2023 Honda Accord Hybrid vs 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI

Honda’s press department exhibited a touch of nostalgia during our week with the 2023 Accord Hybrid in Touring trim. Our test drive included scenic routes in New York’s Hudson Valley and a stop in the village of Accord, N.Y., the backdrop for the original Accord’s U.S. sales brochure in 1977. The 2023 Accord, with its elegant exterior, often drew comparisons to luxury sedans like the Audi A7. The redesigned front grille, updated LED lighting, and a longer body gave it a refined, near-luxury look. The Touring trim, priced at approximately $38,435, featured 19-inch alloy wheels and a sleek, flowing roofline.

The interior of the 2023 Accord Hybrid was equally impressive, with a new dashboard design and a 12.3-inch touchscreen. Our tester had Canyon River Blue Metallic paint and a black leather interior, with features like Amazon Alexa, wireless device charging, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The cabin offered generous legroom and shoulder room, though headroom was slightly compromised by the tapering roofline. Trunk space was ample at 16.7 cubic feet, making it practical for everyday use.

The 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI, available only as a five-door hatchback, featured a more expressive design than its predecessor. The wide-mouth grille, standard LED headlights, and thin horizontal LED taillights gave it a distinctive look, though some found the proportions odd. The main design update for 2024 was the 380 special edition package, standard on all manual-transmission models, which included gloss black 19-inch wheels and a black roof and mirror caps. The GTI’s interior blended classic styling with modern tech, including a digital instrument cluster and a large infotainment screen.

The GTI’s hatchback body style offered 19.9 cubic feet of cargo space, expandable to 34.5 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The interior featured heated front seats, automatic climate control, and ambient lighting as standard. SE and Autobahn models added a sunroof, keyless entry, and leather upholstery. However, the haptic controls for temperature and audio volume were less user-friendly than traditional buttons. Despite this, the GTI’s interior was practical and well-equipped for everyday use.

The 2023 Honda Accord Hybrid was powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with two electric motors, producing a combined 204 horsepower. This powertrain, mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission, sent power to the front wheels. The Accord Hybrid’s smooth and efficient performance made highway merges and passing maneuvers easy. The suspension provided a balanced ride, absorbing bumps without being too firm or too soft. The regenerative braking system, with six levels of regen, allowed for fine-tuning and a more comfortable driving experience.

The 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI featured a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, producing 241 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. It offered a six-speed manual transmission and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The GTI’s front-wheel-drive setup included an electronically-controlled limited-slip differential and optional adaptive damping. The GTI’s precise handling and stable feel made it a mature and comfortable daily driver, though some felt it lacked the excitement of other hot hatchbacks. The linear power delivery and lack of turbo lag contributed to a smooth driving experience.

The 2023 Honda Accord Hybrid’s cabin adopted the layout from Honda’s Civic and CR-V models, featuring a strip of honeycomb mesh trim that hid the air vents. The dashboard housed a 12.3-inch touchscreen and physical buttons for climate control and volume. The traditional gearshift replaced the previous button setup, providing a more intuitive experience. The front seats offered excellent support, while the rear seats provided generous legroom and shoulder room, though headroom was slightly compromised. The trunk’s 16.7 cubic feet of space was deep and easily accessible.

The 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI’s hatchback body style provided 19.9 cubic feet of cargo space, expandable to 34.5 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The interior featured heated front seats, automatic climate control, and ambient lighting as standard. SE and Autobahn models added a sunroof, keyless entry, and leather upholstery. However, the haptic controls for temperature and audio volume were less user-friendly than traditional buttons. Despite this, the GTI’s interior was practical and well-equipped for everyday use.

The 2023 Honda Accord Hybrid came with a 12.3-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless device charging pad, “Hey Google” virtual assistant, Amazon Alexa, and a head-up display. The Touring trim also included a 12-speaker Bose audio system, HD radio, and four USB ports. The intuitive menus and easy-to-navigate graphics made the infotainment system user-friendly.

The 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI featured an 8.25-inch touchscreen on the base GTI S trim, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless device charging, Bluetooth, and a six-speaker audio system. SE and Autobahn models had a 10-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi connectivity, and a nine-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. The 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro digital instrument cluster offered four configurations, though some found the design cheesy and the information display less effective.

The 2023 Honda Accord Hybrid came with a comprehensive suite of safety features, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, traffic sign recognition, pedestrian and cyclist detection, and a rear-seat reminder. The Touring trim added a multi-angle rearview camera, front and rear parking sensors, and a head-up display. The Accord Hybrid earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS, with top scores in crash tests and crash avoidance.

The 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI had standard safety features like forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keep assist. The GTI also included Intelligent Crash Response and Emergency Assist on DSG-equipped models. The IIHS gave the GTI top “Good” scores in some crash tests, but the headlights received mixed ratings. The NHTSA had not released safety ratings for the current-generation GTI at press time.