2017 Honda Accord Hybrid and Civic Hatchback
Once upon a time choosing a Honda was simple. They offered a small car, the Civic, and a not so small car, the Accord. Boy has that changed. From minivans, to crossovers, to pickup trucks, there is now a Honda body style for just about everyone. Plus they sell powertrains that run on gasoline, electric, and even hydrogen. Well now, Honda is adding two more choices that make full-lineup even fuller.
The stock Honda Accord is already quite fuel efficient for its size, and the updated 2017 Honda Accord Hybrid takes that mantra to a yet higher level.
Honda’s next gen. 2-motor hybrid system with a 2.0-liter I4 engine debuted in the Accord three years ago, but for 20-17 it ticks up horsepower by 2 to 143, with 7-more lb-ft. of torque to 129 lb-ft. With increased electric assist added in, total output climbs 16-horsepower to 212.
This is a full hybrid with three drive modes. In the Hybrid setting, at slower speeds, its e-CVT transmission utilize battery power as much as practical, using the engine more as a charging power generator. Above 60 miles-per-hour however, the gas engine has priority.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 49 -City, 47-Highway, and 48-Combined. That’s higher than any four-door of similar size. Our test loop delivered a very realistic 46.6 on Regular grade.
Plus, you can travel around 750-miles between fill-ups, thanks to a 15.8-gallon gas tank.
Compared to rival Toyota, the Accord Hybrid has more power than either the Camry Hybrid or Prius; while its fuel economy rating falls in between the two. Likewise, the Accord’s 13.5 cubic-ft. of cargo space puts it above the Camry, yet short of the Prius hatchback’s 27.4.
Hybrid cues on the outside are all in the details; they include blue tinting to lights, unique 17-inch wheels, and an aluminum hood.
Honda Sensing active safety systems are standard.
The driving experience is traditional Accord, which means better than Camry, but no sport sedan. Like all Accords it is super solid, though it’s so quiet in EV-mode, that when the gas engine kicks in at higher speeds, powertrain noise becomes very noticeable as the CVT tries to catch up to engine speed.
Otherwise, the shuffle between power sources is silky smooth; with none of the jerkiness of some rivals. Even the re-gen braking has a very natural feel.
Now for those who are less concerned about maximizing fuel economy, and are looking for a roomier and more versatile Civic compact, Honda has got you covered there too, with the 2017 Honda Civic Hatchback.
Riding on the same chassis as the Sedan and Coupe; the exterior design is of course unique, and oh so European. In fact it is imported from England.
Our Sport-trimmed tester had nicely bolstered cloth seats for those up front; and ample head and leg room in the rear.
We also found a manual shifter for the 6-speed transmission. Either it or a CVT comes attached to Honda’s 1.5-liter I4 Turbo that outputs 180-horsepower and up to 177 lb-ft. of torque. LX, EX, and EX-L trims come with a 174-horsepower version.
Max torque arrives fairly early in the rev band, we just wish there was a little more of it; though it sounds very aggressive.
We highly recommend the manual trans; with short and precise throws and clutch feel that would make Goldilocks happy.
If you’re looking for that fun to carry over to corner carving, well you’ll still have to wait for the Si; things are on the “comfortable highway daily driver soft” side here.
Steering lacks on-center feel, but is fairly quick and responsive. Sport trim comes with an 18-inch wheel and tire package, and during our early drive in Northern California, both tire and road noise became an issue after extended time behind the wheel.
As for hatch-enabled versatility, there’s up to 25.7 cubic-ft. of space behind the split-folding rear seats, that’s 10.6 more than the Sedan’s 15.1 cubic-ft. of trunk space. It maxes out at an almost SUV like 46.2 cubic-ft. with the rear seats folded.
To wrap up this dynamic duo of new Hondas, the Accord Hybrid starts at $30,440, or $7,250 over a base Accord; and you can get EX-L and Touring trims as well.
As for the Civic Hatchback, it starts at $20,535; about a grand more than a base Sedan.
So, if you’re looking for a more fuel efficient 5-passenger family sedan, you’ll find that not only is the 2017 Honda Accord Hybrid now fully completive with the Camry Hybrid and even the Prius; but it raises the bar for no-compromise practical hybrid driving; only the upcoming Honda Clarity plug-in might take it further.
Taking Civic versatility further is the 2017 Honda Civic Hatchback. So, giving buyers more, more, and even more options; seems to be what Honda is all about. And clearly, that’s a winning strategy.
