Verified against primary sources
| Cost category | Estimate |
|---|---|
| 5-year depreciation | $10,307 |
| Insurance (annual) | $2,016 |
| Fuel or charging (annual) | $1,641 |
| Maintenance (annual) | $358 |
| Tires (annual) | $310 |
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Fuel economy (combined) | 32 MPG |
| Fuel economy (city / highway) | 29 / 37 MPG |
| Engine | 1.5L 4-cyl DOHC Turbo |
| Horsepower | 192 hp |
| Torque | 192 lb-ft |
| Seating capacity | 5 passengers |
| Cargo space | 16.7 cu ft |
| Pillar | Score (0–100) | Class median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of ownership | 87 | 83 | +4 |
| Powertrain | 60 | 67 | -7 |
| Safety | 80 | 95 | -15 |
| Driver assistance | 43 | 43 | +0 |
| Livability | 56 | 57 | -1 |
The 2026 Honda Accord scores 87/100 on cost of ownership — 4 points above the sedans median. The Sedan class median 5-year ownership cost is $44,011 (15,000 mi/yr, national average rates). Largest annual recurring expense: insurance.
The 2026 Honda Accord scores 43/100 on driver assistance. All scores reflect standard equipment at base MSRP; optional driver-assistance packages are not scored.
The 2026 Honda Accord scores 60/100 on powertrain — 7 points below the sedans median. Key figures: 32 MPG combined, 192 hp.
Verdict
The 2026 Accord earns a perfect safety score and five-star NHTSA rating while delivering exceptional fuel economy and strong resale value. The driver-assistance suite is standard across all trims — a genuine differentiator in the segment — and ownership costs are impressively low. For sedan buyers who want safety, efficiency, and Honda's reputation for reliability, the Accord is one of the smartest purchases in its class.
Good fit for: Daily commuter
Best for
- Perfect safety score with 5-star NHTSA rating
- Exceptional fuel economy with strong resale value
- Driver-assistance standard across all trims
Watch out for
- Cargo space is limited by sedan form factor
2026 Honda Accord
Five measured pillars, weighted into one score.
Cost, Powertrain, Driver Assistance, Livability, and Safety — each scored against its class, then combined into a single MotiveGrid Score. Built by our engineering team and benchmarked against independent sources like NHTSA, IIHS, and CarEdge. How it’s calculated →
Verdict
Based on median-price trimThe 2026 Accord earns a perfect safety score and five-star NHTSA rating while delivering exceptional fuel economy and strong resale value. The driver-assistance suite is standard across all trims — a genuine differentiator in the segment — and ownership costs are impressively low. For sedan buyers who want safety, efficiency, and Honda's reputation for reliability, the Accord is one of the smartest purchases in its class.
Good fit for: Daily commuter
Daily commuters seeking low per-mile energy costs and efficient performance
Cost of Ownership
Five-year cost is driven mostly by depreciation; tires is a minor share.
Adjust for your situation
State
Ownership Cost
Powertrain
Fuel efficiency weighed with long-term ownership confidence.
Reliability from NHTSA complaint records, adjusted for how many were sold. How we measure it
Combines real-world energy efficiency (EPA-verified MPG or MPG-equivalent vs. class) with long-term ownership confidence (warranty coverage, platform maturity, and reliability data). Methodology →
Driver Assistance
Strongest in highway driving support, but parking convenience and hands-free automation are limited.
💡 Tracks where the car can drive itself (highways vs. local roads) and how much driver supervision is needed (up to fully driverless).
PoorStandard driver assist — no hands-free operation
Combines highway support, parking convenience, and hands-free automation capability into one score. Methodology →
Livability
Spacious, but its size makes it harder to maneuver.
Combines how comfortably this vehicle fits passengers and cargo with how easily it maneuvers in real-world conditions — normalized within its Sedan segment for fair comparison. Methodology →
Safety
Top crash-test results paired with a full crash-avoidance suite.
Combines crash-test protection — NHTSA frontal, side, and rollover ratings plus the IIHS crashworthiness sub-tests (small- and moderate-overlap front, side, headlights) — with standard crash-avoidance technology. New model years without published crash tests are scored on crash-avoidance features alone and capped until tested. Methodology →
Frequently asked questions
- What is the MotiveGrid Score for the 2026 Honda Accord?
- The 2026 Honda Accord earns a MotiveGrid Score of 77 out of 100. The score combines five pillars — cost of ownership, powertrain, safety, driver assistance, and livability — into one number, so you can weigh a vehicle's all-round strength at a glance.
- Is the 2026 Honda Accord safe?
- The Honda Accord carries an NHTSA overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars. MotiveGrid's safety pillar pairs federal crash-test results with the standard active-safety equipment fitted at base price.
- What is the 2026 Honda Accord safety score?
- The 2026 Honda Accord earns a MotiveGrid safety score of 80/100. The score combines NHTSA and IIHS crash-test results with the standard active safety equipment included at base price.
- What driver assistance features does the 2026 Honda Accord include?
- The 2026 Honda Accord scores 43/100 on driver assistance. MotiveGrid evaluates only standard equipment — features included at base MSRP — across four areas: highway automation, parking support, collision avoidance, and visibility aids. Optional driver-assistance packages are not scored.
- Is the 2026 Honda Accord reliable?
- The 2026 Honda Accord has an average reliability profile for its class, based on NHTSA complaint data. MotiveGrid calculates a reliability proxy score of 59/100 from complaint rates per 1,000 vehicles sold over a trailing multi-year window.
- What is the 2026 Honda Accord fuel economy?
- The 2026 Honda Accord is EPA-rated at 32 MPG combined. MotiveGrid uses this figure as the basis for its annual fuel or charging cost estimate.
- How does the 2026 Honda Accord rank among sedans?
- The 2026 Honda Accord is in the top 61% of sedans on the MotiveGrid composite score. All vehicles in the same segment are scored on an identical five-pillar framework, making the percentile a direct comparison.
- How does the 2026 Honda Accord compare to the Hyundai Sonata?
- See the MotiveGrid side-by-side comparison page for a full breakdown across cost of ownership, safety, powertrain, driver assistance, and livability. Both vehicles are top-scored options in the sedans segment.
- Is the 2026 Honda Accord spacious and practical?
- The 2026 Honda Accord scores 56/100 on livability, which covers interior passenger space, cargo capacity, and maneuverability. This score is compared directly against other sedans in the same segment.
Analysis by the MotiveGrid Engineering Team · MotiveGrid Score last computed 2026-07-03