2014 Honda Accord Hybrid

2014 Honda Accord Hybrid

Episode 3312
Auto Value and Bumper to BumperTire Rack "The Way Tire Buying Should Be"

Despite being the first big player in the hybrid game with their Insight, Honda’s less than focused approach let hybrid superiority slip to the Toyota brand. One of Honda’s misfires was the original Accord Hybrid. A hybrid that oddly favored power over MPGs. Well, now there’s a new Accord Hybrid that is so efficient, it rivals the market leading Prius. So let’s see if Honda’s aim this time is on target.

The 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid is an entirely different animal than the V6 Accord Hybrid that arrived for the 2005 model year. The new Accord Hybrid is also a separate model from the limited production plug-in Honda Accord PHEV, although the two cars do share a lot of technology.

Make no mistake, the 2014 Accord Hybrid, built in Ohio, is aiming for mass market appeal and a much larger impact than any fuel-sipping Accord before it. It all starts with a fresh hybrid approach. No longer the IMA system, the Accord Hybrid bares a new 2-motor hybrid electric CVT powertrain. Called i-MMD, it follows the Chevrolet Volt in using an electric motor to actually drive the front wheels most of the time, getting electrical power from a gasoline generator, which is called the “second” motor.

Honda’s two-motor approach does come with a weight penalty as the Hybrid weighs almost 300 pounds more than a standard Accord sedan automatic. The hybrid hardware’s extra poundage is tempered by a new aluminum sub-frame and rear bumper beam. With close to 16-gallons of fuel capacity you can stretch the hybrid’s refueling stops to over 650 miles.   

Only at medium to high speeds operation is there a mechanical link that allows the car to run on gasoline power alone. So far the two-motor unit is identical to the Accord Plug-in Hybrid. However, the Accord Hybrid has a much smaller 1.3kWh lithium-ion battery, and cannot be plugged in to recharge.

There is an EV Drive mode for very slow speeds, and range is fairly limited. That’s similar to the Prius.

Some cars pull of the hybrid transformation better than others, and the Accord is about as undetectable as you can get at highways speeds, though you can sense a little drivetrain switcheroo, when darting about town. 

The gas burning generator part of the equation is a 2.0-liter I4 that outputs 141-horsepower and 122 lb-ft. of torque. Add in the 124kW of electric motor power and total powertrain productivity comes in at 196-horsepower. 

And while not a hot rod by any means, together they deliver a surprisingly sporty attitude. Regenerative braking is smooth in operation except at very low speeds. If more aggressive regen braking is desired, you can engage a braking mode with the gearshift lever.

Equally smooth are the upgraded amplitude reactive dampers that help reduce the floaty feel over bumps when driving at highway speeds, and again foster a more sporting feel than other family sized hybrids. 

When it comes to exterior styling, the Hybrid’s look is tweaked pretty significantly for a Honda product. There are optional LED headlights, standard blue tinting on the tail lights and grille, 17-inch aero-style alloy wheels, trunk lid spoiler, and a rear diffuser. It’s a look that is more aggressive than “greener”, with only a few classy hybrid badges indicating a more efficient status.    

As for interior compromises, there’s 3.1 cubic-ft. less cargo space and no folding rear seatbacks due to battery placement at the front of the trunk.

Like many high efficiency vehicles, there’s electric power steering, water pump, and A/C to help take some of the load off the engine. And, the Accord Hybrid also keeps track of your driving habits and gives you an ECO score. 

Government Fuel Economy Ratings come in at 50-City, 45-Highway, 47-Combined. That’s compares to a Combined rating of for 50 for the Toyota Prius, 41 for the Toyota Camry Hybrid, a more direct rival, and 30 for the standard Accord automatic. Naturally, the Energy Impact Score is stellar at 7.0-barrels of annual oil use with CO2 emissions of 3.1-tons.

That’s a lot of numbers. And, there’s others in pricing as the Accord Hybrid costs significantly more than a base 4-cylinder Accord starting at $29,945.

To be fair, the base Hybrid is far better equipped than a base Accord, with Honda’s LaneWatch, push button start, RearView Camera, LED daytime running lights, and side turn signal mirrors as standard. You have to upgrade to EX-L trim for heated seats and Touring level to get navigation where the hybrid premium is a smaller jump. 

