exciting and seems at odds with the sporting intentions it has put on its RS badge.
| Specifications | Honda Accord e:HEV RS |
| — | — |
| Engine | 2.0L 4cyl hybrid |
| System outputs | 135kW 335Nm |
| Battery | 1.06kWh |
| Transmission | e-CVT |
| Drive type | Front-wheel drive |
| Weight | 1609kg |
| Fuel economy (claimed) | 4.3L/100km |
| Fuel economy (as tested) | 4.5L/100km |
| Fuel tank capacity | 48L |
| Fuel requirement | 91-octane regular unleaded |
| CO2 emissions | 98g/km |
However, in reality this is a remarkably flexible and refined powertrain that feels more muscular than its outputs might indicate.
It is more often used in the battery around town for help than you would think, as it has only about 1kWh of power and instant response with a generous dose of acceleration away from stifling at. It will keep electric-only drive right up to cruising speeds, even if you use the throttle pedal sparingly. And even if you ask for more, then the petrol engine will also be flying in life effortlessly and giving an acceleration of spritely.
A generator is a smarter engine management system that employs the second smaller electric motor in the gearbox, so there is always enough energy on tap. This is also a small capacity, meaning it can be replenished quickly ( both under power and when decelerating).
Honda says the Accord is 4 average fuel consumption per . We almost match 3L/100km, which we nearly matched with a final figure of 4L/4″. More than 2000km of mixed driving in a mix, 5L/100km after more than 2L (in the case of ) and 50L(i.e.
To see how the Honda Accord lines up against the competition, check out our
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How does the Honda Accord e:HEV RS drive?
Across that distance we tested the Accord as one of our everyday family cars – everything from running errands to weekly grocery trip to general around-town commuting and a couple of long-distance getaways over the holiday period.
In every scenario, it continued to impress with its superb dynamic character that highlights Honda’s engineering prowess.
All the gubbins under the bonnet may seem very complicated, but it is remarkablely easy to drive for the meaning of the “Accord” (along with its ease) in an extremely simple way. There is no complicated start procedure for its launch, you don’t have to deal with the relation of petrol and electric motors to get the most out of its hybrid powertrain, the CVT transmission is smooth (and the brake feel more natural) than many other hybrids when regenerating power for the battery.
A light but positive steering that provides good on-centre stability, and a well balanced suspension with ‘comfortibility and composure’ is expertly calibrated for the balance of comfort and calm. It will show its front-drive configuration when pushed hard, yes but I think many Accord owners will back off well before it hits the top of its grip levels.
As long as that is, and even without any hardy multi-mode damper (stuffing with a soft) the Accord feels safe to be surefooted –soaking up all manner of road irregularities in an effortless way.
Then, it’s very nice for a car to drive over – either by bustiness or bombing along on an open road (or taking the road less travelled) distance.
Today and today, one element was a true exception to all else in this day and age; that’s the way its safety systems are so well tuned.
Today, in many new cars, functions like lane keeping support (as well as speed sign recognition and driver attention monitoring) can be so overzealous that they become annoying or worse; distracting is the thing you immediately want to de-activate them the moment you start driving. Is it a good thing for to have them in the first place, which is counterproductive?
But with the Accord, where we only saw when it was absolutely necessary to intervene, that’s the opposite. It should be a , which is exactly what it is meant to be.
To see how the Honda Accord lines up against the competition, check out our
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What do you get?
It is a good list of standard equipment, and as you’d expect the price to be, being only available in one premium specification.
2026 Honda Accord e:HEV RS equipment highlights:
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- LED headlights
- Keyless entry with push-button start
- Dual-zone climate control with rear vents
- Power windows
- Panoramic sunroof
- Synthetic leather seat trim
- Power-adjustable front seats
- LED ambient interior lighting
- 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster
- Head-up display
- 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen
- Bluetooth connectivity
- DAB+ digital radio
- Wireless smartphone mirroring for Apple and Android devices
- Google Built-in functions including Maps, Assistant and Play Store
- Over-the-air software updates
- 12-speaker Bose audio system with active noise cancelling
To see how the Honda Accord lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
Is the Honda Accord e:HEV RS safe?
It has been sold in Australia for a couple of years now and is yet to be tested by ANCAP, but the current Honda Accord was on sale.
That’s not the case with all of the new safety systems under the banner of Honda Sensing Technology, which would likely have a maximum five-star rating. They also include.
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Forward collision warning
- Lane keeping assistance
- Traffic jam assist
- Adaptive cruise control
- Speed sign recognition
- Driver attention monitoring
- Tyre pressure monitoring
- Adaptive high-beam headlights
- Front and rear parking sensors
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- 360-degree parking display
- Eight airbags
In addition to this, The Accord also has the new Honda Connect telematics system and smartphone app that (when connected) automatically calls a customer service representative in case of crashing, which will alert and provide emergency services with location of vehicle if the owner does not respond to phoning or asking for help.
We used the Honda Connect app more often than we expected to when evaluating for our long-term evaluation, but because of its convenience and not safety features (thankfully) It was godsend to activate the air-conditioning that cooled down the cabin before leaving the house, and pre-loading destination data for the sat-nav system relieved stress in the car.
To see how the Honda Accord lines up against the competition, check out our
comparison tool
How much does the Honda Accord e:HEV RS cost to run?
Honda’s five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty with free roadside assistance is a part of the Accord’. Eight years guarantee the battery pack and electric motors of for eight years.
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| Servicing and Warranty | Honda Accord e:HEV RS |
| — | — |
| Warranty | 5 years, unlimited kilometres |
| Roadside assistance | 5 years, unlimited kilometres |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 10,000km |
| Capped-price servicing | 5 years or 50,000km |
| Total capped-price service cost | $995 |
In addition, it is extremely affordable to maintain service intervals of 12 months or 10,000km (whichever comes first) and the first five workshop visits capped at just $199 each.
To see how the Honda Accord lines up against the competition, check out our
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childcareman.xyz’s Take on the Honda Accord e:HEV RS
The Honda Accord is an interesting prospect with the 2026 Honda, which has been paraphrased. A wide-angle lens, it looks like a white space between yesterday’s traditional family sedan and today’.
While it may seem like too many dollar signs at first, but eventually fade as the Accord shows itself to be an excellent machine that is superbly engineered, supremely comfortable, quiet and efficient to drive, spacious inside and reasonably well-equipped – although with a few notable exceptions given its price.
So far as the modern mid-size sedans go – how few of them are left is the “Accord” (a misunderstood and often overlooked contender) an underrated, but rarely considered to be. and a reminder that “it’s easy to have such.
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