Kia Optima vs Honda Accord

What's the difference?

If you travel long distances, want a good amount of space and don’t want to pay big bucks for a new car, then yeah, maybe there is a reason sedans like this will hang around for a while longer.

Sure, the appeal of sedans mightn’t be as strong as it once was, but models like the Kia Optima prove they still have a reason to exist.

I know the market has well and truly moved on from sedans but it’s a shame the Accord won’t sell in huge numbers. Those who do favour a sedan will find a lot to like in this new-gen Accord. 

There are definitely areas of improvement and a few negatives, but it’s spacious, frugal, stylish and generously equipped. And it’s a lot more fun to drive than a Camry hybrid. Absolutely worth considering instead of an SUV.

Cosmetic changes for the facelifted 2018 Kia Optima include new headlights and tail-lights with revised LED signatures (but still halogen lamps in the base model), and there are newly sculpted bumpers and new wheel designs across the two-model range. 

We had the base model Si, which doesn’t look as good as the GT model, because it has smaller wheels, the sporty body kit and misses out on the LED headlights, but the LED daytime running lights are still present.

The GT has a more aggressive look, and the side skirts, front spoiler and rear diffuser fit it better - there are dual exhausts, but not sporty quad exhaust tips.

In fact, this model is a bit like the old-man version of the Optima. No offence intended to old men, of course. The GT is just heaps sportier, and I reckon it’s considerably more attractive as a result. 

Still, the inherent sleek styling of the Optima remains - the chrome highlighting along the window line is a bit too sheeny for me, but the angles and stance of this model are quite gracious. I really dig the fact the top of the windscreen mirrors the ‘Tiger Nose’ grille shape.

I'm no exterior designer, but I liked the existing Optima more - it just looked a bit neater, even though it had a decent amount of bling with its Mercedes-like diamond-pattern grille, as opposed to the cheese grater look seen here.

There’s not quite as much bling inside the cabin of the Si, either, but it is still a well-designed space - just not as special as the premium package offering of the GT (which gets leather trim - not nappa leather, but still a quality cowhide finish, and more). Check out our interior photos to see if you agree - but size and interior dimensions of the Optima are hard to argue against.

The Accord has evolved so much over the years. From the three-door liftback from 1977 to a full-size four-door sedan. Not only is this new version bigger than the previous model, it’s longer than the sizeable Skoda Superb.

Design-wise, there is a definite connection to the previous-gen Accord, but Honda has sharpened and elevated the design.

As with other current Honda models like the Civic and HR-V, the Accord adopts a pared back exterior design, eschewing busy lines and creases in favour of a cleaner approach. 

The long, low bonnet emphasises the size of the car, and in profile it looks like a liftback. Up front it has cool slimline LED headlights and an edgy new grille design.

The Accord features a sporty RS body kit and that means black side skirts all around, black mirror caps and a black spoiler. This looks fine with the black or dark grey body colours, but it is quite bold when paired with the white paint of our test car. 

The interior will be familiar to anyone that’s been in a modern Honda, like the current Civic or CR-V. 

There’s the same horizontal theme with the meshed air vents along the dash, but the Accord gains soft-touch premium dash materials. 

You won’t find too many buttons as most of the functions, including air-con, are housed in the multimedia screen.

The three-spoke steering wheel is visually appealing and feels nice, too. The leather-appointed front seats are comfortable and supportive but don’t look particularly premium.

It’s definitely a more high-end cabin than a Camry, but maybe not quite Lexus levels of luxury.

I really like the way Kia designs its cabins. Sure, there’s a lot of black in here, but there’s also a lot of thought put into the usability of the space.  

The high-mounted 7.0-inch infotainment and multimedia touch screen in the Si is simple to use, and for 2018 the Optima range gets Apple CarPlay and Android Auto - you couldn’t get that in the Optima up to this point. 

Also included are a reversing camera, USB input, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming and six speakers. The Si model misses out on sat nav - you’ll have to use the maps app on your phone. No DVD player either.

Storage is well thought out in here, with big bottle holders in the doors, a good sized pair of cup holders up front, and a nice little storage bin for your phone, wallet, keys and so on.

There’s a driver info screen with a digital speedo, and even on this base model you get a dual-zone climate control air conditioner. The updated Optima gets a new steering wheel, too.

Now, what about the back seat?

It may be considered a ‘mid-sized’ sedan, but there’s limo-like space. With the driver’s seat in my position (I’m about six feet tall) there was still heaps of rear legroom in the rear seat, with ample knee room, good foot room and decent shoulder space, too - three of me could slot across the back bench comfortably, which means kids will fit easily, too. There are three top-tether points and two ISOFIX points as well.

