[bighonda14]

Having owned three Honda Accords in the past 30 years I am on the hunt for a new one and looking for the version that will be the quietest and smoothest and most refined driving experience. Mindful that the answer to my question may be subjective, what are your experiences on the EXL with the 1.5 turbo, the touring with the 2.0 turbo, and the hybrid engine?

Again, my aim is to purchase a vehicle that will be as quiet and refined as possible. Thanks!

My apologies to the moderators, I accidentally posted this at first in the Hybrid section but would like it to be in this main section. Thanks.

 

[Andrew O]

Having owned three Honda Accords in the past 30 years I am on the hunt for a new one and looking for the version that will be the quietest and smoothest and most refined driving experience. Mindful that the answer to my question may be subjective, what are your experiences on the EXL with the 1.5 turbo, the touring with the 2.0 turbo, and the hybrid engine?

Again, my aim is to purchase a vehicle that will be as quiet and refined as possible. Thanks!

My apologies to the moderators, I accidentally posted this at first in the Hybrid section but would like it to be in this main section. Thanks.

Accord is not a quiet car, various magazines tested it at around 70 dB at 70 mph, here below are some features Honda claim are contributing to reduced sound noise, all of them are in Touring, but 19" wheels/tires are noisy and harsh so you may consider to change them to 17" or 18", likely 2.0 will be better for lower sound noise
Along with the first application of structural adhesives to Accord, cabin quietness is further enhanced by a comprehensive sound-insulating package that includes full underbody covers (which also aid aerodynamics), front and rear fender and engine compartment insulators, alloy wheels with Honda-proprietary resonator technology, sound-absorbing carpet, acoustic laminated windshield glass – plus front door acoustic glass on EX and above – and a new, 3-microphone Active Noise Control system. The result is low noise levels with a well-balanced sound quality and a pleasingly sporty engine note.

 

[Vegashybrid]

My hybrid is EXTREMELY quiet. One of the things love most about it. Its one of my most fav cars have ever owned in part because of how quiet and smooth the vehicle is.

 

[RCarlL]

Having owned three Honda Accords in the past 30 years I am on the hunt for a new one and looking for the version that will be the quietest and smoothest and most refined driving experience. Mindful that the answer to my question may be subjective, what are your experiences on the EXL with the 1.5 turbo, the touring with the 2.0 turbo, and the hybrid engine?

Again, my aim is to purchase a vehicle that will be as quiet and refined as possible. Thanks!

My apologies to the moderators, I accidentally posted this at first in the Hybrid section but would like it to be in this main section. Thanks.

You are asking a few different things. First off, the best advice would be to tell you to test drive the different options that you've mentioned and see which one is the best one for you.

All three engines are pretty smooth- but it is likely going to come down to your driving style. The 2.0t obviously has the most power of the three- so in most situations you probably won't be pushing that engine as hard as you would if you got the 1.5t engine. The CVT used with the 1.5t is a smooth transmission, but not everyone likes its sound or dullness. The 10-speed automatic that you get with the 2.0t engine shifts a lot- but generally it is pretty smooth too. In some cases, the power of the 2.0t can make it hard to accelerate smoothly when the roads are wet or slippery. It's really easy to spin the front tires if you push too hard on the accelerator from a stop. The hybrid is very smooth as well and it's performance is in between the 1.5t and 2.0t engines- with the added bonus of getting pretty awesome mpg.

One thing to consider is that for the 2021 model year, the 2.0t motor is only available in the Sport and Touring trim levels- which means that you also have to deal with the 19" wheels and tires that come with those trims. Those 19" wheels look great- but they will ride much more harshly than the 17" wheels that come on LX & EX-L trims. The 1.5t Sport and Sport SE trims also have the 19" wheels. In the case of those 19" wheels, be sure that you 'try before you buy'. Also keep in mind that the Hybrid Touring trim also comes with the 19" wheels for 2021. The 19" wheel/tire combo can be loud on the freeway and less-than-smooth surfaces. Some people argue that it isn't bad... but I noticed that there was a lot of road noise during the test drive as soon as I got the car up to about 55mph. The 17" tire option isn't as bad- but as the posters above said, the current generation Accord is not known for having low amounts of tire noise- regardless of wheel/tire option you get.

