The Types Of Gas A Honda Accord Takes (Explained) - The Driver Adviser (2024)

Honda Accord is synonymous with a high-quality, long-lasting midsize sedan that most North Americans know. It is known for decent fuel mileage and good build quality that rivals the likes of Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima. For more than three decades, the Accord has been a long-standing bread-earner for Honda.

Honda Accords are designed to run best on regular unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 87 or higher. This applies to all traditional gasoline models, including V6 versions. For Accord Hybrids, the recommended fuel is also regular unleaded gasoline. Honda does not suggest using E85 or gasoline with MMT, even though some Accords are compatible with E10 or E15 ethanol blends.

If you’ve driven a Honda before, these requirements should look quite familiar and we’ve similar octane requirements in vehicles like the Odyssey, Honda Fit, and even the larger Honda Pilot.

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Fuel Requirements Based On Engine Type

2018 – Present

The current generation of Honda Accord is offered with 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter gasoline engines in addition to a 2.0-liter hybrid. The 1.5-liter engine is mated with a 6-speed manual, and the other variant comes with a CVT. For the 2.0-liter, there are two transmission types: a 10-speed auto and 6-speed manual in addition to the hybrid model.

Honda recommends using a minimum octane rating of 87 for the fuel used in these engines. Although the manufacturer recommends it, the safer bet is to go for higher octane grades. With higher octane grades such as 93, the engines perform better than those using lower grade octanes.

Higher grade octane fuels are known to demonstrate better performance and longer engine life and ensure engine health.

Ninth Gen Honda Accord (2012-2017)

The ninth generation of Honda Accord was offered with 2.4-liter and 3.5-liter engines from 2012-2015. For the 2015 model, Honda added a 2.0-liter Hybrid engine to their engine offerings for the Honda Accord ninth generation. The 2.4-liter engine was offered with a 6-speed and a CVT transmission version.

The 3.5-liter V6 engine had the 6-speed manual transmission as the only option available. The hybrid option, the 2.0-liter engine, came with a CVT as standard and the only option available.

As per the Honda Accord owner’s manuals, Honda recommends using a minimum of 87 octane rating for fuel. It holds true for both the gasoline engines and the hybrid variant. Although 87 is recommended, using a higher octane grade will positively affect the engine’s performance. One can quickly elongate the engine life using a higher octane grade.

Eighth Gen Honda Accord (2007-2011)

The 8th Generation of Honda Accord was offered with two basic engine types. A 2.4-liter engine and a 3.5-liter engine. The 2.4-liter engine was offered with a 5-speed automatic transmission and a 5-speed manual transmission. The 3.5-liter engine was offered only with a 5-speed automatic transmission.

The owner’s manual of Honda Accord eight-generation suggests using fuel with a minimum octane rating of 87. Using lower than 87 octane grade fuel can cause various issues, including reduced engine performance and engine life.

The better option is to use fuels with an octane rating higher than 87. For instance, if 93 octane is used, the engine performance is substantially increased. The engine life and engine health are also enhanced with higher-grade octane fuels.

Seventh Gen Honda Accord (2001-2006)

The seventh generation of Honda Accord came with three engines, a 2.4-liter, a 3.0-liter, and a 3.0-liter hybrid engine. The 2.4-liter engine was offered only with a 5-speed manual transmission. The 3.0-liter engine was mated with a 5-speed automatic transmission. And the 3.0-liter hybrid came with a 5-speed automatic transmission.

According to the owner’s manual of Honda Accord 7th generation, Honda recommends using fuel with a minimum octane grade of 86. It is standard for all engine offerings. Although Honda recommends 86 grade octane, it is still better to use fuel with an octane rating higher than 86.

The simple reason for using a higher grade octane is that it allows for better engine performance. In addition to better performance, the engine health and life is also increased by using higher octane grade fuels.

Sixth Gen Honda Accord (1998-2001)

Honda Accord 6th generation was available with two engines. One of them was a 2.3-liter engine with a 5-speed manual transmission. The other option was a 3.0-liter engine mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission.

Honda Accord’s owners manual suggests using fuel with a minimum octane rating of 86 for both engines. Using higher grade octane can considerably enhance the engine performance and the overall life and health of the engine.

Does The Honda Accord Require Premium Fuel?

No, the Honda Accord does not require premium fuel. Honda recommends using unleaded gasoline with a pump octane number of 87 or higher for all generations of the Honda Accord. While premium fuel won’t harm the Accord, it won’t provide any significant benefits to justify the higher cost compared to regular unleaded gasoline.

What Type of Fuel Does the Honda Accord Hybrid Take?

The Honda Accord Hybrid is designed to run on regular unleaded gasoline. It does not require premium fuel or any special type of gasoline. This makes it economical to run, in addition to the fuel savings gained from its hybrid powertrain. Using premium fuel won’t provide any added benefits to the hybrid’s performance or efficiency.

What Type of Fuel Does the Honda Accord V6 Take?

The Honda Accord V6 is designed to run optimally on regular unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 87. While it can handle premium fuel, it’s not required or recommended by Honda. Using premium fuel won’t improve the V6 engine’s performance or fuel efficiency significantly, making it an unnecessary expense for Honda Accord V6 owners.

What Types Of Gasoline Can And Can’t Be Used?

Nowadays, many options are available for fuel types that can be used in cars. With the advancement in fuels technology, various kinds of fuels have emerged to serve different purposes.

Let’s dive into the options available and how they impact a car’s engine.

Reformulated Gasoline

The focus on depleting environmental conditions has urged greener and cleaner gasoline types. Reformulated gasoline is also one such type of fuel. It burns a lot greener and cleaner than regular gasoline.

Honda doesn’t suggest anything regarding the use of RFG in the owner’s manuals of any of the Honda Accord generations.

