This one hurts. If the world were a good and just place, the 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid would win the award for best powertrain -- such is the fun awaiting you in that slender pedal. But here’s the thing: it’s not a full hybrid. As a partial hybrid, it doesn’t do the things it is supposed to do nearly as good as the others. In fact, it really is a fun-to-drive niche vehicle -- and while that’s just wonderful, a hybrid powertrain must provide buyers with a strong helping of practicality. With a test average of 26 mpg, that’s just not enough of what a hybrid is supposed to do: lower pollutants and save fuel expense.

But it sure is a fun ride.
As the only hybrid with a V6, a 3.0-liter job that produces a combined 255 horsepower and 232 lb.-ft. of torque, it has by far the most power. Added into the mix is Honda’s Integrated Motor Assist hybrid system, or IMA, a third-generation version of Honda’s hybrid technology, which accounts for 10 percent of the total horsepower rating and 26 percent of the torque. According to Honda, the Accord’s IMA does a better job of capturing and sharing energy than the previous version of IMA found in the Civic Hybrid. Mated to a modified five-speed automatic transmission, this is the front-drive vehicle with the most ‘fun’ transmission, as the Toyota Prius and the Ford Escape Hybrid are equipped with fuel-sipping CVTs. Fun does count for something, as does a fuel rating that is at least a little better than what you might find elsewhere for a similar performance experience.