2019 Honda Accord Hybrid - 10,000 Mile Followup

A few days ago, I unceremoniously rolled over 10,000 miles on my 2019 Honda Accord. The mileage went faster than I’d hoped as I am on pace for a couple thousand more miles a year than I wish. But 8+ months into owning the car, it seems like a good opportunity to follow up on my initial review.

Overall, I am very happy with the car and have very few complaints. First, lets talk about mileage. At first I was unimpressed with the fuel mileage I saw. As the temperature improved, the gas mileage improved with it. January 2029 had an average mileage of 40.5 and each month improved before peaking in June with an average of 61.2 mpg. For a car rated 46 or 47 mpg, I’m blown away by 61.2. Through the 10,000 mile fill up, I’m seeing 51.4 mpg. These numbers will fall in the winter but I’ve seen the ranges and expect my average will indeed fall in the high 40s when the full year is up.

Most everything about the car has been positive. Handling and highway performance is good. Technology has been positive, largely driven by Apple CarPlay. Visibility is good, but not necessarily exceptional.

The negatives are relatively minor. The largest, and this is subjective and a bit contradictory, is the size. I knowingly opted for a larger vehicle and am glad with the decision. However, I often miss the smaller car which is easier to park. As I mention parking, I’d like video assistance with parking. When the Accord is in reverse, it shows a backup camera. There are times I’d like to trigger the camera while in drive so I can see my alignment in the space but there is no obvious way to do this. Finally, Honda should have put electric seat controls in the front passenger seat. Leaving it out felt like an odd compromise.

I’m also eagerly awaiting more intelligence in the cruise control system. It isn’t bad at all. I can set it at 25 mph and it will follow at speed when needed. However, it would be nice if there were a “traffic” setting where it never went on gas engine unless it had to and allows more flexibility with the spacing of the car ahead. The current system allows for 1-4 car lengths of space between me and the car ahead. When there’s more than that, it speeds up to catch up when in traffic, that is not likely the best option. Instead, let me coast at 20 as traffic will naturally cause me to fall within the set range. The cruise control system should also be a little more aggressive when someone is merging, as I often need to take control to avoid getting too close before the system picks it up as being in my lane. These are technology issues and not necessarily negatives of the car.

10,000 miles, I’m very pleased with the purchase. It has been reliable (it better be so far), efficient, and a good daily driver. I’d recommend it to anyone in the market for something similar.