By Peter Perrotta
These days just driving by your local gas station can be a scary proposition.
It just seems like the prices are changing every day and they aren’t going down. In fact, as they creep up near that $5 a gallon mark in New Jersey, it’s getting even scarier.
So, the timing couldn’t have been better when I recently jumped behind the wheel of the 2022 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring model for one week. Usually, when the price of gas goes up, interest in the hybrid and electric vehicles intensifies.
The logic is simple. If you are getting in the neighborhood of 20 something miles per gallon (mpg) on your all-gas car or SUV and you see vehicles like the Touring model Accord hybrid get 43 mpg overall, that’s a huge difference.
I’m not a math whiz or anything like that, but it seems like you can cut your gas bill in half by switching to a hybrid model like the Accord.
For the record, Honda is no neophyte when it comes to making hybrid vehicles. In fact, the Accord Hybrid was launched 15 years ago.
In fact, even before Honda started to make the Accord Hybrid, it had produced the Honda Insight two-seat hybrid starting in 1999. While the Accord hybrid is considered a mid-sized sedan, the first generation Insights were two-seat sub-compacts.
The theory behind the hybrid technology is simple. They power the vehicle with a combination of a combustible gas engine working in sync with an electric motor, hence they create a hybrid power system.
The car has a built in intelligent system that alternates using gas and electric power as it sees fit. It all works in a well coordinated seamless operation.
The 2022 Accord Hybrid is available in four different trim levels, LX, Sport, EX-L and the top-of-the-line Touring that I drove for one week.
The LX starts at a $28,815 base price and the Touring comes in at a $38,685 base price.
The Accord along with the Civic have been Honda’s bread and butter cars for decades. The Accord is consistently rated as Car and Driver’s 10 best vehicles each and every year.
So, there were no surprises when I found the 2022 Accord Hybrid to be a very solid performer during my week long test drive.
This Accord is roomy and comfortable, at 6-feet tall I didn’t feel cramped in it at all. The sight lines are clear and safe and the ride is comfortable and stable.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fuel consumption rating on the Touring Accord Hybrid comes in at 44 mpg in city driving, 43 on the highway and 41 mpg overall.
The Accord Hybrid model I tested was powered by a 2.0 liter, four cylinder engine combined with a lithium ion battery. Combined, the hybrid system puts out about 212 horsepower and goes 0 to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds.
Personally, I found this Accord Hybrid to be more than adequately powered to handle any and all different types of traffic situations. It’s not a speed burner by any means, but it gets the job done.
Overall, the Accord Hybrid has a very solid ride. It accelerates smoothly and it makes the transition from gas to electric seamless.
The exterior design of the Accord is in keeping with the same general design it has had for a few years now, with a few minor tweaks here and there.
The interior is a bit more upscale then in past years, but this isn’t a mid-sized luxury sedan. It does have a more utilitarian feel to it, but overall it gets the job done on many factors.
The folks over at Motor Trend give the 2022 Accord Hybrid high marks for its great fuel economy, sharp acceleration and roomy interior.
“We can’t hide out enthusiasm for the Accord,” Motor Trend wrote. “Thanks to its engaging handling, strong value and spacious interior, this Honda outperforms its mid-sized competitors.
“The Accord Hybrid captures the same magic as the standard model, while providing much better fuel efficiency. You can travel more than 600 miles on a tank of gas.”
According to the EPA, by owning the Accord Hybrid, you could potentially save $2,500 over five years when you compare it to the average new vehicle.
Moreover, the EPA also estimates that the annual average fuel cost for the 2022 Accord Hybrid comes in at a super low $800 a year as it uses only 2.3 gallons of gas per every 100 miles.
The 2022 Accord Hybrid Touring also got high marks on its government crash test ratings, earning five stars – the highest mark – for its overall vehicle score; five stars on frontal crash; five stars on side crash and five stars on the rollover test.
Overall, if you are looking to get into a mid-sized, hybrid sedan, the Accord Hybrid in any of its models is well worth checking out.
Peter Perrotta’s On The Road column appears every other week.
On The Road is sponsored by Capital Motor Cars of Springfield, N.J.