Used 2017 Honda Accord EX-L V-6 Sedan Review

Building on last year's significant updates, the 2017 Honda Accord should appeal whether you're prioritizing interior space, fuel economy, value or even an engaging driving experience. Read on to learn more why the Accord is a must-drive if you're shopping for a midsize sedan or coupe.

Following some notable revisions last year, the 2017 Honda Accord is essentially a carryover model, and an aging one at that, considering Honda last gave its Accord a full redesign for the 2013 model year. Even so, most of the midsize sedan segment is still playing catchup. The current Accord is arguably Honda at its finest. It scores highly in just about every category, and unlike many rivals, it's a genuine pleasure to drive. If you're looking for a family sedan that does it all, or perhaps a sporty yet still roomy coupe, the 2017 Accord's across-the-board excellence simply cannot be ignored.

The front-wheel-drive 2017 Honda Accord is available in two body styles. Sedans come in LX, Sport, Sport Special Edition (Sport SE), EX, EX-L, EX-L V6 and Touring trims. Coupes are available in LX-S, EX, EX-L, EX-L V6 and Touring trims. Upgrading from one trim to the next gets you more features,  and we think the associated price bumps are appropriate given the upgrades you get. A suite of advanced safety systems called Honda Sensing is available on all trims except Touring (where it's standard), but our lackluster experiences with this system make it difficult to recommend.

Starting with the sedans, the base LX is quite generously equipped and powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine (185 horsepower, 181 pound-feet) paired to a six-speed manual transmission or continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Feature highlights include 16-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control, a 7.7-inch central display (not to be confused with the touchscreen that's added on higher trims), Bluetooth, a rearview camera, a height-adjustable driver seat, a one-piece folding rear seat and a four-speaker sound system.

Opting for our favorite, the Sport, gets you a bit more power (189 hp, 182 lb-ft), 19-inch wheels, LED daytime running lights and foglights, cloth seating with imitation-leather bolsters, a power driver seat, a 60/40-split folding rear seat and a leather-wrapped steering wheel (with shift paddles if the automatic transmission is specified).

The Sport Special Edition is very similar to the regular Sport, but it adds special-edition badging, heated front seats and leather seats with red accent stitching.

The Accord EX also builds off the LX, but it focuses more on extra amenities than sportiness, adding 17-inch wheels, LED daytime running lights and foglights, heated mirrors, a sunroof, keyless ignition and entry, remote ignition (with the automatic transmission), the power driver seat,Honda's LaneWatch blind-spot camera system, a six-speaker sound system with a 7-inch touchscreen interface (the standard 7.7-inch display remains as well) and satellite and HD radio. Also standard is smartphone app integration via HondaLink (with smartphone-enabled Aha radio features), Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

The EX-L trim comes with the CVT and adds leather upholstery, driver-seat memory functions, a power passenger seat, heated front seats, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and an upgraded seven-speaker sound system. As its name suggests, the EX-L V6 is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 (278 hp, 252 lb-ft) matched to a six-speed automatic.

All of the above trims can be outfitted with the Honda Sensing package, which includes adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, and lane departure warning and mitigation. A navigation system is optional for the EX-L and EX-L V6.

The range-topping Touring takes the EX-L V6 offerings and adds the features from the Honda Sensing package as well as 19-inch wheels, LED headlights (with automatic high-beam control), automatic wipers, front and rear parking sensors, a rear decklid spoiler, heated outboard rear seats and the navigation system.

For the Accord coupe, the base LX-S trim is similar to the LX sedan but adds 17-inch wheels and the six-speaker audio system. The coupe's EX, EX-L, EX-L V6 and Touring trims are also comparable to the sedan's in terms of equipment, though every EX variant gets 18-inch wheels (the Touring gets 19s). Note that all automatic-transmission coupes include standard paddle shifters.