| Hybrids are hot property these days, but not so with | | | | four-cylinder gas engine and a five-speed manual |
| Honda’s hybrid version of the Accord. | | | | transmission. |
| On June 4 Honda officials announced that the | | | | The 2007 Accord Hybrid ranged from $31,000 to |
| company will discontinue the hybrid Accord at the end | | | | $33,000 in price however, compared with $18,500 to |
| of the current model year. The new Honda Accord, | | | | $29,500 for gas-fueled Accord sedans. |
| which will go on sale in September, will not be available | | | | Honda has previously announced that it will introduce a |
| in a gasoline-electric hybrid version, according to a | | | | new hybrid car in 2009. That car will be smaller in size |
| company spokesman. | | | | and less expensive than the Honda Civic Hybrid. The |
| Hybrid cars use electric motors to supplement power | | | | Accord, a midsized car, is larger and more expensive |
| from the gasoline, resulting in improved fuel economy. | | | | than the Civic. |
| Since the model debut in the market in 2004, the | | | | The competing Toyota Camry Hybrid uses a |
| Japanese automaker sold roughly 25,000 of the cars | | | | four-cylinder engine resulting in considerably better fuel |
| in North America. Slightly more than 6,000 were sold | | | | economy than the Accord Hybrid. |
| last year. | | | | Hybrids accounted for 14 percent of Camrys sold last |
| Auto industry analysts characterized the car's brief run | | | | month, but just 1.4 percent of Accords, according to |
| as a cautionary tale, with the lesson being that only a | | | | data from Power Information Networks, an auto |
| small segment of the public will buy a vehicle that | | | | research firm. The Accord and Camry are the two |
| carries a high price for hybrid technology but delivers | | | | best-selling passenger cars in the United States. |
| limited fuel economy compared with other gas-electric | | | | Honda – also maker of top of the line Honda axle |
| vehicles. | | | | assembly has not revealed whether the Accord would |
| Federal fuel mileage estimates on the 2007 Honda | | | | get the diesel engine. The European version of the |
| Accord Hybrid came in at 28 m.p.g. in the city and 35 | | | | Accord - a car sold in the United States as the Acura |
| m.p.g. on the highway -- only marginally better than 26 | | | | TSX - is available in Europe with a diesel engine. |
| 34 m.p.g. ratings on an Accord sedan with a | | | | |