This Accord goes to the head of the class

A menu of Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen on the Business page of The Sacramento Bee’s website – www.sacbee.com/news/business/article4005306.html

Sacramento, California -- Recently, I tested the best Ford Fusion I've ever driven.  This time around, I had an enjoyable week in the best Honda Accord I've had the opportunity to pilot.

And yes, I've driven a fair number of Accords over the years.  How did I get so lucky?

For starters, the Accord received a major makeover for the 2018 model year.  On first glance from a distance, my ride could have been mistaken for a Lexus.  And I mean that in a good way.

Stylish, bold front end.  Very smooth lines stretching from the tip of the hood and over the roofline.  Nice angles and rounding on the back end.  This Accord has the full visual package.

Interior comforts on the tester were exceptional.  Downright luxurious.  With my ride being the relatively opulent 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring sedan, it was equipped in impressive fashion.  A full boat of state-of-the-art safety features was bolstered by plentiful leather surfaces, a primo audio system with 10 speakers, a head-up display and heated/ventilated seats (12-way power on the cockpit chair).

With all this, the thing that grabbed my attention was the vehicle's performance, especially with a hybrid power plant. The tester had a 2-liter in-line 4 engine matched with an electric propulsion motor churning out a combined 212 horsepower.

It felt like more.

During a spirited run from the Sacramento Valley floor over the top of the Sierra Nevada to Truckee (and back), the tested Accord Hybrid performed with extraordinary enthusiasm.  It dug into hill climbs like a robust sports car, yet made very little noise during the heart-racing effort.

Volunteer passengers who have ridden with me numerous times -- therefore knowing what a smooth ride feels like -- said they were impressed by the smoothness and quietness of the tested Accord, even when it was doing a 70 miles per hour sprint up a steep mountain grade.

I agreed with their assessment.

Throw in fuel mileage of 47 miles per gallon in both city and highway driving, plus across-the-board five-star safety ratings in all federal government crash-test categories, and the $35,605 sticker price on the tester felt like a steal.

Best Accord ever?  Yeah, it gets my vote.