First introduced to American car buyers in 1976, the Honda Accord is the second-longest-running automotive nameplate in Honda’s history, after the Honda Civic. The Accord was the first automobile from a Japanese automaker to be manufactured in America and has been in continuous production at the company’s Marysville, Ohio, auto plant since November 1, 1982.
The 10th generation of the Honda Accord was introduced as the 2018 model year. All-new from the ground-up, the new Accord is built on a new platform with a lower, wider stance, a lighter and more rigid unibody structure; a lighter and more sophisticated chassis; three advanced new power units, including Accord’s first-ever turbocharged engines, a new 10-speed automatic transmission and a third-generation two-motor hybrid system.
Virtually everything on the Accord is new and substantially reengineered. In reimagining the Accord, designers shrunk the Accord’s footprint while expanding its interior space. The move to four-cylinder engines across the lineup was a key component of this approach, allowing a shorter engine bay while also reducing weight and improving dynamic performance.
The 2018 Accord takes an entirely new approach to performance by featuring three advanced new powerplants — two turbocharged four-cylinder engines and the third generation of Honda’s two-motor hybrid powertrain technology. A new Honda-developed 10-speed automatic transmission (10AT) is paired with the new 2.0-liter engine and a short-throw six-speed manual transmission is available for both turbocharged engines in Sport trim.
The new 1.5-liter, 16-valve DOHC direct-injected turbo with dual variable timing control (dual VTC) and VTEC produces a peak of 192 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 192 pound-feet of torque from 1,600 to 5,000 rpm, up from 185 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 181 pound-feet of torque at 3,900 rpm on the existing normally-aspirated 2.4-liter model. The new 1.5-liter turbo is mated to a Honda continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) or in Sport trim to a CVT or six-speed manual transmission.
The Accord can also be equipped with a new 2.0-liter 16-valve DOHC direct-injected turbo with VTEC valvetrain and dual VTC, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission or, in Sport trim, to the 10AT or an available six-speed manual. The new 2.0-liter turbo produces 252 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 273 pound-feet of torque from 1,500 to 4,000 rpm, compared to 278 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 252 pound-feet at 4,900 rpm for the 3.5-liter V6 that it replaces.
The new Accord Hybrid is powered by the third-generation of Honda’s two-motor hybrid technology featuring a 2.0-liter 16-valve DOHC Atkinson cycle engine with greater than 40 percent thermal efficiency. The Accord two-motor system operates without the need for a conventional automatic transmission. Additionally, a new, more compact intelligent power unit (IPU), containing the hybrid battery pack and its control systems, is now mounted under the rear floor instead of in the trunk, preserving both cargo space and the flexibility of a 60/40-split and folding rear seat, standard on all hybrid models and trims.
The new Accord has a longer wheelbase, a lower overall height and wider body, wider wheel tracks, a shortened overall length and a lower, sportier seating position. The 2018 Accord also boasts a larger, more premium and tech-savvy interior that compliments its body design.
The tech-savvy and easy-to-use 2018 Accord cabin also features an all-new HMI that includes a seven-inch digital driver’s meter and an available new eight-inch display audio touchscreen interface with physical volume and tuning knobs. More intuitive, smartphone-like features and functionality including customizable app tiles and homescreen shortcuts, along with available Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility and Wi-Fi-enables over-the-air system updates, further enhance the new Accord.
The Accord also offers the next-generation of HondaLink telematics with new capabilities including emergency roadside assistance, remote locking/unlocking and engine start, stolen vehicle tracking, remote diagnostics, geofencing, speed tracking and more. Touring trims also feature a new six-inch driver’s head-up display, wireless device charging, 4G LTE in-car Wi-Fi and fast, automatic Bluetooth phone pairing with near field communication technology.
For 2018, all Accords feature the full suite of Honda Sensing safety and driver-assistive technologies as standard equipment. Honda Sensing includes collision mitigation braking system, lane departure warning, road departure mitigation, adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow and traffic sign recognition. Additional available driver-assistive technologies include blind spot information, front and rear parking sensors, rear cross traffic monitor and driver awareness monitor. And, all models feature a multi-angle rearview camera with dynamic guidelines.
Standard advanced active and passive safety systems include vehicle stability assist with traction control, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake booster, tire pressure monitoring system, advanced front airbags, driver and front-passenger side airbags and new driver and front-passenger knee airbags.
The 2018 Accord with 1.5-liter turbocharged engine is available in six trims: LX, Sport, EX, EX-L, EX-L Navi and Touring. The 2018 Accord with the 2.0-liter VTEC turbo comes in four trims: Sport, EX-L, EX-L Navi and Touring. The new Accord Hybrid has five trims: Hybrid, EX, EX-L, EX-L Navi and Touring.
