2025 Honda Accord Hybrod Sport L - How do they do it?

 

I have two things to say about the 2025 Honda Accord Hybrid Sport L- Still Night Pearl (the most gorgeous blue color), and 50 mpg! End of review.

Just kidding. But as far as I am concerned, those are the two most important features of this 2025 Honda Accord Hybrid Sport L. If you love the color blue as much as I do, and this is one of the most delicious hues I have ever laid eyes on, you are now drooling over this Accord.

Then turn your attention to the MPG info shown on the instrument cluster.

Feast your eyes on the picture above. I drove 511.3 miles and averaged - AVERAGED - 50.3 mpg. In theory these were 95% highway miles because I was on highways. But if you travel in the San Francisco Bay Area you know highway miles can be fast, slow, crawling, or stop and go. US EPA rates the 2025 Honda Accord Hybrid Sport L at 46 mpg city, 41 mpg highway, and 44 mpg combined. Those are darn good figures but when I compare my average to the EPA's combined I am gobsmacked (and that's not a word I use very often). In the words of Mel B on America's Got Talent, "How do they do that?"

A hybrid Accord's gas tank holds 12.8 gallons of gas. Using the EPA's figures, and figuring on putting ten gallons in to fill up, you can go around 450 miles between tanking up. My wife and I might put 450 miles a month on our car. Twelve fill ups per year. Sounds good to me.

Honda has always been known as an engineering company that builds vehicles. I worked for Honda (in Canada) for a few short, sweet years. The Japanese engineers I met took pride in doing things differently, and better, than the competition. 

But looking at the specs of the 2025 Honda Accord Hybrid Sport L, I don't see anything out of the ordinary. The hybrid uses a 2-liter, 4-cylinder, DOHC, Dual VTC engine. Yes it has a higher than normal compression ratio (13.9:1). I think the devil must be in the details, maybe the powertrain's computer programming. Add in the electric motor and there is a total of 204 hp available. 

On some hybrids you are acutely aware of the switch from electric power to gas, or a combination. I really didn't feel it with the Accord. I just drove like normal.

Not that long ago I reviewed a 2025 Honda Civic Hatchback Hybrid. I was mighily impressed with the fuel economy (just about the same as this Accord), and the roominess. The Accord, at 195.7" in length, is 16.7" longer than the Civic, 2.4" wider, and maybe 150 lbs. heavier. Not a lot of difference.

Photo courtesy Honda.

Kudos to Honda for their simple, easy to read, instrument cluster. This should be a template for many others. 

Photo courtesy Honda.

The rest of the dash was well laid out, and what I needed to access while driving was right there and fairly intuitive. 

How did it drive? I think I can honestly say this was one of the best riding and handling Hondas I've driven since the Civic Hatchback. It felt as if it was a unit, not a bunch of parts. As you can see, I put a lot of miles on the Accord - my butt didn't get tired, my arms were fine. 

Okay, the 2025 Honda Accord Hybrid Sport L is not a rocket ship, but it is far from slow. Zero-to-60 is around 6.7 seconds. 

Going back to the color, I mean come on, it is gorgeous. Even though I'd prefer a Civic Hatchback, I'd opt for the Accord simply to get this color. 

Now we get to price. So far I have avoided talking about tariffs. I know it's a loaded topic. Better minds than mine can debate the pros and cons, I'm just concerned with how much something will cost me (or you). At this date (7/1/2025), according to https://automobiles.honda.com/ , a 2025 Honda Accord Hybrid Sport L starts at $35,375. A base Accord Hybrid starts at $33,655. The spectacular Still Night Pearl paint adds $455. Taxes, licenses, and destination charges will push that over $40,000 probably. Your guess is as good as mine about how much the tariff will add; Accords are built in Ohio but maybe some parts are imported. So maybe there won't be a tariff, or maybe it will only be on whatever parts are imported, or maybe Honda will eat it. I have no idea.

Whatever, the 2025 Honda Accord Hybrid Sport L is one hell of a sedan. Check it out.