4 Affordable Honda Models to Consider

Who says that new vehicles have to be expensive? There are undoubtedly plenty of pricey vehicles on the market, but if you do your shopping correctly, you can find a more affordable option at a Honda dealer near you. Here at Ralph Honda, you can discover a large inventory of affordable Honda models. If you’re in the greater Rochester, NY area, then you’ll be pleased to know that we not only have a host of new Honda vehicles, but we can point you in the direction of the most affordable models that launched this year. These include three models we will be looking at that start at an MSRP of under $25,000. There will also be an honorable mention, however, this model slightly exceeds this price range.

The three models we’ll be focusing on today include the Honda HR-V, the Honda Civic Sedan, and Honda Civic Hatchback. The honorable mention that we’ll be looking at is the Accord. To set the stage, the 2023 HR-V starts at $23,650 for its base model, and the 2022 Civic Hatchback starts at $23,550.^{[a] [b]}  However, the 2022 Civic Sedan is even more affordable with a starting MSRP of $22,550.^[b]  There’s no way to slice it––the Civic Sedan is the most cost-effective vehicle in the Honda lineup. The honorable mention we spoke of earlier, the 2022 Accord, has a starting price of $26,520.^[b]  So, while the Accord exceeds $25,000, you won’t be disappointed with your purchase. What do we mean by this? Allow us to elaborate with a rundown of each vehicle mentioned.

As noted earlier, the 2022 Civic Sedan is the most affordable vehicle you can get fresh off Honda’s assembly line. The Civic Sedan is the type of purchase that keeps on giving. Not only will the initial cost be less than much of its competition, but outstanding fuel efficiency guarantees that you’ll be saving money for the duration of your ownership. This fuel efficiency is a product of the Civic Sedan’s two powertrain configurations: a 2.0L I-4 engine or a turbocharged 1.5L I-4, both of which come paired with an automatic continuously variable transmission (CVT).

With the base configuration, which will inevitably be the most affordable route, the 2022 Civic Sedan produces 158 hp and 138 lb-ft of torque. While FWD remains the only drivetrain, this guarantees the efficiency we mentioned prior. These EPA-estimated ratings of 31 MPG in the city and 40 MPG on the highway are nothing to scoff at, especially considering the low barrier of entry the Civic Sedan can provide. ^[c]  And it only gets better from there.

The second available powertrain, the turbocharged 1.5L I-4 engine, increases the power output throughput up to 180 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque. Even without the performance improvements, this secondary choice of powertrain still impresses with its EPA-estimated ratings of 33 MPG in the city and 42 MPG on the highway.^[c]  But performance and efficiency aren’t all these vehicles excel at. Even with the base-level Civic, which is the most cost-effective vehicle in the Honda lineup, you’ll get a built-in infotainment center and a fleshed-out safety suite in the form of Honda Sensing. This infotainment center is impressively feature-packed with built-in amenities such as Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and plenty more to provide you with a wealth of connectivity options. In totality, however, the 2022 Civic Sedan is a fantastic option for cost-conscious drivers seeking a brand new Honda vehicle.

The Civic Hatchback deserves mention here, and that’s because it’s ultimately not much pricer than the Civic Sedan, but it has the benefit of superior cargo space. One caveat to this, however, is a reduction in fuel efficiency, but it’s not too drastic of a decrease. Both engines in the Civic Sedan are present here, but one notable difference is the option of a 6-speed manual transmission in addition to the standard CVT. Your fuel ratings will differ slightly depending on which transmission type you use and the engine you get.

Fuel efficiency ratings start out strong when pairing the base 2.0L I-4 engine with the CVT. In this configuration, 30 MPG in the city and 38 MPG on the highway are the EPA-estimated ratings you can expect. ^[d] Pairing the base engine with the 6-speed manual transmissions will give you slightly lower EPA-estimated ratings of 26 MPG in the city and 36 MPG on the highway.^[d]  Opting for the available turbocharged 1.5L I-4 engine will net you EPA-estimated ratings of 31 MPG in the city and 39 MPG on the highway with the CVT, and the EPA-estimated ratings lower to 28 MPG in the city and 37 MPG on the highway with the manual.^[d] 

As mentioned, cargo space increases over the sedan model, which offers 14.8 cu.ft. of room in the trunk. The Hatchback, on the other hand, has a minimum of 25.4 cu.ft. of room in the back, and unlike the Sedan, you can fold the back seats down to increase the available cargo space when needed.

Out of the handful of SUVs that Honda produces this year, the HR-V has the benefit of being the most cost-friendly SUV in the lineup. There are some similarities the 2023 HR-V shares with the Civic Hatchback, most notably is its 24.3 cu.ft. of space with the back seats folded up, which is highly comparable to the 25.4 cu.ft. in the Civic Hatchback. The two vehicles also ride on the same basic platform, although they have different powertrains.

The 2023 HR-V comes equipped with a 1.8L I-4 engine paired with a CVT. One of the most notable differences comes down to the available AWD for the HR-V, which simply isn’t available with the Civic Hatchback. The smaller engine produces a slightly lower 141 hp and 127 lb-ft of torque, and the larger SUV body means EPA-estimated fuel economy ratings of 26 MPG in the city and 32 MPG on the highway.^[e]  These ratings are impressive when the 2023 HR-V is optioned with a 2WD drivetrain, and the AWD drivetrains fare well with estimated ratings of 25 MPG in the city and 30 MPG on the highway.^[e] 

For an honorable mention, we here at Ralph Honda feel the Accord deserves recognition. What Honda does with the Accord is form a feature-rich midsize sedan that’s elegant in its simplicity. Best of all, its price isn’t unaffordable by any means. The Accord is also the highest-performance vehicle we’ve mentioned thus far, thanks to an available turbocharged 2.0L I-4 engine paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. This powertrain is a must-have for those hoping to secure extra performance in their purchase, which this engine does with flying colors. With this engine, the 2022 Accord produces 252 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque, and fuel efficiency is excellent, with its EPA-estimated ratings of 22 MPG in the city and 32 MPG on the highway.^[f] 

That’s not to say you need the turbocharged 2.0L I-4 engine to enjoy decent power with your 2022 Accord. The stock configuration is a turbocharged 1.5L I-4 engine paired with a CVT, much like the top engine in the Civic Sedan and Hatchback. However, performance is amplified with the Accord’s variant of this turbocharged engine, as this engine produces 192 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque. And, the EPA-estimated ratings of 30 MPG in the city and 38 MPG on the highway will ensure that you’re still saving money long after your purchase.^[f]  Lastly, the Accord is the only one of the mentioned vehicles to come standard with an 8-inch infotainment center. Saving money is easy when you’re shopping with Honda. To see all of these vehicles for yourself, be sure to visit Ralph Honda today!