If you've been intrigued by hybrid vehicles in the past, but have been turned off by their tepid performance, Speeder Pod styling, and price premium, then the Accord Hybrid could be the car to pull you off of the fence. Compared to an Accord EX V6, there is indeed a price premium and you do give up a feature or two (the moonroof is the biggest concession), but in return, you get superior performance, a slightly improved chassis, upsized tires, and a nice boost in fuel economy. You don't give up anything in terms of driveability and (this is either good or bad, depending upon your perspective) you don't attract any unwanted attention.

It will be interesting to sit back and observe how the marketplace responds to Honda's third hybrid offering. It takes a much different path than the Prius, and while it falls well short of delivering the Prius or Civic Hybrid's EPA figures, it offers far more comfort and performance than either. Will the stealth factor work in its favor or against it? Judging by how the Prius has generated far more recognition than the Civic Hybrid, I fear that the Accord Hybrid risks being overlooked as well. That's a shame, because Honda has once again demonstrated that their IMA technology may be the most elegant hybrid solution thanks to its simplicity and effectiveness.

The Accord Hybrid is likeable for all the same reasons you would like an Accord EX V6. It's just a little bit more likeable for its performance and efficiency. By the same token, it shares pretty much the same drawbacks as the Accord V6 EX - chief among them is the unremarkable styling. This is admittedly a very subjective point, but it seems to be a common beef with the current Accord sedan. That should change this fall with the mid-cycle model change that is due for the Accord. We hear that the sheetmetal changes will be more significant than is the norm for MMCs.