Specifications
- Horsepower: 212
- Torque: 129 lb-ft.
- EPA: 49 mpg city / 47 mpg Highway
2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV
It May Not Make A Whole Lot Of Sense, But It’s Still An Awesome Vehicle
The reborn GMC Hummer all-electric pickup delivered all the off-road chops we expect from a Hummer, plus the supercar-like acceleration of a high-performance EV that we didn’t expect. Well, now things have come full circle, as the Hummer is once again an SUV. So, let’s burn up some rubber, and some electrons, and learn what’s next for Hummer.
What a roller coaster the Hummer has been on. In seemingly no time at all it went from aspirational military-inspired ruggedness, to the poster boy for excess and environmental irresponsibility; and then just as quickly, it disappeared altogether as a casualty of GM’s 2009 bankruptcy.
Well, then under the GMC banner, the 2022 Hummer EV Pickup flipped the script by becoming the ultimate pollution-free EV at a time when EVs were just becoming mainstream. Since this 2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV more closely resembles the original, it looks like we’ve come full circle.
Most of the same stuff that made the pickup version so unique and so awesome are here: interactive LED lighting, Crab Walk, Super Cruise, Extract Mode, Watts to Freedom… just slightly less of it as the SUV version has four fewer modules in its double-stacked battery assemblies that make up this Ultium platform.
This 3X uses the same three-motor arrangement as the pickup, one up front and two in the rear, but “only” 830 horsepower here, due to the smaller battery; though 11,500 lbs. of torque is plenty enough for any land-based automotive task we can imagine. As to range, if you opt for the Extreme Off-Road package, which comes with mud-terrain tires, you’ll be limited to just 298 miles; but the standard setup here is rated for 314.
We saw as much as 305 available in the gauge display, so we planned a 302-mile road trip and still had an indicated 46 miles remaining at the end of it, putting us on pace for a range of 348 miles.
It can be a handful when you give it a foot-full, as Watts to Freedom launches are no joke.
With a 9-inch-shorter wheelbase, the SUV’s tidier package makes for better off-roading agility; that is, if you’re comfortable hammering through trails in your six-figure EV showpiece. And the SUV has also brought a few new things to the Hummer portfolio such as satellite-based trail mapping as part of the myGMC app and a Power Station onboard generator that gives you 19.2-kW of power for charging things out on the trail, including other EVs.
Much like the Hummer EV Pickup, it can be a handful when you give it a foot-full, as Watts to Freedom launches are no joke. Then only 3.6 seconds to 60 for a borderline cinematic experience with unique displays and sounds along for the ride.
Nothing is held back here. Full power is unleashed whether there’s enough grip for it or not, so you tend to get pulled in different directions as you take off and, for the most part, the whole way down the track. We cleared the quarter in 12.3 seconds at 112 mph as power never really lets up.
It’s easy to say that an 8,500-lbs. vehicle probably shouldn’t be moving that fast, but a few trips through our handling course reveals it has more than enough stuff to handle that weight. If you’re not afraid of some body roll, you can push it quite hard, and it will turn in without issues; the four-wheel steering clearly helps. And it dealt with that weight just fine in panic braking runs too, stopping us from 60 in a respectable 130 feet with no drama.
With everything forward of the rear seats the same as the Hummer Pickup, the interior is very familiar. There’s plenty of comfort and space for three in the rear seats, plus lots of flexibility. Cargo area is accessed through a side-opening, power-operated door that reveals 35.9 cubic-feet of space, which expands to 81.8 cubic-feet with the seatbacks folded; and of course, there’s also 11.3 cubic-feet in the front under hood cargo area.
But even with the shift to battery power, this Hummer remains very thirsty, using 63 kWh of energy per 100 miles. Pricing for this 3X starts at $106,945, the two-motor 2X at $98,845. Both the same as the Pickup.
While it can seem more ridiculous than practical, it’s hard not to love the reborn Hummer. Not only is it a purely unique automotive experience, but it’s a rolling example of what’s possible with battery power, while at the same time being incredibly fun and surprisingly easy to drive. The 2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV delivers much the same macho bravado of the original Hummer H1, but does it for a new era.
Specifications
As Tested
- Motor Setup: Tri Motor
- Battery Size: 212 kWh
- Horsepower: 830
- EPA Range: 298 miles
- 0-60 mph: 3.6 seconds
- 1/4 Mile: 12.3 seconds at 112 mph
- Braking, 60-0: 130 feet (avg)
- MW Test Loop: ~ 349 miles