Kids and adults alike will be happy with the rear air vents back here, and there’s a flip down armrest with cupholders, too. Again, big bottle holders appear in the doors, and there are map pockets in the back seats.

What about boot space? With so many people choosing SUVs over sedans because they’re theoretically more practical, the Optima offers good food for thought - it has enough luggage capacity for a bunch of suitcases (510 litres VDA in size) and there’s a full-size alloy spare under the boot floor. If you need more, you could always invest in a roof rack setup?

It might be longer than the previous Accord, but the new-gen model has the same wheelbase. It’s still a super spacious cabin, though.

There’s ample room between the two front passengers and plenty of headroom, in the front seats at least. Those comfy seats are eight-way power adjustable on both sides.

A sedan might not be as practical as something like a CR-V, but the Accord has a good level of storage. The glove box only fits the vehicle manual, but a big central bin will fit a lot more.

There are two big cupholders in the centre console and large 1.5-2.0L bottles will just fit in the door bins.

You also get a pair of USB-C ports and a wireless charger, however the pad in our test car did not work at any point during our loan. And yes, we pressed the 'on' button.

The Accord debuts built-in Google for Honda and for the most part it’s a solid system. Google Assistant responds to voice commands and when we asked the system to ‘turn up the heat’, it promptly did just that. It got confused with some commands but it can’t operate everything. 

The built-in Google Maps work well but make sure you have location services turned on, and it might be best to log in to your personal Google account to get the best out of it.

If you have Google Nest connected at home, you can sync all of this up. In theory, you could be driving home and ask the system in your car to ‘turn on the lounge room lights’ at home, and Google will action it. It’s equal parts cool and scary.

In terms of the 12.3-inch multimedia screen, it’s a solid set-up with an easy menu structure. Apple CarPlay is quick to connect, however I had to reconnect my phone several times, even though it was the ‘favourite' device. 

In the second row, the seats are well cushioned for comfort. There is ample legroom, but if you need more you can shift the front passenger seat forward from a little switch on the side of the chair.

Space across the rear pew is also generous and as well as three top tether points you’ll find ISOFIX anchors on the outboard seats.

What you won’t find is a huge amount of headroom. I am just over six foot (183cm) and my noggin scrapes the roofliner. If you’re shorter, or if you sink into the seats it’s fine. But that swoopy silhouette, and the intrusive sunroof, impact rear headroom. 

You get two more USB-C ports, map pockets, more door bottle room than the front seats and a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders, but beware - the cupholder cover has a tendency to pinch when you open it. There's a ski port behind the armrest, too.

Rather than a split-fold rear seat, the Accord backrest folds down as one whole unit. What’s more odd, you have to use a lever in the boot to lower the backrest. But it doesn’t force the backrest down - you still have to open the rear door and manually lower it yourself. It’s a quirk from the previous Accord I still don’t get.

That boot, however, is massive. It swallows 570 litres with all seats in place. It’s not as much as the Skoda Superb liftback (625L), but it’s more than the Lexus ES300h’s 454L. But there's a reason for that.

The Lexus comes with a space-saver spare wheel, but the Accord comes with a tyre repair kit. It’s the same deal on all other Honda hybrids. 

Honda says some people prefer the kit over a spare as they would rather just slap on the goo and drive somewhere to get a new tyre, rather than fuss around with changing a wheel on the side of a road. But I am sure a fair few people would disagree with that.

Honda is keeping it very simple with the 11th-gen Accord. One grade and that’s it. There are more variants offered in other markets but they are probably never going to come here.

So, we get the e:HEV RS, which is a hybrid with a sporty body kit that's priced at $64,900, which is $3000 more expensive than the previous-generation hybrid grade. That is expensive for what has traditionally been a Toyota Camry rival, but there's more to the story.

That pricing is drive-away, so all additional dealer and delivery costs are included. There’s also an exceptional servicing offer I will get to later in the review. And this Accord is fairly well stacked with standard gear.

When it comes to rivals, it’s now occupying a unique space somewhere between models like the higher-grade Toyota Camry SL hybrid ($51,417, before on-road costs), and more premium sedans like the Lexus ES300h Luxury hybrid ($65,540). There is a new-gen Camry on the horizon however and that is expected to go up in price.

The Skoda Superb ($69,990, drive-away) is also an alternative to the Accord, but it is petrol only, and there’s also the Peugeot 508 GT Fastback plug-in hybrid, but that’s $81,610.