While it’s doubtful the 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid can stop the Prius juggernaut, it’s good news that Honda finally has a competitive hybrid. Moreover, it’s a car that delivers on its high mileage promises without compromising the immense popularity that the Accord also enjoys. This is indeed one Honda hybrid that looks to be right on target.

Specifications

  • Engine: 2.0-liter I4
  • Horsepower: 196
  • Torque: 122 lb-ft.
  • EPA: 50 mpg city/ 45 mpg highway
  • Energy Impact: 7.0 barrels of oil/yr
  • CO2 Emissions: 3.1 tons/yr
2025 Subaru WRX tS 11

2025 Subaru WRX tS

Subaru’s “World Rally eXperimental” Gets Tecnica-Tuned Tech

Episode 4427
Auto Value and Bumper to BumperTire Rack "The Way Tire Buying Should Be"

Building on its global rally heritage, WRX has been a standalone Subaru nameplate, marketed separately from garden variety Impreza, for two generations now. And while the current WRX still lacks the full STI treatment, this WRX tS serves up some of that high-performance spice we’ve been longing for.

Before we go flat out into our Track Test of this 2025 Subaru WRX tS, lets open the Subaru dictionary so we’re all on the same page. “tS” stands for “tuned by STI;” and “STI” is an acronym for “Subaru Tecnica International,” the brand’s high-performance sub-group best known for upgrading the WRX— oh, that stands for “World Rally eXperimental,” in case you didn’t know.

All that said, STI has been largely dormant for this WRX generation, but this tS sprinkles more of their engineering magic into the mix. No, that doesn’t mean extra power, but does mean significant chassis-related improvements.

First, electronically controlled dampers, adjustable through the 11.6-inch tablet-style infotainment screen. That meant a softer “comfort” mode on the 10+ hour commute to and from Savannah’s Roebling Road Raceway. But once we were there, it was the firmer “Sport+” setting all the way, heightening response from the WRX’s throttle and already quick dual-pinion power steering system. There’s still some body roll for rally-esque weight transfer, but it’s well sorted and provides the “toss-ability” you want in a WRX.

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Though if you do autocross your tS, which we implore you to do, you might feel the six-piston front, two-piston rear Brembo brakes first. The bite is strong, giving good rotation in the corners and plenty of “halt” for this 3,400 lb. compact with minimal fade, keeping us on track all week…until some unfortunate winter weather passed overhead. No worries here, as Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive system got us to the track for some powdered deserts: Frosted donuts served up Michelin style, a set of winter tires different from the grippy Bridgestone Potenza S007 rubber the tS typically rides on. Some prior hot laps of California’s Sonoma Raceway gave credence to those Bridgestones, and showed us what this hot-compact can do in ideal conditions.

It’s well sorted and provides the “toss-ability” you want in a WRX.

Other tS enhancements are cabin-based, namely these beautiful blue Recaros. Most of our staff appreciated their moderately-aggressive bolstering on both street and track. And they’re even heated, too. Another tS-only appointment is this 12.3-inch digital gauge display. It mimics the standard analog gauges with some additional info, but can switch to a navigation mode for more convenient route guidance.

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We do wish our tS came in the new Galaxy Purple or the trademark World Rally Blue, but this Crystal White paint wasn’t too shabby, contrasting its Cherry Blossom Red badging and blacked-out lip spoiler. Otherwise, the tS is like any other WRX, down to the hood scoop funneling air to the top-mounted intercooler.

Underneath is the same turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-four in all other trims, boxing at 271 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. The freak winter weather stopped straight-line testing, but a 0-60 time estimate of 5.5 seconds is about as spry as you realistically need, pulling strong through most of the tach; though the 6,000 RPM redline required attentive shifting of the six-speed box, which the tS comes exclusively with. The throws are precise, if a little long, and the clutch is wonderfully weighted.

With discontinuation of the Base trim, pricing for the WRX now starts with Premium at $36,920. The tS is at the top of the lineup with the automatic-only GT, both starting at $46,875. All WRXs continue to be made in Gunma, Japan.

If you’re an enthusiast itching to do the tuning yourself, perhaps the 2025 Subaru WRX tS is not for you. But if you want a plug-and-play experience, this is it. While it won’t exactly bestow the loose-cannon, top-level driving skills exhibited by famous WRC drivers upon you, the tS moves this WRX’s game in a direction we’ve so desperately wanted Subaru to take.

