Buy This 2017 Honda Accord, Not That One

CARS.COM — For 2017, the popular Honda Accord sedan has six trim levels (in order from cheapest to most expensive) — LX, Sport, Sport Special Edition, EX, EX-L and Touring — to choose from. For shoppers, the question is which trim will give them the biggest bang for their buck? After digging into each trim level’s features, we found that the Accord EX is the best value.

What makes the EX stand out? Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard, and both incorporate navigation apps, so you can avoid the extra cost of a factory-installed navigation system. The EX with the optional Honda Sensing safety package (it features lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, collision mitigation and lane departure warning) is less expensive than an EX-L without Honda Sensing, though you give up leather seats and other features. The EX also has all the features we’ve judged to be must-haves: automatic transmission, Bluetooth streaming and phone, USB port, power driver’s seat, a backup camera and Android Auto, Apple CarPlay or an in-car navigation system.

Related: What’s the Best Midsize Sedan for 2016?

The Honda Accord sedan seats five and comes with a four-cylinder or V-6 engine and either a manual or an automatic transmission. With the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, the automatic is a continuously variable automatic transmission, and with the 3.5-liter V-6, it is a six-speed transmission.

As is typical of Honda, certain features, such as leather, a V-6 engine and LED headlights, are available only on certain models. The only factory-installed options are the Honda Sensing suite of safety features and a navigation system.

Here is how the Accord sedan lineup shapes up:

The Honda Accord LX with the standard six-speed manual transmission is $23,190 (including the $835 destination charge; that charge is included in all subsequent prices), $150 higher than last year. The optional CVT adds $800. Key standard features include:

• 185-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine
• 16-inch alloy wheels
• Keyless entry and cruise control
• USB/iPod-compatible stereo with Pandora, Bluetooth phone/audio and steering-wheel controls
• 7.7-inch dashboard screen
• Backup camera
• Dual-zone automatic climate control

Other than the CVT, the only option on the LX is the $1,000 Honda Sensing safety suite that’s available only with the CVT.

The Accord Sport is $25,250 with the manual and $26,050 with the CVT. Changes and additions from the LX include:

• 19-inch alloys and larger front disc brakes
• LED running lights and fog lights, side skirts and a rear spoiler
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel with paddle shifters (with the CVT)
• Aluminum pedals
• A 60/40-split folding rear seat (in place of the LX’s single-piece folding seat)
• A power driver’s seat with power lumbar
• Dual exhaust outlets and a freer-flowing exhaust system add 4 more hp and 1 pounds-foot of torque, but EPA combined mileage estimate drops by 1 mpg compared to the LX.

The Honda Sensing safety suite is a $1,000 option for Sport models with the CVT.

The new Accord Sport SE (Special Edition) trim is $26,250 with the manual and $27,050 with the CVT. It has the same features as the Sport plus leather upholstery and heated front seats. Unlike the Sport, Honda Sensing isn’t available.

The Accord EX ($26,565 with the manual or $27,365 with the CVT) builds off the LX, rather than the Sport, with these features:

• Honda’s LaneWatch, which mounts a camera on the passenger-side mirror and shows the image on the 7.7-inch upper dashboard screen
• A second 7-inch dashboard touch-screen with capacitive controls, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, HD/satellite radio, 160-watt sound system with six speakers (versus four) and a second USB port
• Power driver’s seat
• Fog lights, 17-inch alloys and heated mirrors with integrated turn signals
• A power moonroof and one-touch front windows (versus driver’s only on LX/Sport)
• Hands-free keyless access with push-button start
• Remote start on CVT models

Honda Sensing is a $1,000 option on the EX, and it requires that you have the CVT.

The four-cylinder Accord EX-L ($29,655) comes only with the CVT and adds these features to the EX:

• Leather upholstery and heated front seats
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Two-position memory for the driver’s seat
• Four-way power passenger seat
• Auto-dimming rearview mirror
• 360-watt sound system with seven speakers

Honda Sensing and a navigation system are optional on the EX-L, and they must be purchased together, so they add $2,000 to the price.

A 278-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 also is optional on the EX-L, and it adds $2,075 to the bottom line ($31,730 total) and comes with a six-speed automatic transmission.

The top-of-the-line Accord Touring ($35,665) includes all of the above — Honda Sensing, navigation, the V-6, the works — plus a few more features:

• LED headlights
• 19-inch wheels and larger front brakes
• Front and rear parking sensors (in addition to the backup camera)
• Heated rear seats
• Automatic high-beam headlights
• * Rain-sensing wipers

The Accord coupe comes in LX-S, EX, EX-L and Touring trims. They roughly mirror the sedan: the LX-S and EX are four-cylinder only, the EX-L offers a choice of four-cylinder or V-6, and the Touring is V-6 only. On the EX-L coupe, the V-6 is available with a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic (it is automatic only on the EX-L sedan). A few features found on the sedan, though, such as heated rear seats, a power passenger seat and the split-folding rear seat, aren’t available on the coupe.
Pricing for the Accord coupe runs from $24,860 to $35,210.

The 2017 Accord is on dealer lots; there are more than 30,000 model-year 2017 sedans and coupes in Cars.com’s inventory. Search for one here.