Standard gear includes a panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate control, a wireless charger, black leather-appointed seats with red stitching, eight-way power adjustable front seats with memory function for the driver, ambient lighting, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, remote engine start, keyless entry and start and alloy sports pedals.

Tech-wise, it comes with a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, an 11.5-inch head-up display, a 12-speaker Bose audio system and a 12.3-inch multimedia set-up with built-in Google Assistant, Maps and Play. That also includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, digital radio and over-the-air updates.

You will also get five years free access to 'Honda Connect', which is essentially a phone app that allows the user to remotely control the cabin climate, lock and unlock the car, activate the horn or immobilise the engine. You can also locate your car with the app (if you lose it in a busy car park).

But there are some odd omissions from the standard features list. For example, it doesn’t have heated front or rear seats, which is a bit odd for this price.

The Si model is powered by a 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which has seen no changes to its specifications for this mid-life update.

Engine specs remain at 138kW of power at 6000rpm, while torque is rated at 241Nm at 4000rpm. It makes use of a six-speed automatic transmission only - there’s no manual transmission here, but you do get paddle shifters - and it's front wheel drive (the Optima isn't available with AWD, or as a 4x4, or in rear wheel drive - the latter is left to its bigger brother, the Stinger).

The GT gets a zestier drivetrain with more horsepower - it has a 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder engine with 180kW/350Nm, which is much more desirable, but also louder than the Si’s 2.4. It also has a six-speed auto transmission, and is FWD. If you're into ratings and statistics, that 2.0-litre with a turbocharger is one of the perkier offerings for its engine size in the class.

There is no hybrid model available, despite a plug in hybrid petrol version (allowing you to run in EV mode) being sold in European markets. No diesel here, either, while other markets get a 1.7-litre turbo diesel. No LPG model here, or anywhere else, for that matter.

Towing capacity for Optima models is 750kg unbraked and 1700kg braked for the 2.4-litre, and 700kg/1400kg for the 2.0-litre turbo. Tow bar down-weight is capped at 80kg.

If you're concerned about engine problems, suspension problems, clutch and transmission issues, be sure to check out our Kia Optima problems page.

The previous-gen Accord was offered as a hybrid, but it was also available as a second variant powered by Honda’s excellent 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine.

This time around it’s hybrid-only and the powertrain is essentially the same system found in the CR-V SUV.

It is made up of a revised version of Honda’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine paired with a two-motor hybrid arrangement. The total system output is 135kW of power and 335Nm of torque.

The Accord is front-wheel drive and uses an electrically-controlled continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Kia claims a very realistic fuel economy rating of 8.3 litres per 100 kilometres for the Si model, and we saw damn close to that consumption during our week of testing. On the highway it will sit at around 6.5L/100km, ensuring good mileage, while city driving will push usage above 12.0L/100km. Our overall average was 8.5L/100km, which is good. Use the eco mode, and you'll get a little better use.

The turbocharged GT model uses a little more, according to Kia’s 8.5L/100km combined average claim, but we guarantee you’ll actually use more than that because it’s more eager to please.

Fuel tank capacity is 70 litres - plenty of size for long distance drives.

The Accord e:HEV RS sips just 4.3 litres of fuel (91 RON) per 100 kilometres on the combined cycle.

That’s exactly the same figure as its predecessor. It’s also more frugal than the Lexus ES300h (4.8L) and Toyota Camry hybrid (4.5L). It emits 98g/km of CO2.

At the conclusion of my test, that mostly included urban and freeway driving, I saw a figure of 5.1L/100km.

The Optima has some really good elements to the way it drives, but sadly  some less impressive bits as well.

Let’s start with the not-so-great stuff - the 2.4-litre engine in this Si model just isn’t as enjoyable as the turbo unit, and the fact that Kia still doesn’t offer a hybrid version here, despite doing so elsewhere, is a bit of a downer.

The drivetrain isn’t terrible - the six-speed auto is smart enough, and there’s usable power if you boot it. The two more sedate drive modes, 'Eco' and 'Comfort', mean the transmission will aim to save fuel and limit throttle response, with a bit more of a lazy feel to the drive experience. But in 'Sport' mode it is definitely more rewarding in terms of acceleration and performance, offering a bit more pep and urgency (we didn't do a 0-100 km/h speed test, but take our word for it); it undoubtedly at the cost of fuel consumption.