Also keep in mind that even if you do get an Accord with the 19" wheels/tires, it is possible to swap them out for the 17" wheel/tire combo. There always seems to be a demand for the 19" wheels online either through Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or even here through the classified forum. I'd imagine if you posted an ad there saying that you want to swap tires with someone, you'd find people that are interested.

Again- the best advice is to test drive the trims that you are interested in to help narrow down your choices.

 

[bighonda14]

Thanks tons guys for those helpful comments. I will be on the lookout for all of those characteristics on the multiple test rides I plan to take.

Vegas hybrid, can you tell me which trim level and year is your accord? Any other suggestions for details for me to be looking for? Thanks again.

 

[Vegashybrid]

Base 2020 Accord. But believe all the 2021 Accord base models now has the 8" screen with Android/Apple standard. Stepping up would have put 19' wheels on the car which I also didnt want but the leather would have been nice. That being said the money saved paid for some really nice custom faux leather seat covers, satellite radio, new speakers and sub, sway bar...you get the idea. Also base hybrids have auto start standard. 1.5t doesnt. No one sits in my back seats so they are always down for groceries, the cloth doesnt bother me back there. It was a little more noisy back there with them down, but a $70 box of Noico sound deadener (Dynamatt basically but much cheaper) from Amazon took care of that with plenty left over to spare on other projects (including the drivers door and some of the rear deck when did the speakers last week, my clothes dryer fan when i took it apart to fix it stopped vibrations and still have more). Average about 49mpg overall because I like to drive aggressive sometimes. I can not say enough about my Honda, they are def up to German build quality nowadays. The thing dislike the most is how soft the paint is so would def invest in a ceramic clear from Amazon or someting. There are also reports of roaring noises coming from the stereos of Touring models and above. Do not think I've seen a base model with that problem. But now my anc is unplugged anyways because of the sub, and the car is still quiet even without it. I looked at an '18 Touring and 2.0t EXL, Insight, Civic still went with the base model (the tourings were also gold I hate that color) Love my car.

 

[bighonda14]

Thanks much Vegas !

Will keep you all posted.

 

[Mikeh]

My biased opinion for quiet goes to the 2020 EX-L. You get acoustic glass on the windshield and front doors along with the 17" wheels. It's the quietest car I've owned.

 

[Turbo_Slug]

The 1.5T engine is very quiet and incredibly smooth, even when you really get on it. The CVT trans lends itself to a very smooth ride, no jerkiness from shifting. I own a 2021 sport SE with the 1.5T and just made a thread about how its too quiet! Others have made complaints about road noise and harshness from the 19 inch wheels, but compared to the car I came from (fusion se with 17 inch wheels) the only thing I notice is better handling and it is much stiffer. I prefer the ride as it is much sportier feeling. I wouldn't call it "harsh" at all! I would also note that I always drive with my radio on at least 20 volume level, so perhaps there is some noise that the radio is drowning out and I'm just happily oblivious to. My dad is also an accord owner and has an EX with the 1.5T and 17 inch wheels and reports it is the smoothest accord he has ever driven, and he has owned accords from the 8th, 9th, and now 10th generations. I think if you test drive any of the 10th gens with the 1.5t, especially one with 17 inch wheels you will likely find what you're looking for.

 

[Vegashybrid]

to. My dad is also an accord owner and has an EX with the 1.5T and 17 inch wheels and reports it is t

Have you or your father driven the hybrid?

 

[Turbo_Slug]

I haven't, can't speak for him but I'm sure its great!

 

[14v6]

I'd get the Hybrid over a 1.5.

 

[bighonda14]

Can anyone comment on the quietness of the hybrid versus the 1.5? Anyone driven both who can comment? Thanks guys.

Mikeh is your EXL the Hybrid or the 1.5 T? Many thanks.

