Honda Accord Sport in Snow & Winter Driving? (Explained)

The Honda Accord Sport is the performance version of the ever-popular midsize sedan.

This sport edition is lower and features a stronger engine and better brakes for increased stopping power.

This car also makes great use of hybrid engine technology that has been developed by Honda in motorsports such as Formula 1.

Lets find out how well this car performs in the winter

Here is the short answer about whether the Honda Accord Sport is good for snow and winter driving:

The Honda Accord Sport can perform well in snow when equipped with the right tires. It is limited by its 5.8-inch ground clearance however its low center of gravity reduces the chance of a rollover. The Accord Sport features traction control, lane keep assist and emergency collision braking to aid in winter driving.

Is a Honda Accord Sport Good in the Snow?

The Honda Accord Sport can perform reasonably well in snow, provided it is equipped with snow tires.

Snow tires are designed for prolonged winter conditions, including snow, ice, and slush and will make a huge impact.

Being a performance car means that the Accord Sport is good in light snow conditions. The lightweight and aerodynamic body make the car nimble enough to maneuver through a thin layer of snow.

However, when the snow becomes thicker it may begin to struggle.

The low ground clearance means that the car does sometimes have difficulty and has the potential to become stuck. The lack of a four-wheel-drive system is a downside here for the Accord Sport, in relation to winter driving.

Nevertheless, this particular model has front-wheel-drive, which is more than suitable for driving in the snow.

Having the weight of the engine over the driven wheels helps the car to stay in control of its traction.

This means less wheelspin under acceleration and less sliding around.

Front-wheel-drive is also great in the snow as it prevents the rear of the car from kicking out when accelerating.

This car also features various safety elements that increase its performance in the snow such as vehicle stability control and traction control which help to keep the car stable in slippery conditions.

What Features Will Improve Winter Driving?

Although the Honda Accord Sport does not feature four-wheel drive it does however have some great safety features and technology that can help it in the snow.

Lane Keep Assist

Lane Keep Assist is an extremely useful feature found on modern cars.

This clever technology uses the front and rear cameras to detect if the car is unintentionally leaving its lane.

If the car does begin to leave its lane it will give an auditory and visual signal to the driver.

This feature is great in snow conditions as it helps the driver to stay in their lane which will prevent any potential collisions.

It’s also useful when the visibility is poor and can provide assistance to the driver’s eye.

The driver will be alerted if they are accidentally leaving their lane either due to a lack of concentration or a lack of visibility.

Emergency Collision Braking

The Honda Accord Sport uses its front facing camera to monitor the road ahead of the vehicle.

When the camera detects an object, pedestrian, or car in front of the vehicle it will automatically begin using emergency braking.

This feature makes the car much safer to drive in the snow.

Often the visibility might be poor, and a driver might see an object or a pedestrian too late.

It can also help if the driver loses focus and does not realize that the car in front is braking.

With increased braking distances in the snow, having an extra set of eyes on the road can only be a benefit to the driver.

You might also be interested in our article: Honda Civic Si in snow and winter driving

Heads Up Display

The heads-up display is inspired by aircraft and fighter jets.

Although significantly simplified, the heads up display in a car is extremely helpful.

It displays all of the vehicle’s critical information such as speed and warning lights on the windshield in the driver’s line of sight. This means that the driver never has to take their eyes off the road.

The heads-up display is fantastic for driving in the snow as it allows the driver to keep their eyes on the road at all times in the slippery conditions.

The driver is able to monitor all of the vehicle’s critical information at all times. This will help the driver to keep control over their speed and remain focused on the road in snowy conditions.

Adaptive Cruise Control

Adaptive cruise control is a step up from standard cruise control.

This advanced system uses the front-facing camera to monitor the vehicles ahead of the Accord Sport. This allows the car to control its speed based on the following distance of the car ahead. So, if the car ahead slows down, the Accord Sport will automatically match its speed.

Adaptive cruise control is great in the snow as it allows the driver to remain focused on the road and their surroundings while driving.

