(Hybrid) Power to the People: The 2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Sport

So, you read my review (you did, didn't you?) of the 2023 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring and said "I'd like to have one of those---but $38,985 is out of my budget."

Well, good news for the price-conscious. The Honda Accord Hybrid Sport gets you all the goodness of an Accord Hybrid for $5,995 less.

It has the same 204-horsepower two-motor hybrid (the most powerful powerplant available in the new Accord), and delivers the same EPA-estimated 46 miles per gallon city/41 highway/44 combined.

You'll notice no mention of transmission. That's because Honda's current-generation two-motor hybrid -electric system doesn't use one. It's direct-drive. Explanation here: https://hondanews.com/en-US/releases/release-1503019bd8a757ea08267d7944378955-honda-two-motor-hybrid-electric-system

In Honda-speak, "Sport" doesn't mean "sporty" (though the blackout trim is meant to suggest something along those lines) so much as "less-luxe". The nearly six-thousand dollar price difference is about what the Sport doesn't have that the Touring does.

That means no leather-trimmed seats (though the steering wheel is still leather-wrapped), no Bose Premium Audio system (though the Sport audio system is a very good eight-speaker setup, using the same 12.3-inch touchscreen found in the Touring), non-illuminated USB ports (the horror!), no heated or cooled front seats, no heated rear seats, no four-way power seat for the passenger (but the driver gets the same 10-way unit found in the Touring), and no rain-sensing wipers.

What you do get is the same comprehensive suite of active safety features, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, push-button start, dual-zone automatic climate control with air filtration system, illuminated visor vanity mirrors, a power moonroof and 19-inch wheels---just like on the Touring.

And, just like on the Touring, it's a one-price deal---no extra cost options. So the starting price and the bottom line on the window sticker are the same number---$32,990 including destination.

Far from being a penalty box, the Honda Accord Hybrid Sport is a very well-equipped family sedan at a remarkably low price for its class.