Test drive: 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid

Year after year, Honda produces products that either fascinate me or baffle me. The Accord Hybrid is a baffler. The current 4- and 6-cyl Accords both have plenty of power, so I always figuted the hybrid Accord would use a small 4-cyl engine and return 40+ MPG. Nope. Instead, Honda applied their electric power-boosting system to the Accord V6. In essence, they made a car with more power than most drivers will ever need even more powerful! As for the mileage savings, Honda claims 29 MPG city/37 MPG highway. Not bad. But after a couple of days of driving, guest reviewer Jason Fogelson noticed that he was averaging just 21 MPG. He eased up his lead foot, but by week's end the average only rose to 23 MPG. For comparison, a friend of mine averages 24-25 in her V6 (non-hybrid) Accord. For decades, Honda was the master of squeezing more power out of less fuel. My own Honda CRX is proof -- 190,000 hard miles, tired engine, yet it still goes like stink and gets 36 MPG. What the heck is happening? Methinks these guys are breathing their own exhaust fumes.-- Aaron Gold