Servicing the 2018 Honda Accord
If the engine oil life is less than 15 percent, you will see the Maintenance Minder messages appear on the driver information interface every time the vehicle is turned on. The messages notify the driver when to change the oil.Maintenance items, which should be serviced at the same time that the oil is replaced, appear on the driver information interface. They can be viewed on the engine oil life screen at any time:
- Set the power mode to On.
- Press the (home) button.
- Roll the left selector wheel until (the wrench icon) is displayed.
- Press the left selector wheel to go to the Maintenance Minder screen. The engine oil life appears on the driver information interface along with maintenance items due soon.
When a driver is at the Maintenance Minder screen, it displays codes for maintenance items due at the next engine oil change, along with the percentage of engine oil life remaining. If the engine oil has passed its service life, a negative distance appears after driving over 10 miles (10 km). The negative distance on the display blinks.
MAIN MAINTENANCE ITEMS (U.S. MODELS)
Code A:- Replace engine oil
- Note: If a Maintenance Minder message does not appear more than 12 months after the display is reset, change the engine oil every year.
Code B:
- Replace engine oil and filter
- Note: If a Maintenance Minder message does not appear more than 12 months after the display is reset, change the engine oil every year.
- Inspect front and rear brakes
- Inspect tie rod ends, steering gearbox and boots
- Inspect suspension components
- Inspect driveshaft boots
- Inspect brake hoses and lines
- Inspect all fluid levels and condition of fluids
- Inspect exhaust system
- Inspect fuel lines and connections
MAINTENANCE SUB ITEMS (U.S. MODELS)
Code 1:- Rotate tires
Code 2:
- Replace air cleaner element
- Note: If the vehicle is driven in dusty conditions, replace the air cleaner element every 15,000 miles (24,000 km).
- Replace dust and pollen filter
- Note: If the vehicle is driven primarily in urban areas that have high concentrations of soot in the air from industry and from diesel-powered vehicles, replace the dust and pollen filter every 15,000 miles (24,000 km).
- Inspect drive belt
Code 3:
- Replace transmission fluid
- Note for CVT models: Driving in mountainous areas at very low vehicle speeds results in higher transmission temperatures. This requires transmission fluid changes more frequently than recommended by the Maintenance Minder. If the vehicle is regularly driven under these conditions, the transmission fluid should be changed every 25,000 miles (40,000 km).
Code 4:
- Replace spark plugs
- Inspect valve clearance
Code 5:
- Replace engine coolant
Code 7:
- Replace brake fluid
- Note: If a Maintenance Minder message does not appear more than 36 months after the display for item No. 7 is reset, change the brake fluid every three years.
MAIN MAINTENANCE ITEMS (CANADIAN MODELS)
Code A:- Replace engine oil
- Note: If a Maintenance Minder message does not appear more than 12 months after the display is reset, change the engine oil every year.
Code 0:
- Replace engine oil and filter
- Note: If a Maintenance Minder message does not appear more than 12 months after the display is reset, change the engine oil every year.
MAINTENANCE SUB ITEMS (CANADIAN MODELS)
Code 1:- Rotate tires
Code 2:
- Replace air cleaner element
- Note: If the vehicle is driven in dusty conditions, replace the air cleaner element every 15,000 miles (24,000 km).
- Replace dust and pollen filter
- Note: If the vehicle is driven primarily in urban areas that have high concentrations of soot in the air from industry and from diesel-powered vehicles, replace the dust and pollen filter every 15,000 miles (24,000 km).
- Inspect drive belt
Code 3:
- Replace transmission fluid
- Note for CVT models: Driving in mountainous areas at very low vehicle speeds results in higher transmission temperatures. This requires transmission fluid changes more frequently than recommended by the Maintenance Minder. If the vehicle is regularly driven under these conditions, the transmission fluid should be changed every 25,000 miles (40,000 km).
Code 4:
- Replace spark plugs
- Inspect valve clearance
Code 5:
- Replace engine coolant
Code 7:
- Replace brake fluid
- Note: If a Maintenance Minder message does not appear more than 36 months after the display for item No. 7 is reset, change the brake fluid every three years.
Code 9:
- Service front and rear brakes
- Inspect tie rod ends, steering gear box and boots
- Inspect suspension components
- Inspect driveshaft boots
- Inspect brake hoses and lines
- Inspect all fluid levels and condition of fluids
- Inspect exhaust system
- Inspect fuel lines and connections
