Few cars can be purchased or recommended with more confidence than the Honda Accord

The Honda Accord is one of the longest-running nameplates on the road, and one of the best-selling cars in the country dating back to the last millennium. Over the course of more than 40 years, the Accord has earned a renowned reputation as a no-brainer choice for shoppers seeking affordable, practical, comfortable transportation. But while quality and value remain at the core of its appeal, the Accord has grown and evolved with the times. Today, this famously well-rounded sedan is a popular choice with drivers across generations, from Baby Boomers to Gen X to Millennials.

And as American tastes continue to move toward SUVs, midsize sedan shoppers have it especially good right now. Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price figures currently reflect real-world transaction prices of between $2,000 and $3,000 below sticker for a popularly equipped Accord. It’s these changing dynamics that helped the Accord reclaim its position as our Midsize Sedan Best Buy, after narrowly ceding its throne last year to the Kia Optima.

Renowned Reliability

Consumer surveys and owners’ stories continue to paint the same picture but with ever more detail: The Accord is a reliable, dependable, meticulously engineered machine. Even as quality continues to improve across the entire industry, giving smart shoppers more viable vehicle options than ever, the Accord remains something special. And given the depth and decades behind its reputation, we suspect it’s going to be a trustworthy standout for years to come.

Strong Resale Value

The Honda Accord enjoys such outstanding resale value because its reputation for long-term reliability makes it such an appealing used car. And that outstanding resale value is part of what makes it such a high-value new car. It’s a virtuous cycle that benefits all involved.

Looking at our 5-Year Cost to Own figures, which reflect the total costs involved with a full buy-own-sell ownership cycle, spending $25,000 on a new Honda Accord can actually save you up to thousands of dollars compared to spending the same amount on just about any of its midsize sedan competitors. If you’re looking to get the most car for your money, choosing a vehicle with superior resale value can save you much more than negotiating a “great deal” on a car with weak resale value.

Driving Satisfaction

One of the subtler elements of the Accord’s excellence is the refined manner in which it does just about everything. From the door handle to the parking brake release button, every moving part moves in a way that conveys quality and confidence. On the road, it accelerates, stops and steers with that same satisfying responsiveness. It reacts so gracefully to driver inputs that it’s as if it already knows just how quickly you want to accelerate, exactly where you want to stop and how you want to negotiate that turn.

The 2017 Honda Accord isn’t the only midsize sedan worth buying. It’s not the only midsize sedan we recommend. But this year, it’s once again the only midsize sedan to be named a Kelley Blue Book Best Buy.

More 2017 Honda Accord

Build and price your own 2017 Honda Accord to unlock its Fair Purchase, Price, 5-Year Cost to Own and more, or check out our full review of this legendary sedan from Honda (one of them, anyway). Still unsure if the Honda Accord is the midsize sedan for you? See our Midsize Sedan Buyer’s Guide to find out how it compares with the 10 other major competitors in its segment.

Honda’s 3-row SUV bests the rest in almost every meaningful measure

You always said you’d never drive a minivan, and three kids later you’re sticking to your guns. You’re not the only one. Today, 3-row midsize SUVs — the most popular minivan substitute — outsell minivans 2 to 1.

And no SUV does a better minivan impression than the latest Honda Pilot. The roomy Pilot boasts the most accommodating third row in the segment, a bounty of family-friendly conveniences and a comfortable highway ride, all topped off by Honda’s sterling reputation for long-term reliability and excellent resale value.

Sure, the available all-wheel drive, confidence-inspiring ground clearance and up to 5,000 pounds of towing capacity make it an especially attractive option for outdoorsy and northern-based families, but the Honda Pilot is now a back-to-back Kelley Blue Book Midsize SUV Best Buy because of just how well it tackles a typically over-scheduled school week.

Unparalleled Practicality

Midsize SUVs don’t offer a lot of rear cargo room when all three rows of seats are in use (a minivan advantage and deciding factor for some families), but the Pilot offers a bit more room than most. The cargo area also includes a neat underfloor bin that can be used to hide valuables from prying eyes or to prevent glass jars from rolling out onto the driveway when you open the liftgate. The removable floor panel stores neatly at the bottom of the bin when not in use, a clever touch.

Fold down the third-row seats and the cargo area expands to accommodate maybe 95% of the loads that will ever be thrown into it. Fold down the second row as well and the Pilot transforms into a small moving van.

Moving from payload to people, the Honda Pilot’s third-row seat is the best in the category. While many competitors seat just two in the way-back, the Pilot’s third row offers seating for three and brings max seating capacity to eight. Legroom, headroom and the overall seating position are also exceptional back there. Topping it all off, it’s also among the easiest third rows to access, especially in upper trims. In Pilot EX-L models and above, just press a clearly marked button and the spring-loaded second row collapses and slides forward.

The roomy second row — available with a three-across bench or dual captain’s chairs — will comfortably seat just about anyone, sliding fore and aft to optimize for passengers, cargo or whatever combination the day dictates. Available second-row niceties include dedicated climate controls, USB ports, power ports, manual window shades and an integrated video entertainment system — just about everything you might find offered in a minivan.

Moving to the front row, life-easing highlights include a giant bin between the front seats, well-placed cupholders, heated and cooled front seats, plenty of easy-access space for personal items, power and USB ports, plus mostly intuitive climate and infotainment controls (the lack of a proper volume knob continues to bedevil several current Honda models).

Superior Drivability

Once upon a time, SUVs were built like trucks and carried all the same ride, handling and efficiency baggage. Today, most SUVs are built using the same unibody construction as cars, making them better in every area that matters to most owners.

And no 3-row midsize SUV delivers a better all-around drive than the 2017 Honda Pilot. Plenty of its competitors offer good ride and handling, but the Pilot takes it a step further with steering, braking, handling and acceleration refinements that combine to deliver a more comfortable, more confidence-inspiring driving experience.

One related shopping note: We much prefer the Pilot’s 6-speed automatic transmission (EX-L and below) to the newer but less-refined 9-speed (Touring and above).

The Pilot also offers a variety of cutting-edge comfort and convenience technologies, like adaptive cruise control and a lane-keeping assist system that reads lane lines and actively helps steer the vehicle to stay in the lane (within limits). We’ve put these systems to work during long highway drives, with meaningful reductions in fatigue.

The Honda Pilot doesn’t have the tightest turning circle in its class, but good outward visibility and available rear cross-traffic alert help make things easy in a parking lot.

Sterling Reputation

Even if the Honda Pilot weren’t among the roomiest, most practical and best-driving midsize SUVs on the market, it would still have a powerful ace up its sleeve. Honda has earned a reputation for building high-quality, long-lasting vehicles, a standing reflected in the fact that Hondas are among the most highly regarded and sought-after used cars.

This reputation benefits new Honda buyers in at least two ways: A higher likelihood of trouble-free ownership, and high resale values that make for lower overall ownership costs. Spending $35,000 on a 2017 Honda Pilot, for example, will likely cost you measurably less over a full buy-own-sell ownership cycle than if you’d spent $35,000 on most any of its competitors.

The best for less? In the case of the 2017 Honda Pilot, that’s exactly what you get.

More 2017 Honda Pilot

Build and price your own 2017 Honda Pilot to unlock its Fair Purchase Price, 5-Year Cost to Own and more, or check out our full review for more insights. Still unsure if the Honda Pilot is the best choice for you? Visit our Midsize SUV Buyer’s Guide to explore all your options.