The onboard computer can act as a buffer that will constantly monitor the car ahead, and it will never have a lapse of concentration like a human driver would.

This boosts the overall safety of the Honda Accord Sport and can help to prevent potential collisions.

Electronic Brakeforce Distribution

The Honda Accord Sport is equipped with electronic brakeforce distribution.

This system helps to improve the car’s braking by evening out the braking power between all four wheels. The system will send more power to the wheels that have more grip.

This feature is not only great for the performance aspect of the car, but it is also ideal for snowy conditions. On slippery surfaces, all four wheels will have different amounts of grip.

Electronic brakeforce distribution will ensure that the wheels with the most grip are using the most braking power. This will help the car to slow down quicker and more efficiently.

Does a Honda Accord Sport Have a Snow Mode?

The Honda Accord Sport is not equipped with a snow mode unfortunately. However, having front wheel drive with the engine pushing weight down on the driven wheels is a huge benefit to the car.

In addition, it does also have traction control which will help the car to limit its wheelspin.

You may also be interested in our article: Infiniti Q50 in Snow & Winter Driving

Can You Install Additional Snow Gear on a Honda Accord Sport?

The Honda Accord Sport is capable of taking on additional snow gear. It is highly recommended to make use of this gear in the winter as it has a huge benefit to the levels of grip on the Accord Sport. Here are the pieces of equipment you can fit on the Honda Accord Sport:

  • Snow tires
  • Studded ice tires
  • Snow socks
  • Snow chains

How Much Snow Can a Honda Accord Sport Handle?

Since the Accord Sport is a performance focused car it has a low ground clearance of 5.8 inches.

This means that the Accord Sport should be able to comfortably handle light snowfall.

Moderate levels of snowfall should still be okay for the car; however, it may begin to struggle if there is consistent and heavy snowfall.

Based on its ground clearance, we advise the Accord Sport can handle between 1 – 5 inches of snow.

How Does the Honda Accord Sport Handle Low Winter Temperatures?

Honda is known for engineering and building fantastic engines. As such, the Accord Sport will not struggle in the lower winter temperatures. The engine is equipped with fuel injection which means that the engine will warm up quickly. No need to wait before you start driving.

You may also be interested in our article: 8 Honda Accord Beeping Problems

Can a Honda Accord Sport Drive on Ice?

The Accord Sport is great when driving on icy terrains, however we would advise using studded ice tires when doing do.

The car has a low center of gravity due to how close it sits to the ground and this helps to reduce the risk of rollovers, which are more common in vehicles such as SUVs.

Does the Honda Accord Sport Have 4WD?

Unfortunately, the Accord Sport is not equipped with four-wheel-drive. The four-wheel-drive system was deemed to be too heavy for the performance saloon. However, with the front-wheel drive and the engine pushing the nose of the car down, the Accord Sport should still manage well in the snow even without 4WD.

What About Older Honda Accord Sport Models and Winter Driving?

The older models of the Accord Sport are certainly not as great as the modern ones is in winter driving, depending on how far back you go.

Some of the much older models lack the safety and technology that the latest models do.

The Accord dates back to 1976 before ABS and traction control came as standard on cars. Needless to say, these models are not great to drive in winter.

Does the Honda Accord Sport Need Snow Tires?

It is highly recommended to use snow tires with the Honda Accord Sport when driving in the winter.

Using snow tires gives the car much higher grip and traction. This means that the car will be much safer to drive in the snow.

Can You Mount a Snow Plow on a Honda Accord Sport?

The Honda Accord Sport is a midsize family sedan which has been fine-tuned for extra performance.

As such, a snow plow can not be fitted to this vehicle. The low ground clearance and sleek, aerodynamic design of the car mean that it will not be compatible with a snow plow.

Resources

https://automobiles.honda.com/accord-sedan

Author:

  • Ian Sawyer

    Growing up with a father who was a mechanic I had an appreciation for cars and motorcycles from an early age. I shared my first bike with my brother that had little more than a 40cc engine but it opened up a world of excitement for me, I was hooked. As I grew older I progressed onto bigger bikes and...