The Honda Accord has long been recognized as a reliable and safe sedan, and the 2020 model year continues this tradition. For those prioritizing safety in their vehicle choice, understanding the safety ratings and features of the 2020 Honda Accord is crucial. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the 2020 Honda Accord’s safety performance based on rigorous testing, offering detailed insights for potential buyers and automotive enthusiasts.
2020 Honda Accord Crash Test Performance
The safety evaluations for the 2020 Honda Accord encompass a range of crash tests designed to simulate various real-world accident scenarios. These tests, conducted by independent safety organizations, provide a standardized measure of how well a vehicle protects its occupants in a collision.
Small Overlap Frontal Crash Test: Driver-Side
The small overlap frontal test assesses the vehicle’s structural integrity when a small portion of the front end collides with a fixed object. This is a particularly challenging test because it bypasses the main energy-absorbing structures of the vehicle.
The 2020 Honda Accord earned a “Good” rating in the driver-side small overlap front test. This “Good” rating is the highest possible, indicating excellent protection for the driver in this type of collision. Key evaluation criteria and their “Good” ratings include:
- Overall evaluation: Good
- Structure and safety cage: Good
- Driver injury measures (Head/neck, Chest, Hip/thigh, Lower leg/foot): Good
- Driver restraints and dummy kinematics: Good
Technical measurements from the driver-side small overlap test further illustrate the Accord’s robust performance. For instance, intrusion into the lower occupant compartment was minimal, with measurements like “Lower hinge pillar max” at just 1 cm and “Footrest” at 2 cm. Similarly, driver injury measures were low, with a “Head HIC-15” score of 186 and “Chest maximum compression” at 23 mm, indicating a low risk of significant injuries in a real-world crash of similar nature.
Small Overlap Frontal Crash Test: Passenger-Side
Extending the small overlap assessment to the passenger side, the test evaluates how well the vehicle protects the front passenger in a similar collision. Like the driver-side test, the 2020 Honda Accord achieved a “Good” rating in the passenger-side small overlap front test.
The consistent “Good” ratings across all evaluation criteria for the passenger side mirror the driver-side results, affirming the Accord’s commitment to passenger safety. These criteria include:
- Overall evaluation: Good
- Structure and safety cage: Good
- Passenger injury measures (Head/neck, Chest, Hip/thigh, Lower leg/foot): Good
- Passenger restraints and dummy kinematics: Good
- Driver injury measures (Head/neck, Chest, Hip/thigh, Lower leg/foot): Good
- Driver restraints and dummy kinematics: Good
Despite slightly higher intrusion measurements on the passenger side compared to the driver’s side – for example, “Footrest” at 10 cm and “Right toepan” at 11 cm – the injury measures for both passenger and driver remained low and within the “Good” rating thresholds. This demonstrates that the 2020 Honda Accord provides comparable safety for both the driver and front passenger in a small overlap frontal crash.
Moderate Overlap Frontal Crash Test: Original Test
The moderate overlap frontal test, a more traditional frontal crash test, involves a larger portion of the vehicle’s front end impacting a deformable barrier. The 2020 Honda Accord again demonstrated excellent safety performance, securing a “Good” rating in the moderate overlap frontal test.
The “Good” rating extends across all critical evaluation areas, highlighting the vehicle’s overall frontal crashworthiness:
- Overall evaluation: Good
- Structure and safety cage: Good
- Driver injury measures (Head/neck, Chest, Leg/foot – left & right): Good
- Driver restraints and dummy kinematics: Good
Measurements from this test show minimal occupant compartment intrusion and low driver injury measures. “Footwell intrusion” measurements are low, and “Instrument panel rearward movement” is at 0 cm, indicating a stable occupant space. Driver injury measures remain low, reinforcing the “Good” rating and suggesting a low risk of serious injuries in a moderate overlap frontal collision.
Side Impact Crash Test: Original and Updated
Side impact crashes are a significant concern in vehicle safety. The 2020 Honda Accord has been subjected to both the original side impact test and an updated, more rigorous side impact test.
In the original side impact test, the 2020 Honda Accord achieved a “Good” rating, the highest possible. This “Good” rating applies to all evaluation criteria, including:
- Overall evaluation: Good
- Structure and safety cage: Good
- Driver injury measures (Head/neck, Torso, Pelvis/leg): Good
- Driver head protection: Good
- Rear passenger injury measures (Head/neck, Torso, Pelvis/leg): Good
- Rear passenger head protection: Good
Technical measurements from the original side impact test show limited intrusion into the occupant compartment. Driver and passenger injury measures were also low, indicating effective protection in a side impact scenario under the original test parameters.
