2005 Honda Accord Hybrid Published 04/14/2005

The 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid offers more power for less gas.

Since gasoline prices have risen over fifty cents a gallon from this time last year and you are paying almost ten dollars more to fill up your tank, fuel economy has once again become important. Americans have always wanted good fuel economy but they love horsepower. And as long as they have some folding money left at the end of the month they want comfort, style and luxury to go with performance. We want it all.

Often giving lip service to economy and safety, consumers routinely buy cars that are fun rather than practical. Can we now have both?

Traditionally cars that sip gasoline have been cramped for space, noisy and without the power to compete at highway speeds. Even the recent developments in hybrid technology have applied electric power to anemic gasoline engines. This may have fascinated geeks, but mainstream drivers were unwilling to sacrifice.

We know the gasoline powered 2005 Honda Accord to be one of the best mid-size four-door sedans for the money. Highly refined, the Honda Accord is the benchmark in automotive value. While Honda offers a stripped down DX version advertised below $17,000, in reality most Accords range between $21,000 and $27,000. The top of the line 2005 Honda Accord EX Leather with Automatic and Navigation for $29,365 represents one of the most complete and satisfying sport sedans on the market today.

But what if you could get this same vehicle with more power and still use less fuel? The 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid uses an integrated electric motor to assist the gasoline motor increasing horsepower from the standard 240 horsepower to 255 horsepower. Because electric motors excel at low-end torque the additional 10% boost in torque provides tire squealing acceleration.

Normally, additional power means less economy, but the 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid advertises a 38% fuel mileage increase during stop and go city driving and 23% on the open highway. The 29/37 numbers fall short of the 61/66 rating of the original 2005 Honda Insight Hybrid and you won't be quite fit in at the local nerd fest. But you can say that you are doing your part to drive green.

I drove the fully equipped 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid with the Satellite-Linked Navigation System, which carried an MSRP of $32,655. This is $3,290 above the top of the line gasoline-only Accord EX V-6 with Navigation. But wait - Uncle Sam has a gift for you! Take a one-time $2,000 tax deduction for purchasing low emission high fuel efficiency Honda Accord Hybrid. This brings the price difference to only $1,290 between the two vehicles. With gasoline prices escalating this new Accord makes financial sense. A standard 3-year/36,000 mile warranty covers the Honda Accord but the battery pack for the hybrid assistance is warranted for 8 years or 80,000 miles.

Driving the 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid is similar to the gasoline only Accord. The additional weight of 117 pounds of batteries and hybrid technology provided no adverse feel. I did notice more power from a dead stop due to the increased torque. The one feature that some drivers find annoying is that the engine will often automatically shut down completely at a stop. Restarting, while instant, often provides a stutter that some find unsettling.

Hybrid technology will continue to evolve and be included on more models. The concept of reclaiming energy from braking to charge batteries powering electric assist motors is a fairly simple concept. It can be applied to gasoline, diesel, hydrogen or any other developing technology. While initial development may take place in specialized vehicles like the Honda Insight, the real value is when hybrid technology is added to mainline vehicles like the Honda Accord.

The 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid is an excellent example of how we can meet the need to increase fuel efficiency and lower emissions while retaining our desire for luxury and performance. The best advances produce a win-win for everybody. This is certainly a winner.

2005 Honda Accord Hybrid

Front Wheel Drive Mid Size Sedan

3.0 Liter V-6 gasoline with Integrated Motor Assist Hybrid System

Price as tested $32,655

EPA MPG 29/37

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