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Choosing your first new car is a major milestone.
And, while retirement may seem like light years away for some, for those now staring at a gold watch it is just as important to choose which car will be your last – a four-wheeled reward that will, quite literally, last a lifetime.
Now, the right car depends on how you intend to enjoy your post-working life. Obviously, if you intend on joining the growing legion of grey nomads meandering around the country towing a caravan, then you’ll need something that can handle the outback while hauling a heavy load, like a proper four-wheel drive wagon or ute.
But if you’re looking to downsize everything – including your carbon footprint – and enjoy more of a five-star retirement, here’s why the Honda Accord e:HEV RS is the smart choice.
A simple decision
The last thing you need when choosing the right car for your retirement is a complicated buying process.
Thankfully, Honda makes it beautifully simple as the 11th-generation Honda Accord is offered in Australia in just one single, fully loaded specification, the hybrid-powered e:HEV RS that costs $64,900 drive-away.
The only decision you have to make is choosing from four colours – Platinum White Pearlescent, Crystal Black Pearlescent, Meteoroid Grey Metallic and Lunar Silver Metallic. Unlike most other brands, there’s no hidden premium paint options here either.
Honda’s no-haggle policy also makes the buying process fully transparent and fuss-free. And all of its showrooms work together, so if your preferred dealership doesn’t have the right vehicle in stock, it can arrange for it to be delivered from another.
Affordable luxury
The Honda Accord is loaded with sophisticated features that makes it a genuine luxury car, including:
- Leather-appointed interior trim
- Panoramic sunroof
- Dual-zone climate control with rear air vents
- Remote keyless entry with push-button start
- Remote engine start
- LED ambient interior lighting
- Eight-way power-adjustable front seats
- 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster
- 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen
- Bluetooth connectivity
- DAB+ digital radio
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Google Built-in functions including embedded Google Maps, voice assistant and Google Play app store
- Over-the-air software updates
- Premium Bose audio system with active noise cancelling
- Wireless phone charger
Useable tech
One of the highlights of the Accord’s suite of modern digital technologies is how easy it is use.
Unlike many rivals that incorporate every function into a complicated menu structure within a single screen, the Accord maintains physical controls for often-used features like the climate control and audio system.
There’s also a conventional gear lever in the centre console, and the steering wheel controls are clearly marked with audio functions on the left-hand spoke and vehicle settings (like cruise control) on the right.
The Google Built-in functions also make it easy to integrate your mobile device with your car. The embedded Google Maps is exactly the same as it is on your phone, and navigation information can either be displayed on the main screen or in your field of view on the instrument panel, with simplified instructions also on the head-up display.
Google Assistant allows you to search for places, input destinations and control certain functions (like the climate control and audio system) using natural voice commands.
And you can tailor how you use the system by downloading third-party apps from the Google Play Store, such as Spotify, YouTube Music, and digital radio channels.
Family room
The latest Honda Accord is, as it has always been, a mid-size four-door sedan that offers plenty of space inside its cabin.
The front seats are super-comfortable with four-way lumbar adjustment for the driver, and offer great support for long road trips with plenty of adjustment to suit drivers of all sizes.
The large door apertures also make it easy to get in and out of the cabin. And the extensive glasshouse provides excellent all-round vision.
There’s also a host of useable storage spaces throughout the cabin, with cupholders, a large, lidded bin, and a non-slip tray with the wireless phone charger in the centre console, plus decent door bins and a large glove box.
The panoramic glass sunroof drapes the cabin with light, making it feel even more spacious.
Now, while many retirees are empty-nesters and will predominantly use only the front seats, the Accord offers a generous level of rear-seat space and comfort for friends you may take out for dinner, or when looking after the grand kids.
Just as importantly, the boot has a cargo-carrying capacity of 570 litres, which is enough to fit a couple of a large bags of golf clubs or plenty of luggage for a holiday road trip.
Safety
Crucially, the Accord comes fully loaded with the latest in advanced crash-avoidance systems and autonomous driver aids under the banner of Honda Sensing technology, including:
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Forward collision warning
- Adaptive cruise control
- Lane keeping assistance
- Traffic jam assist
- Traffic sign recognition
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Driver attention monitoring
- Tyre pressure monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Front and rear parking sensors
- 360-degree parking display
The cabin has eight airbags and there are ISOFIX child restraints in the outboard rear seats, plus three rear top-tether attachment points.
The Accord also features Honda Connect, a sophisticated telematics systems that links the car to you via a smartphone app, allowing remote access to functions such as activating the climate control to cool down the cabin before you begin driving, finding exactly where it is parked via Google Maps, or sounding the alarm if you see any suspicious behaviour around the vehicle.
Honda Connect can automatically detect if the vehicle has been involved in an incident and, if so, a Honda representative will call to check on the occupants or contact emergency services and guide them to the exact location.
Users can also set geofence perimeters and speed limits when the vehicle is being used by anyone else, and automatically be notified if these restrictions are breached.
Fuel-sipping powertrain
The last thing you need in retirement is to be wasting your well-earned savings on petrol. But you also don’t want to shortchange your driving experience with something sluggish, or a car that requires you to think about how to optimise its fuel consumption.
Which is why the Accord is the perfect choice, thanks to its advanced – yet uncomplicated to use – hybrid powertrain.
Under the bonnet, the Accord is powered by a lean-burning 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol four-cylinder engine that drives the front wheels through a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) with two electric motors sandwiched inside.
The primary electric motor is designed to assist the petrol engine with extra power and torque, and can drive the vehicle on its own at low speeds or when cruising under light throttle applications.
The secondary e-motor predominantly acts like a generator to keep the lithium-ion battery pack charged, but can also switch into a traction motor for maximum power under full throttle.
The net result is a powertrain that produces 135kW of power and 335Nm of torque, yet consumes an average of just 4.3L/100km. Remarkably, Honda claims it drinks just 2.4L/100km in urban conditions, where it uses the electric motors more often.
Driving character
What all that equates to is a car that is not only easy to use and enjoyable to drive, but one that is ultra-comfortable and superbly refined.
While there are multiple driving modes that alter the powertrain and electronics, the beauty of the Accord’s driving character is you really don’t need to change anything to experience it as its best.
The hybrid powertrain is both quiet and effortless, delivering smooth low-speed performance from the e-motors and a seamless integration of the petrol engine when it chimes in.
The CVT is one of the best of its kind and doesn’t flare the revs the moment you touch the accelerator pedal, while the regenerative braking has a more natural feel through the pedal than most other hybrids.
The suspension tuning is right up there with the best in the business, providing a supremely comfortable driving character with positive, well-weighted steering and sure-footed handling.
And, lastly, the Accord’s well-calibrated safety systems set a benchmark in terms of how invisible they remain when you’re in control of the car, while also reacting effectively in emergency situations.
Put simply, the Honda Accord is a very nice car to drive – or be driven in.
Low running costs
Lastly, Honda’s enviable reputation for reliability takes the stress out of long-term ownership.
The Accord is not just sophisticated to drive, but also feels upmarket thanks to first-class engineering, top-notch cabin materials, and impeccable build quality.
For added peace of mind though, it is covered by a standard five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty that can be extended by up to an additional three years if the vehicle is maintained on schedule through the Honda service network and meets certain criteria.
Service intervals are 12 months or 10,000km and each of the first five visits to the workshop costs just $199.
So if you’re looking to treat yourself in retirement with a spacious, efficient and luxurious car, there are plenty of reasons to consider the Honda Accord.