 

[Vegashybrid]

Hybrid engine isn't running some of the time. Makes it very quiet.

 

[rlw999]

Can anyone comment on the quietness of the hybrid versus the 1.5? Anyone driven both who can comment? Thanks guys.

I test drove a 1.5 before I bought the hybrid, both were what I'd consider "quiet". I don't recall any significant difference between the two, but it was over a year ago -- it didn't factor in my purchase decision at all.

But if you're particularly sensitive to engine noise, since the hybrid engine is decoupled from the wheels most of the time, engine noise can be independent from driving conditions. Like you can be going up a slight hill and hear the engine working much harder than you'd expect because it's driving a generator that drives the wheels and charges the battery. But it's not really an issue, it's not like the engine is loud.

As far as smoothness, the hybrid is perfectly smooth - the hybrid transmission is like a CVT, I haven't noticed any lack of smoothness as the car transitions from pure electric power to include engine power. And the same with braking, it transitions smoothly from regenerative braking to friction braking.

 

[bighonda14]

Guys I am incredibly grateful for everyone’s feedback. I want to share that it’s noise in general that I am looking to minimize, not just from the engine. Not that I’m an expert on it, but my experience has been that noise can come from many sources including the wind and the engine and the tires and probably other sources. Various sound minimizing engineering put into the design of each car seem to make a big difference too.

Here’s a little more of my story. I have significant hearing loss in both ears, with a hearing aid in one ear and a cochlear implant in the other. Especially with the cochlear implant I have had a fantastic result in hearing much better and much more naturally than most people with them. But it is still far from perfect and far from what my hearing was like during the first 50 years of my life. I’m 58.

So if two people are talking to me at the same time its hard to hear what either one is saying and it requires a lot of work. Crowded restaurants, even before the pandemic are some thing I avoided.

So in a car, the more quiet the space, the more relaxing and effortless it is to have a conversation with someone who might be in the seat beside me. And the more quiet it is the more I am able to enjoy listening to NPR or some other news channel on the radio.

Having compromised hearing makes me deeply value removing as much extraneous noise as possible so I can actually hear the sounds that I want to hear.

I guess one other question comes to mind and that is regarding sound systems. It looks like the EX and higher trim levels have the upgraded sound system. Is that right? Clarity and high-quality is what makes a difference for me, not sheer volume.

 

[Mikeh]

As far as I know the 2020 EX-L has the same sound system as the Touring and IMHO sounds pretty good especially with neural selected on settings. I have not looked but I've heard there are still some deals out there. Good luck.
Go on a good test drive and have salesman show you the settings.

 

[zroger73]

Objectively, the EX-L Hybrid is likely to have the lowest overall noise level, but that measurement alone doesn't mean much. Vehicle A may sound quieter than vehicle B even if vehicle A has a higher overall sound level because of the distribution of frequencies. Everyone's hearing is different and different vehicles with the same overall sound level will sound different, quieter, or louder from one person to the next.

Overall noise levels are basically just for fun and marketing magic. A few years ago, Car and Driver measured only a 1 dB difference from the quietest Accord EX-L to the loudest Accord Sport. Most people can't detect a difference of less than 3 dB. It takes a difference of 10 dB to sound twice/half as loud.

The Accord Hybrid will be quieter overall when then engine isn't running, but not necessarily so while cruising when the engine is humming along at a steady speed to power the electric motor and charge the batteries.

 

[rlw999]

I guess one other question comes to mind and that is regarding sound systems. It looks like the EX and higher trim levels have the upgraded sound system. Is that right? Clarity and high-quality is what makes a difference for me, not sheer volume.

I have the Hybrid Touring trim and the audio system sound quality is fine. Nothing spectacular, not the best sound system I've heard, but far from the worst, seems about standard for cars in this price range. I rented an Audi A4 a few times and even the A4 mid-level trim's sound system (which I think Audi calls Premium Plus) was noticeably better, but it's $10K more expensive than the Accord Touring.

Here's a thread that discusses the sound quality a bit

 

[Vegashybrid]

If your just listening to news radio the base hybrid system will be fine.