The Honda Accord has long been one of the best-selling cars in the US, as well as a longstanding midsize sedan segment leader. From the outside and behind the wheel, it's easy to see why the 2016 Sport model will likely keep its leading position. A new grille, front and rear fascias, taillights, and LED fog lights add to the car's visual appeal. The well-appointed interior is also roomy and comfortable, and the trunk is huge. But the included Honda Sensing technology proved disappointing in our tests, and driver assists are unrefined compared with other vehicles.

How Much?

The 2016 Honda Accord comes in 11 different trim levels, from the base LX starting at $22,205 to the top-of-the-line Touring at $34,680. We tested the Sport model with Honda Sensing, which has a base price of $25,965. With an $820 destination and handling charge added, the total sticker price came to $26,785.

What Does It Come With?

The 2016 Honda Accord Sport comes with a 2.4-liter, 189-horsepower, 4-cylinder engine and a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with paddle shifters. Other standard features include an Eco Assist System that helps monitor fuel efficiency, Active Noise Cancellation to counteract engine noise, and Active Sound Control to recreates a "more linear and sophisticated" engine sound inside the cabin. You also get 19-inch alloy wheels, body-colored side mirrors, chrome door handles and exhaust tips, projector beam automatic halogen headlights, LED fog lights, taillights with integrated LED light bars, keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, cruise control, a tilt and telescopic steering column, illuminated steering wheel controls, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, sport seats, a 10-way power driver's seat, and a multi-angle rearview camera.

Tech features include Bluetooth for phone and hands-free texting, an 8-inch in-dash screen, a 160-watt/four-speaker audio system with AM/FM/CD, music streaming, a USB port, aux-in jack, and Pandora Internet Radio. The Honda Sensing trim adds adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, lane departure warning, and road departure mitigation that goes beyond lane keeping assist to see lane markings as well as other road indicators to keep a vehicle in its lane and on the pavement.

How's the Tech?

Our test car only had the 8-inch Intelligent Multi-Informational Display (i-MID) with an on-dash controller, and not the supplemental 7-inch Display Audio touch screen that adds Apple CarPlay and Android Auto—as well as better control.

The i-MID interface has been around for several years and has never been one of our favorites since it requires navigating a series of buttons and a controller knob in the center to access main functions and isn't very intuitive. We also had trouble getting the Pandora feature to work, and when even when it did, the display showed a message saying it wasn't. And that's all the connectivity the car offers. We are also surprised that a car at this price doesn't have navigation as standard or even an option (as well as keyless ignition).

The Honda Sensing driver assists are also disappointing, compared with similar systems we've tested on vehicles in its class, like the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu Premier. The adaptive cruise control was somewhat jolting when it detected a car ahead and slowed down, even with a large gap setting, and was slow to get up to speed again. The forward collision warning system was often sensitive and would flash a Brake warning when we were just slowing behind a car at a stop sign, and it wouldn't read a near frontal collision situation when we tried to create one. The lane keep assist system was likewise jerky and not as refined as similar systems in testing.

How Does It Perform?

The 2016 Honda Accord Sedan Sport's engine provides adequate power and good fuel economy. While CVTs can be coarse compared with automatic transmissions, the one in the Sport responds smoothly and promptly for passing, and then just as easily drops the engine rpm back down. For a family sedan, the Accord strikes a nice balance between engaging handling and a compliant ride, thanks in part to a retuned suspension.

Should I Buy It?

The non-luxury midsize sedan segment is filled with great choices. The Accord's long-time rival the Toyota Camry has great in-dash tech, several fuel-efficient engine choices, and an equally remarkable interior, while the Mazda 6 and Ford Fusion are more performance-oriented, and the Volkswagen Passat has a European style and refinement. While we were underwhelmed by the in-dash technology in the Sport model (although the addition of a 7-inch touch screen in the high-trim models may remedy this) and the driver assists are a bit crude, the Honda Accord is still one of the top cars in the segment from a performance perspective, and improvements to the 2016 model make it even better.