2026 Honda Accord SE Tested: You Sure You Wouldn't Rather Have a Civic?

• What's new: The Honda Accord SE is one of two non-hybrid versions of this midsize sedan, competing with vehicles like the Hyundai Sonata and Nissan Altima.
• Why it matters: The turbo engine is weak and the Accord SE's interior feels cheap.
• Edmunds says: There are better Accords — as well as other Hondas — for the money.

The Accord SE also underperformed in the opposite direction. Stopping from 60 mph took 123 feet, and that figure was achieved on the first test run, which is unusual, as cars tend to perform better once their brakes heat up a skosh. Vehicle test editor Gabriel Vega Cortés notes: "Brake pedal travel is far, although Honda's antilock brake implementation is seamless and quiet, something Toyota seemingly can't accomplish as of late. But by my fourth test run, I felt the brakes getting substantially hot as the Accord's performance continued to degrade. Although the Accord did not pull to the right or left, giving excellent stability under braking, one good run is all it had." In other words, repeat panic stops do not yield the repeat results. 

The silver lining? Some hallmark Honda magic is baked into the chassis and steering. "On the skidpad, the Accord drives pretty much like an oversized Civic, with an easy-to-find, easy-to-explore limit of grip," Cortés wrote. "Its steering has a very natural effort curve and its traction control isn't overly intrusive — something Toyota could also learn from."

Low-rent interior

Look, I'm not expecting luxury trimmings for $32K, but I'm genuinely shocked at how cheap the Accord SE's interior looks and feels. The steering wheel is hard and hollow-feeling, there's crummy plastic trim everywhere, the glossy dials around the temperature and fan knobs wobble, and the seats — while heated, yay — are really lousy. I'm normally a fan of cloth upholstery and tend to prefer it over leather, but the Accord's seat back offers little side bolstering while the bottom cushion is hard, flat and unsupportive. 

One upside to the cheap-o interior is that it's super simple to use. You get a traditional PRNDL shifter rather than an array of buttons and toggles. The multimedia system is also a cinch to learn and operate, though its graphics look dated, and the 9-inch screen is pretty small compared to the screens in other cars in the class. A larger, more colorful 12.3-inch touchscreen is standard on Accord Hybrids. Google Built-In is available too, but only on the tippy-top Hybrid Touring.

Another upshot: The bulk of Honda's driver assistance tech suite is standard on the SE. Lane departure warning, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring, automatic high-beams — it's all here. That's a big win.

The Accord is good, but don't get the SE

I get the inherent appeal of the Honda Accord SE; it looks like a more expensive model from the outside and only costs $32K. But if you're truly dead set on an Accord, it's worth it to spend a couple thousand dollars more and get a Hybrid Sport, which is nicer to drive, has a better interior (hooray, leather-wrapped steering wheel), comes with better cabin tech, and is much more fuel-efficient (44 mpg combined). $34,990 gets you a really stinkin' nice Accord with one of the industry's best hybrid powertrains. And don't worry, it still comes with those spiffy 19-inch wheels.

But here's another — and better — recommendation: Just buy a Civic Hybrid. You'll lose a little passenger space, but the Civic Hatchback has 47% more trunk space than an Accord, and that's before you fold down the rear seats. The Civic's interior is nicer, it'll get 48 mpg combined, and it's genuinely lovely to drive. A Civic Sport Hybrid Hatchback costs $31,790, and the plush Sport Touring's only $3K more than that. The Accord's nice, but the Civic is better; there's a reason why it's been an Edmunds Top Rated winner twice.