However, in the updated side impact test, which uses a heavier barrier and higher impact speed to simulate a more severe side crash, the 2020 Honda Accord received a “Marginal” overall rating. While driver head/neck injury measures remained “Good,” torso protection was rated “Acceptable,” and pelvis protection was “Marginal.” Critically, driver head protection was also rated “Marginal” due to the dummy’s head impacting the window sill, indicating a potential weakness in side airbag coverage in more severe side impacts. Rear passenger protection remained generally strong, with “Good” ratings for head/neck and torso, and “Acceptable” for pelvis.
The updated side impact test results suggest that while the 2020 Honda Accord offers strong side impact protection under standard conditions, there’s room for improvement in mitigating head injuries for the driver in more severe side-impact scenarios.
Roof Strength Test
Roof strength is crucial for rollover protection. The 2020 Honda Accord earned a “Good” rating in the roof strength test, demonstrating its ability to withstand forces significantly exceeding its weight.
With a “Strength-to-weight ratio” of 5.51, the Accord’s roof can withstand over five times its own weight before significant crush occurs. This “Good” rating provides assurance of robust roof structure and occupant protection in a rollover accident.
Head Restraints and Seats
Whiplash protection is an important aspect of rear-end collision safety. The 2020 Honda Accord’s head restraints and seats received a “Good” overall evaluation, indicating effective protection against whiplash injuries in rear impacts. Both “Dynamic rating” and “Seat/head restraint geometry” were rated “Good,” confirming the system’s effectiveness in preventing neck injuries.
2020 Honda Accord Headlight Performance
Headlight effectiveness is a critical factor in preventing nighttime accidents. The 2020 Honda Accord offers different headlight variations depending on the trim level.
For trim levels including LX, Sport, EX, EX-L, Sport 2.0T, EX-L 2.0T, Hybrid, EX Hybrid, and EX-L Hybrid, the headlights received an “Acceptable” overall rating. These headlights feature LED low beams and halogen high beams with high-beam assist. While low beams offered good visibility on straightaways and gradual right curves, visibility was only fair on sharper curves and both left curves. Glare was also noted as “Some.” High beams improved straightaway visibility on the right side but were only fair on the left and curves.
For Touring 2.0T and Touring Hybrid trims, equipped with LED reflector low and high beams, the headlights received a “Marginal” overall rating. Low beams provided good straightaway visibility but were inadequate on the gradual left curve and only fair on the sharp left curve. Glare was also more pronounced, noted as “Some glare.” High beams were inadequate on the left straightaway and both left curves.
These headlight ratings suggest that while the 2020 Honda Accord’s headlights are generally adequate, certain trim levels and driving conditions may present visibility limitations, particularly on curves and with potential glare for other drivers.
2020 Honda Accord Front Crash Prevention
Front crash prevention systems are designed to mitigate or prevent frontal collisions. The 2020 Honda Accord comes standard with the Collision Mitigation Braking System as part of the Honda Sensing suite.
Vehicle-to-Vehicle Front Crash Prevention
In vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention testing, the 2020 Honda Accord earned a “Superior” rating. The system successfully avoided collisions in both 12 mph and 25 mph tests, and also meets forward collision warning requirements. This “Superior” rating indicates a highly effective system in preventing or reducing the severity of frontal collisions with other vehicles.
Pedestrian Front Crash Prevention (Day)
Pedestrian detection and prevention are increasingly important safety features. The 2020 Honda Accord’s pedestrian front crash prevention system received an “Advanced” rating for daytime performance.
In tests involving a crossing child, the system reduced impact speed in the 12 mph test but failed to slow in the 25 mph test. For a crossing adult, the system avoided a collision at 12 mph and significantly reduced impact speed at 25 mph. In the parallel adult scenario, collisions were avoided at 25 mph and impact speed was significantly reduced at 37 mph. This “Advanced” rating demonstrates a capable system for pedestrian crash prevention, particularly for adults and in lower-speed scenarios, but with some limitations in higher-speed or child-crossing scenarios.
2020 Honda Accord Child Seat Anchors (LATCH)
Child seat anchor ease of use is crucial for proper child restraint installation. The 2020 Honda Accord received a “Good +” rating for its LATCH system, indicating easy-to-use child seat anchors and additional LATCH positions.
The Accord has two rear seating positions with complete LATCH hardware and one additional position where lower anchors can be borrowed. The anchors are generally easy to access and maneuver around, contributing to the “Good +” rating and simplifying child seat installation.
Conclusion: 2020 Honda Accord Safety Performance
The 2020 Honda Accord demonstrates strong safety performance across a wide range of crash tests and preventative safety systems. It achieves “Good” ratings in most crash tests, including small overlap front, moderate overlap front, and original side impact, along with a “Superior” rating for vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention and “Good +” for child seat anchors. The “Marginal” rating in the updated side impact test and for certain headlight trims indicates areas for potential improvement.
Overall, the 2020 Honda Accord remains a safe and reliable choice in the sedan segment, offering robust crash protection and advanced safety features to protect occupants and prevent accidents. For buyers prioritizing safety, the 2020 Honda Accord is a compelling option worthy of consideration.