It’s just a bit of a shame Kia doesn’t offer the turbo in this spec, too. Fuel use for the Si model is better than the turbo, however, so it could be ideal for buyers who are more worried about the bottom line than design and a sportier drive.

The thing I like most about the Optima is its road manners - the steering and suspension have been tuned for local conditions, just like all Kia products, and it shows. 

The electric power steering is really well sorted, making for easy parking moves and good assuredness at higher speeds. And the turning circle is decent, too - 10.9m (so, the turning radius is 5.45m). 

Plus the ride comfort is really good. On the highway it coasts along with very little fuss, and around town it deals with lumps and bumps impressively. Sharp edges can upset things a tad, and mid-corner bumps can make it jitterbug a little bit, but not to a degree that would rule it out of contention if you want a mid-sized sedan.

It’s pretty quiet on the open road, too, and the adaptive cruise control makes long-distance driving a simple task. The GT does suffer a little bit more road noise, though.

One of the best cars I have driven in the past couple of years is the Honda Civic e:HEV hybrid. It is an exceptional car in virtually every area - although it is pricey - and feels like it’s almost in hot hatch territory.

It’s unfair to expect the same of the Accord hybrid, given its size and heft, but it has enough playfulness to ensure an engaging drive experience.

Being a low-slung sedan the driving position ensures you feel connected with the road - something you can’t say about a lot of SUVs of this size. Despite the sloping rear roofline, visibility front and rear is not bad.

In ‘normal’ mode the Accord is responsive from a standing start, but can’t match the Civic hybrid. It would, however, give the Camry and Lexus ES a run for their money.

There is instant urge if you need to overtake quickly at speed.

‘Sport’ mode is definitely noisier, and while the engine sounds good, it’s fake. It feels a little more responsive in Sport, but it doesn’t transform the Accord into a sports car.

It will drive in EV mode in low-speed conditions like sub-40km/h zones and car parks. The transition from electric to petrol power is super smooth, as it is in the CR-V.

I tested the Accord on my usual route which includes some fast corners and sweeping uphill bends, and the big sedan seems to love being pushed. There’s a confidence to the way it sticks to the road, and there isn’t a hint of body roll.

The ride quality is mostly fine and the car feels well balanced, but you occasionally notice some road imperfections despite the high side wall of the 18-inch Michelin tyres.

The electric CVT doesn’t drone like some can, and seems to have fake gearing engineered in as it sounds like it's changing gears.

More generally, the Accord has an excellent head-up display that doesn’t distract and a solid digital instrument cluster. The indicator stalk is damped in a harsh way and feels and sounds a bit cheap.

For such a large car, the turning circle feels quite compact, so parking isn't as traumatising as it can be in such a big car. 

Honda said a lot of work went into improving noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels and as a result, the cabin is well insulated from things like wind and road noise.

The Accord has not been tested by ANCAP, and the previous model wasn’t tested either. Given the low volumes, it may not get a rating at all.

It does, however, come with an extensive standard safety features list under the 'Honda Sensing' driver assistance suite, which includes a forward collision warning, auto emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, traffic sign recognition, adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow, road departure mitigation and traffic jam assist.

It also gets eight airbags and a tyre pressure monitor.

While the forward collision warning seems a touch too sensitive, the lane keeping aid is excellent. It centres the vehicle in the lane and avoids bouncing between line markings. Very smooth.

Kia remains a shining light in terms of its new-car-ownership promise, with a very strong seven-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. It makes a lot of sense if you plan to hang onto the car for a while. There's no extended warranty available, which is understandable.

That plan also includes a roadside-assist plan for the same seven-year period, provided you maintain your car with Kia Australia. So, given you get one year to start with, then you get an extra year of cover every time you go back to Kia to get your car serviced, you could end up with eight years of coverage. Nice!

Servicing is due every 12 months or 15,000km, with the first seven years covered by a capped-price-service cost / maintenance cost plan. The costs are: service one - $289; two - $466; three - $360; four - $559; five - $325; six - $599; seven - $345. That makes a total cost of $2943, which is competitive for its class. Keep your owners manual or logbook up to date, and your resale value should hold up better.

If you have concerns about common problems, issues, reliability ratings and durability, you should check out our Kia Optima problems page.

The Accord is covered by a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and it includes five years of roadside assist. 

Honda has an exceptional service offer on all its models, including the Accord. It’s a five-year capped-price program and you will only pay $199 per service for those first five years. 

The servicing schedule is every 12 months or 10,000 kilometres, whichever comes first. The industry standard is 15,000km, so that’s a little disappointing, but the overall service offer is still solid in my books.