Driven. 2025 Honda Accord e:HEV RS
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
A week in the Honda Accord RS was a delightfully enlightening way to rekindle a romance that goes back almost 30 years.
You see I’m an old-salt Honda fan of the worst kind. For many a year I openly spoke of my disappointment at what I saw to be a capitulation over the last two decades. A strategic shift was the culprit, with a seemingly relentless desire to follow the path of their Japanese counterpart, Toyota.
From a business perspective I understood the rationale. However, passion over-rules sensibility as a car guy, and I simply couldn't come to terms with it.
A first glance at this 11th generation of the Accord nameplate comes with surprise; it’s big. Measuring a whisker under 5 meters long and 1.86m wide, it eclipses Toyota's Camry across both dimensions.
LED headlamps up front offer adaptive high beam and active corner following. They also flank a large mesh grille for an aggressive and chiselled three quarter view.
Casting the eyes down the profile reveals a more curvaceous design that is almost more fastback than sedan. It rides on conservatively sized 5-spoke 18-inch wheels and quality Michelin rubber. Honda was never overly aggressive with wheel sizes, and clearly this hasn’t changed.
Ultimately, the Accord RS is visually different to anything else on the road – and that’s a big plus in my books.
Whilst exterior aesthetics are pleasing, grabbing a door handle is where things get interesting. Climbing aboard and shutting the door sees the seat move forward to meet with the steering wheel. It’s a nice touch that makes light work of ingress and egress.
They don’t look any different to other leather covered seats but once set to ones liking using the range of electric adjustments, they offer an almost zero-gravity level of support. A wide and long seat pad and back provide a prudent blend of support and comfort, despite the bewildering omission of heating and ventilation.
Up ahead, the steering wheel hides a 10.2-inch driver screen for vitals, which is supplemented by a sizeable full-colour head-up display. They’re accompanied by a 12.3-inch central touch screen that runs a Google operating system.
A good one for Android users that takes a little working out if, like me, you’re not a native user. Ultimately wired and wireless CarPlay and Android Auto are available, albeit a little glitchy at times.
Controls are otherwise simple, with a good mix of button ware about the cabin. A large dial with a digital-analogue clock further down the centre stack could be mistaken for a volume control. Using it reveals a wheel-like menu on the central screen for various air-conditioning functions, with physical temperature controls for the 2-zone airconditioning nearby.
Following some poking around, volume controls were found to be on the centre screen; a frustration given they were located on the passenger side. Steering wheel mounted controls are available, but these were frustrating too. It’s a toggle on the left spoke of the steering wheel, right next to a thumbwheel to selects audio inputs. I was left wondering if someone programmed them incorrectly, because the thumbwheel would’ve been a far better candidate for volume controls.
Nevertheless, your favourite tunes play through a 12-speaker Bose sound system which provided great depth, clarity and output.
Overhead, a massive full-roof sunroof adds brightness to the otherwise dark cabin. That’s not to say accommodations are sombre. It’s far from that because between the red stitching, quality materials, active ambient lighting and a mesh feature that runs through the centre of the dashboard, it’s a vibrant and interesting space to spend any time.
Rear seat passengers want for nothing too, with leg and headroom that would be expected a class above in size. It’s truly a comfortable 4-adult affair, with the ability to carry 3 across the back row at a pinch if required. They get USB ports, 2 air-conditioning vents and window shades to boot.
The acreage continues when you pop the boot, where you are greeted by a cavernous 570 litres of space with a wide, deep entry point.
Despite the aggressive visuals and RS badging, this is no performance vehicle. Power is supplied by a 2l 4-cylinder engine, supplemented by a 1.06Kw battery pack. It’s an Atkinson cycle setup with a small generator to charge the battery pack and two drive motors within the gearbox.
Combined outputs of 135Kw and 335Nm are less than exciting, but it does do a fine job of shifting the 1609Kg shell and holding speed. To its credit, the combination never feels stressed, nor vocal about what it does.
Drive is to the front wheels through a CVT with programmed “shift” points, which go a long way to distract from the unpreferred choice of gearbox. Ultimately the refinement of the drivetrain means you don’t get the annoying drone or rev flaring that similar setups will exhibit.
It’s frugal too, with a combined consumption of 5.1l/100km during an urban-driving slanted week. This is against a claimed usage of 4.3L – a way off but still appreciated given the current fuel climate.
But it was when driving that things came together and the Accord RS was most impressive. Whilst the suspension felt a little too stiff over sharper bumps at city speeds, on the open road it possesed an uncanny ability to iron out larger undulations and waft along at highway speed.
That stiffness doesn’t translate to any real corner prowess unfortunately, but I ever feel like I wanted to push it anyway. What it does do is remain flat, stable and controlled under all circumstances.
Noise suppression was a highlight, with all but the worst coarse-chip asphalt disturbing what is a bonafide European level of cabin serenity.
Safety is well covered with an extensive array of features, along with Honda’s SENSING suite of proactive tools. Everything was well calibrated and unobtrusive, without the annoying “bings and bongs” that can be more of a distraction than a real safety issue at times.
The Honda Accord e:HEV RS proved me wrong. Whilst there was a strategic shift, and yes, we’ve lost all but the Civic Type R to reflect Soichiro Honda’s racing roots; this is no Camry competitor.
It’s way better, because it still carries the fundamentals that make the brand what it is. The Honda Accord e:HEV RS is well designed, supremely refined and provides an overall package that is best compared to entry level models amongst European marques.
At $64900 driveaway it provides a compelling case against those options too.
Like: Feature packed, supremely comfortable to drive, efficient and refined
Dislike: CarPlay a little glitchy at times, Volume controls problematic, some panels a little light and dingy
Car Guy Rating – 8.0
The Honda Accord e:HEV RS offers a beautifully packaged mid-sized sedan that ultimately convinced this long-time Honda fan that they haven’t lost their way. It provides cavernous and comfortable accommodations, a long feature list and a supremely comfortable ride on the open road. Being a hybrid brings also with it efficiency, without feeling like a rideshare drivetrain. Ultimately though, aside from the warm feeling about the brand, no other emotion was stirred for me. Would Not Buy
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