Gasoline/Oxygenated Blends Or E-85

Now, we can also find ethanol-based fuels mainly used for performance engines. E85 denotes a blend of 85% ethanol with 15% regular gasoline. This type of gasoline is primarily used for high-performance engines.

Up to the 9th generation of Honda Accord, Honda recommends using ethanol-based fuels with up to 10% ethanol blended to regular gasoline. However, for the 10th generation of the Accord, Honda says that one may use ethanol-based fuels with a 15% blend.

The best way to determine whether your vehicle is E-85 compatible or not is to look for signs that state “Flex Fuel” or E85 badging. These markings can be found around the vehicle or on the fuel cap.

Some precautions should be kept in check while using ethanol-based fuels.

• Add at least 11 liters or more of E-85 gasoline at the time of fill-up
• Keep the vehicle running for a minimum of 7 miles after refueling.

If one wants to use E-85 type fuel, some symptoms are associated with its use. These are

• Hard starting and rough idling
• Deposit formation inside the engine, residue build-up

Gasoline With Added Materials

We now get gasoline with some added materials that serve different purposes. Some are detergent-based fuels, and some come with engine cleaning agents. Keeping these factors in mind, Honda suggests using Top Tier Detergent Gasoline only since the level of detergency and additives varies quite a bit.

Gasoline With MMT

Methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT) is added to gasoline due to its octane-enhancing abilities. MMT was initially sold as a supplement, but later on, it was sold as an octane enhancer.

Honda strictly suggests against gasoline with MMT for all generations of Honda Accord.

Biodiesel

Since the American-made Honda Accord is not offered with a diesel engine; therefore biodiesel cannot be discussed as an option for the Accord.

What If I Hear A Knocking Noise From The Engine After Refilling?

Various factors can cause the dreaded knocking sound that every driver is familiar with. One of these factors is the use of fuel that is lower than the recommended octane grade by the vehicle manufacturer. Honda recommends using a minimum of 87 octane grade for the Honda Accord.

If lower octane grades are used, the engine may produce knocking sounds. It can be easily fixed by using a higher grade octane when refueling. It is a quick fix that will eliminate the knocking sound. But if it doesn’t, it is time to take your car for a thorough engine check-up.

Does the Honda Accord Have Good Gas Mileage?

Since the Honda Accord is a midsize family sedan with very few big problems, it is expected to offer good fuel mileage by default. Let’s look at each generation and see how it does on this front.

Tenth Gen Honda Accord (2018-Present)

The 10th Generation Honda Accord offers 30-38 mpg for the 1.5-liter variant for the automatic transmission. The manual transmission variant provides 26-35 mpg for a 1.5-liter engine. For the 2.0-liter engine with automatic transmission, one can achieve between 23-34 mpg, and for the 2.0-liter manual transmission variant, 22-32 mpg is the achievable mileage.

Ninth Gen Honda Accord (2012-2017)

The 9th gen Honda Accord’s 2.4-liter manual variant offers 22-32 mpg gas mileage. The CVT variant of the same 2.4-liter engine does 26mpg at its lowest and 34mpg at its best. The 3.5-liter engine does 21 mpg in the city and 33 on the highway. The 2.0-liter hybrid offers the best fuel economy, with 47 mpg being its worst to 49 mpg at its best.

Eighth Gen Honda Accord (2007-2011)

The 2.4-liter variant of the 8th gen Accord does 23 mpg in the city for its 5-speed manual variant with 32 mpg on the highway. The 2.4-liter with the automatic transmission does 22 mpg in the city while giving 33 mpg on the highway. The worst one is the 3.5-liter engine that does only 20 mpg in the city and 30 on the highway.

Seventh Gen Honda Accord (2001-2006)

The Accord’s 7th gen 2.4-liter engine does 23 mpg in the urban environment while it goes as high as 31 mpg on the highway. The 3.0-liter automatic is the worst, doing only 18 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. The hybrid offers the best fuel economy with 25 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway.

Sixth Gen Honda Accord (1998-2001)

The sixth-generation Honda Accord came with a 2.3-liter and 3.0-liter engine. The 2.3-liter was the more fuel-efficient of the two by doing 22 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway. The 3.0-liter automatic variant could barely manage 18 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway.

You can also check a real-world test of the 2023 Honda Accord in this video:

What’s The Gas Tank Size Of Honda Accord?

The latest version of the Honda Accord, its 10th generation, has a fuel tank capacity of 14.8 gallons. The 9th generation had a 17.2 gallons fuel tank which was reduced from the 18.5 gallons capacity of the 8th generation. The sixth and seventh generations both had a 17.1 gallons fuel tank capacity.

How Much Does It Cost To Fill Up A Honda Accord?

Given soaring fuel prices, it is important to know how much it will cost to fill up. Below is a chart for various generations of Honda Accord showing how much it will cost to have their respective tanks filled up.

Closing Thoughts

The Honda Accord has consistently provided a reliable, high-quality midsize sedan option to the North American market for over thirty years. While it’s not a sports car or made for serious work, it’s well-known as a reliable ride.

Its fuel requirements have varied slightly, with models manufactured before 2006 requiring unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 86, while those made from 2007 onwards require a minimum octane rating of 87. Despite these specifications, choosing a higher octane grade is always advisable to enhance engine performance and longevity.

Sources

• Owner’s Manual Honda Accord (6th generation)
• Owner’s Manual Honda Accord (7th generation)
• Owner’s Manual Honda Accord (8th generation)
• Owner’s Manual Honda Accord (9th generation)
• Owner’s Manual Honda Accord (9th generation) Hybrid
• Owner’s Manual Honda Accord (10th Generation)
• Owner’s Manual Honda Accord (10th generation) Hybrid
• Fuel Economy for Honda Accord