Although the Honda Accord is one of the highest-rated family sedans of all time, it is no good in off-road situations.
Going off-road is a great way to mix things up when you’re spending time in the wild. A good off-road vehicle is your ticket to adventure and can help you see the world in a whole new light. But not every vehicle is made to climb mountains.
The Honda Accord
has made Car and Driver’s 10 Best list a record 37 times — no other car even comes close to that number. But don’t let that fool you: it is a poor choice if you’re planning on going off the beaten path. Here to show you why the Honda Accord isn’t the best choice for your off-road adventure is car insurance comparison super app
and licensed broker Jerry
. We’ll look at all the specs that make or break an off-road vehicle, and we’ll show you how you can save big bucks on your next car insurance policy. Can the Honda Accord go off-road?
We wouldn’t recommend that the Honda Accord be put in any sort of off-road situation. The Accord is a city slicker through and through. If you’re looking for a backwoods companion or a rock-crawling rockstar, you’ll want to bypass the Honda Accord.
Here’s a closer look at all the most relevant off-road specs for the Honda Accord.
Ground clearance
Ground clearance is quite possibly the most important spec to consider when taking your vehicle off-road.
Simply put, ground clearance is the distance between the ground and the lowest point in your vehicle's undercarriage. That measurement tells you how large an object you can confidently pass over without damaging your vehicle.
The Honda Accord's ground clearance ranges from 5.5 inches on the Touring trim models to 6.7 inches on the LX trim models.
Off-road experts strongly suggest your vehicle have a minimum ground clearance of 6.6 inches for even the lightest off-road activity. A ground clearance of 8.8 inches is recommended for more difficult overland treks, and vehicles taking on intense 4x4 rock crawling should have a clearance of 10.8 inches.
With the exception of LX models, the Honda Accord comes in well under these minimum requirements. And even if you do have an LX model, you should not venture out beyond simple dirt and gravel roads.
Torque
When you go off-roading you can find yourself in some sticky situations. Torque is what helps you get out of trouble. Basically, torque is your car’s ability to turn its wheels when faced with resistance.
The Honda Accord runs on a 1.5-liter 192-horsepower four-cylinder engine that produces 192 foot-pounds of torque. That’s decent torque, especially when you consider that it’s capable of producing that at 1600 rpm — meaning that it has enough power to turn its wheels at low or no speed. So, if you find your drive wheels wedged against a rock, your Accord has the type of power needed to overcome the obstacle.
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Tires
Honda Accords are outfitted with all-season tires when they roll off the production line, which aren’t the best choice for off-roading — you want all-terrain tires. All-terrain tires have chunkier treads than traditional all-season tires, which helps provide traction for your vehicle. All-terrains also have tougher sidewalls to guard against damage in extreme conditions.
The good news is that adding all-terrain tires is the easiest modification you can make to your vehicle to instantly improve its off-road capabilities. The bad news is that all-terrain tires typically wear out faster, so you may notice that you are paying more for replacements than you normally would with all-season tires.
Drivetrain
As discussed, traction and torque are paramount when venturing off-road. It's important that all of your wheels be capable of propelling your vehicle through rough ground. For this reason, off-road aficionados stress that off-road vehicles have all-wheel or four-wheel-drive.
Unfortunately, the Honda Accord only comes equipped with front-wheel drive. That means your Accord's rear wheels will be no help in pushing your vehicle through any challenging terrain.
Angles
If you're tackling any sort of inclines when off-roading, you'll want to be aware of your approach and departure angles:
Approach angle is the steepest ramp your vehicle can pull itself up without its front end and undercarriage contacting the ramp.
Departure angle is the steepest ramp that a vehicle can descend and successfully depart without contacting the ramp with the undercarriage or rear bumper.
The Honda Accord has an approach angle of 20.8 degrees and a departure angle of 24.8 degrees. That's fine for things like parking garage ramps, but you'll want larger angles if you're planning on conquering anything more challenging.
Compare the Accord's modest angle specs with the Jeep Wrangler's approach and departure angles — 47.4 and 40.4 respectively — and it's clear that the Honda Accord just isn't up to snuff for off-road adventures.
Off-road rating: Don't Try It
We've analyzed the Honda Accord using Jerry's super scientific DIRT off-road rating system, outlined below:
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| | Vehicles better suited to highway conditions |
| | Vehicles that can handle off-road conditions in certain circumstances |
| | Vehicles designed for casual off-roading |
| | True off-road vehicles capable of tackling a range of terrain |
The Honda Accord has earned a D rating, falling short in just about every important category for off-road vehicles. We wouldn't recommend taking the Accord off-road. If the planet has become overrun with zombies and you have no other option, then you gotta do what you gotta do — otherwise, we suggest keeping your Accord on paved city streets and highways.
MORE: Want to get the best hybrid around? The Honda Accord Hybrid is your best bet
4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars 4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ drivers The best off-road alternatives to the Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is one of the highest-rated city sedans of all time. But, when it comes to its off-road capabilities, it ranks somewhere just above skateboard and just below golf cart.
If you want a great, reliable, family sedan with good performance and surprising luxury, the Honda Accord is the car for you. But maybe you don’t want to stay confined to city limits, or perhaps you don’t want to pay the $27,615 starting price for a new Accord. Here are your best alternatives to the Honda Accord, no matter where your priorities lie.
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Best affordable alternative | | | The Hyundai Sonata is a stylish and responsive midsize sedan. Base models offer a four-cylinder engine that produces similar horsepower and torque to the Accord—for $3,465 less. |
Best eco-friendly alternative | | | If you like the Honda Accord, you’ll love the Honda Accord Hybrid. You get all the style and reliability that has earned the Accord thirty-seven 10 Best nods from Car and Driver alongside an astounding fuel rating of 48 mpg. |
Best off-road alternative | | | The Toyota Camry ratchets up the power with a 203 horsepower four-cylinder engine. The midsize sedan is also available with all-wheel drive—another area where the Honda Accord lags behind. |
MORE: What is the best Honda Accord year?
How to find affordable car insurance for off-road vehicles
Off-road vehicles tend to be more expensive to insure than other cars. One reason is that they are usually equipped with more equipment that is expensive to repair or replace. Another reason is that off-road vehicles are often put in high-risk situations, and so insurance companies will charge a higher rate to offset an inevitable car insurance claim.
But just because you’ve got an off-road vehicle doesn’t mean you can’t get a good deal on car insurance. If you want to get the best deal around, just use the Jerry
app. Jerry compares your car insurance policy with quotes from over 55 top insurance providers. In just seconds, you’ll see the best rates available for the type of coverage you need. When you see a quote you like, you can easily cancel your old policy and get started with the new one right in the app.
“I’m a young adult in college. I paid overpriced insurance regularly, until Jerry
found me a fast and easy quote. It reduced my costs by 60%.” —Niveah M.
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