[AlanaP]

I'm about 5'4" and I would like a small sedan with a high seating position as my first car. Also are the 8th gen Accords small cars or are they medium size? If they're not small, would the older Honda Civic's be a better option since they're pretty small? Do the older Honda Civic's have high sitting positions as well?

 

[Ash051]

Civics are compact (small) sedans, Accords are larger midsize sedans. Accords can go pretty high for seating position though.
If it helps you at all, I'm 5'2 and my first car is my 2010 Accord sedan. I have my seating position as low as it goes and I can see just fine, if I go much higher it can obstruct my view of my dashboard and speedometer.

Edit: the size of the car that you'll want to get depends on what you're willing to sacrifice. Midsize sedans get fewer miles per gallon than compacts, but they are more protective in a crash. By that same token, compacts get more miles per gallon, but are less protective in a crash. Safety ratings only apply to similarly sized vehicles- a small car getting high safety scores doesn't mean much if the small car is being hit by a large minivan.

 

[namegoeshere]

Civics are compact (small) sedans, Accords are larger midsize sedans

Historically, yes, the Accord has been classified as a midsize car, but because the 8th gen (2008-2012) Accord is so much larger (exterior and interior) than any previous Accord, it's the first Accord to be designated as a large class car.

https://hondanews.com/en-US/releases/release-8deffdb303aa95aaa8f343004c34be64-2008-honda-accord-body

Spacious​

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For the first time the Accord Sedan is classified as a Large Sedan by the EPA. Its increased size brings passenger volume to 106.0 cu. ft., a 3.3 cu. ft. (3.2%) increase over the 2007 Accord Sedan's 102.7 cu. ft. of passenger volume. As a result, the new Accord looks, feels, and simply is more spacious - with improved ingress and egress as well.​

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In fact, the new Accord is larger in all key exterior (and interior) dimensions. By comparison to the 2007 Accord, it is three inches longer, its wheelbase is up 2.3 inches, its track width is an inch greater, and overall width has increased by over an inch. The 2008 Accord Sedan also comes standard with 16-inch steel wheels with wheel covers, or16- or 17-inch aluminum wheels depending on model. (The Accord Coupe has 17-inch aluminum wheels standard, with 18-inch aluminum wheels available on the Coupe V-6). The 17-inch wheels are the first for a four-cylinder Accord and the Coupe's available 18-inch wheels are the largest ever for a Honda Coupe.​