For 2011, Honda equipped the Accord with a 3.5L V6 and a pair of 2.4L inline-fours. The engines make for an underpowered but nearly-perfect commuter car that should last past the quarter-million-mile mark. The V6 has the power, but it loses out in drivability.
Key Points
- The 2011 Accord’s base 2.4L inline-four engine lacks significant power but will save drivers at the pump.
- Between the two 2.4L I4 engines there is very little discernible difference in power to the average driver, but fuel economy takes a slight dip.
- The decision to mate the 3.5L V6 engine to an automatic transmission with no option for a manual is confusing and leaves the V6 Accord falling short of what it could have been.
- Any of these engines should be expected to reach the 250,000-mile mark if well maintained.
2011 Accord’s Base Engine Offers Decent Fuel Efficiency, but Performance Comes Up Short
Engineered to be the commuter sedan, with an emphasis on gas mileage and enough space to comfortably fit a family of five, the ubiquitous Honda Accord’s base engine for 2011 is a 2.4L inline four-cylinder. The base 2.4L is available in three different trim levels: the LX, LX-P, and SE sedan versions of the Accord.
Both a five-speed manual and five-speed automatic transmission are available with these models, with the six-speed not being mated with all Accord engines until 2013.
The base 2.4L engine’s ethos is fuel economy for the American family, and it delivers well, recording 22/33 mpg city/highway when mated to an automatic transmission.
Fuel economy for the 2.4L I4 takes the typical inverse when mated to the manual transmission—the miles per gallon are slightly improved in the city, moving up to 23 mpg, but decline just as slightly on the highway, down to 32 mpg.
When it comes to performance, however, the base 2.4L I4 engine really struggles. The Accord puts out only 177 horsepower, couple this with a mere 161 lb.-ft. of torque and the sedan leaves you with a profound feeling of “That’s it?” when you mash on the gas pedal, clocking a zero-to-60 time of 9.3 seconds.
And, though it was never engineered to be a race car, operating the base I4 Accord leaves the driver wishing it were pepped up a little, according to a Car and Driver review.
Honda’s Second 2.4L I4 Gives Drivers Extra Performance While Sacrificing Little Fuel Economy
Enter Honda’s next 2.4L inline four-cylinder engine for 2011. The second 2.4L is virtually unchanged from the first, it still operated on a 16-valve DOHC i-VTEC valve train, still has 10.5:1 compression, and maintains the same bore and stroke from the base 2.4L Honda engine.
What has changed is the tuning; with the upgraded 2.4L I4 equipped in the sedan or coupe versions of the 2011 Accord, Honda drivers can expect to see a bump in horsepower up to 190 at 7,000 rpm. There is a smaller bump in torque, up one lb.-ft. to 162, enough to be negligible.
Overall, most drivers can’t tell much of a difference in the two 2.4L I4s unless they are well-tuned to the workings of their engine.
Gas mileage is similar to the base 2.4L, coming in at 22/32 city/highway with an automatic transmission, and 23/31 mpg city/highway with the manual five-speed. Overall, the slightly finer-tuned 2.4L I4 isn’t much of an improvement, and most drivers won’t even be able to tell that the engine gets up and goes a little faster.
3.5L V6 Almost Equips Drivers with the Power They Need, but Takes a Hit on Gas Mileage and has No Manual Transmission
Only available on the higher-end trim levels, the 3.5L V6 comes solely mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. The five-speed manual is not available.
However, the transmission mated to the V6 does have some altered gear ratios and the option of paddle shifters, which will make the 3.5L Accord a bit snappier than it would be otherwise. But the inclusion of a manual transmission would have made all the difference.
Nonetheless, the 3.5L V6 does give drivers that extra boost, upping the horsepower all the way to 271, making the V6 Accord extremely quick compared to its smaller brethren, with zero-to-60 times clocking in at 6.7 seconds, nearly three ticks of the clock faster than the base I4.
Torque is raised as well, topping out at 254 lb.-ft., enough to tow up to 2,645 pounds with the Accord if you really wanted to.
Gas mileage falls off, though. The 3.5L V6 Accord gets only 20/30 mpg city/highway in the sedan and 19/29 mpg city highway in the two-door coupe. Not too bad, but drivers will be looking at buying an extra gallon of gas for every 100 miles they drive down the road with the V6.
2011 is a Fuel-efficient Commuter and Performs Like One
Very few people outside of the cast of the Fast & Furious films buy Honda Accords for racers. Honda engineered the Accord to be a car that spent its drivers as little at the pump as possible.
And though any of its three 2011 engines will likely reach over 250,000 miles, the drivers that are going to get the most out of their Honda are the ones who lean toward the 2.4L engines.
Recalls for the 2011 Accord are almost all contained to the interior of the car, so most engines that were well maintained are going to be in as good a shape as when they left the factory.
Despite its sluggish performance, the 2.4L I4s are the engines to lean towards when choosing a Honda Accord from 2011. If you’re looking for power, the Accord likely isn’t for you.
The V6, even though it is the Accord’s “performance engine,” is unfortunately paired with only an automatic transmission. This takes away from the drivability of the car, wresting the full control of the 3.5L engine from the hands of the driver and putting it in the car.
Drivers who want to drive their car fast and expect it to perform exceptionally should look elsewhere, but those who expect a leisurely ride that will take them and their family to the 250,000-mile mark and beyond, would do well to choose the more affordable 2.4L inline four.
Photos: Honda