Specifications

As Tested

  • Engine: 2.4-liter flat-four
  • Tranmission: 6-speed manual
  • Horsepower: 271
  • Torque: 258 lb-ft
2025 Porsche 911 Carrera 23

2025 Porsche 911 Carrera

Ever Evolving 911 Reaches New Heights

Episode 4426
Auto Value and Bumper to BumperTire Rack "The Way Tire Buying Should Be"

The Porsche 911 has existed for 60 years now! Amazing! And, you could argue that major changes over all those years have been relatively few, as constant incremental improvement is more the way that Porsche does business. With that in mind, let’s hit the track in the latest 911 and see what constant improvement means for 2025.

We’ve driven so many 911s here at MotorWeek, each seemingly more special than the last, so it’s a bit refreshing to be ripping around Savannah’s Roebling Road Raceway in a 2025 Porsche 911 that’s about as close as you can get to base these days. And the fact that it’s just as fun as all those exclusive pieces says a lot about how far the 911 has come. Perhaps it also speaks to how much a base 911 will set you back today as well; more on that later.

For now, we’re just thinking about the next apex, holding steady throttle as we approach, and getting on it way sooner than you’d expect without upsetting anything, as the 911 rockets off the corner thanks to tremendous grip and a PDK trans that finds the perfect gear before we even gave it a thought. Even with very cold track temps, we never struggled for grip or battled any wheelspin coming off of corners. And trying to land it in that perfect spot in braking zones is easy with strong brake performance that was predictable and consistent lap after lap; no wandering, and great feedback too.

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Yes, even the standard 911 is near pure perfection on a racetrack. It gives you all the right feedback, stays incredibly flat through corners, makes you always feel totally in control, and again is just plain fun. Unless you’re chasing lap times, there’s really no need to head further up the 911 tree. Though it is worth noting the few upgrades that were on our Carrera did help the situation a little. The 20- and 21-inch Carrera S wheels enabled plenty of grip from the 305 Pirelli P Zero tires, the Sport Chrono Package allows 0-60 sprints of 3.7 seconds, an extended range fuel tank meant we could lap all day without having to fill up, and the fantastic Sport Seats provided great support and better comfort than we remember experiencing in a 911. The Sport Exhaust system didn’t add anything to performance, but made things sound a whole lot better, and the oval silver tips look great too.

We never struggled for grip or battled any wheel spin coming off of corners.

Our track time got cut short thanks to a rare snowstorm in Coastal Georgia, but the white stuff and blue sky made the perfect backdrop for our Guards Red Carrera. Exterior tweaks for what is officially the 992.2 include a reshaped front fascia with improved aerodynamics. All front lighting is now contained within the Matrix Design LED headlight housing. The rear fascia has also been smoothed out, the license plate moved higher, and Porsche 3D block lettering spelled out across the back beneath the active rear spoiler and new decklid grille.

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Even without Turbo in the name, the standard 911 engine is indeed a turbo these days, a 3.0-liter flat-six twin-turbo delivering 388 horsepower and 331 lb-ft strictly to the rear wheels in the Carrera Coupe.

Inside the cabin, the 911 continues its slow crawl towards the modern, now including a 12.6-inch fully digital gauge display and a start button located on the left side of the steering wheel, with drive modes easily accessible on the wheel itself. In another no brainer move, Porsche now makes the rear seat a no cost option, so you can choose if you want it or not.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 18 City, 25 Highway, and 21 Combined. That’s only slightly worse than average for the Energy Impact Score; 14.2 barrels of annual oil consumption with 7.0 tons of CO2 emissions.

The good news is this 911 had the fewest number of options of any Porsche that we’ve tested in some time, and it was still plenty awesome; the bad news is, a base Porsche 911 Carrera Coupe now starts at $122,095.

But can you really put value on “the force,” this mythical power that Porsche seems to have, that somehow turns average drivers into great ones? It’s useless to resist as far as we’re concerned, as it only gets better with the 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera.

Specifications

As Tested

  • Engine: 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-6
  • Transmission: 8-speed PDK
  • Horsepower: 388
  • Torque: 331 lb-ft