There has been some discussion regarding the '06 Accord Hybrid's revised (lower) EPA figures.

While the '05 model was rated at 30city/37 highway, the revised-for-'06 model carries a less impressive 25/34mpg figure.

How did that happen?

Well, if you read the earlier press release on the '06 Accord Hybrid's pricing, you may have noticed that this year's model has been enhanced with the addition of a moonroof and a compact spare tire (vs a can of Fix-A-Flat, a glove, and a small 12V compressor that the '05 model shipped with). These two items and a few minor detail changes resulted in an increase in curb weight of 88lbs (up to 3589 lbs from 3501 lbs). Guess what? According to a font of knowledge over at American Honda with whom I spoke earlier today, this weight gain pushed the Accord into another EPA class, which means it had to be retested using a different set of EPA laboratory test parameters. The result is a noticeable ding in the mileage figures posted on the window sticker, but fear not, real world mileage figures will likely be very similar between the '05 and '06 models.