We drove a $31,200 Honda Accord Sport sedan to see if it's still one of best cars in the world - here's the verdict

Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

Our 2018 Honda Accord Sport 2.0T test car.

• The Honda Accord is one of the best-selling cars in the US. Last year, Honda sold more than 322,000 Accords.
• Over the decades, the Accord has earned a sterling reputation for having strong build quality, great interior ergonomics, and impeccably engineered powertrains.
• The 10th generation Accord is all new for 2018.
• Our Honda Accord 2.0T Sport test car is powered by a 252 horsepower, 2.0-liter, turbocharged, inline-four-cylinder engine. A 192 hp turbo four and a 212 hp hybrid are also available.
• We were impressed by the Accord's new infotainment system, interior design, and powerful turbocharged engine.
• The base 2018 Honda Accord starts at $23,570 while our mid-tier Sport model starts at $25,780. The top-spec Touring starts at $33,800.

The Honda Accord has long been one of the best selling cars in the US.

Since 1976, Americans have purchased more than 13 million Accords. Even though sedans have had much of their market stolen by crossover and SUVs, they remain a sizable and highly competitive segment of the automotive universe.

So far this year, mid-size passengers car account for roughly 9% of the US auto market with more than 627,000 cars sold. The Accord accounts for nearly 18% of those sales with more than 111,500 units rolling off dealership lots.

Only the Toyota Camry has done better with more than more than 150,500 sold.

In 2017, Honda sold nearly 323,000 Accords, making it the ninth best-selling vehicle in the US.

The Honda Accord is a car that's near and dear to me. Long ago, my first car was a fifth-generation 1997 Honda Accord LX sedan in Heather Mist. It had a slick five-speed manual transmission, 130 non-VTEC horsepower, and a sunroof. I got it as a four-year-old used car with 94,000 miles on the clock. Yet, over the next decade, the Accord remained as faithful as the family dog and as reliable as the Japanese rail network. This is in spite of all the pain and suffering college-age me put it through.

Even at the end of its life, my Accord's 2.2-liter, naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine remained as silky smooth as the day I got it.

I still miss my trusty old Honda Accord.

It's not just me. Over the years, the Honda Accord a solid reputation for bullet-proof reliability, attention to detail, and perky driving dynamics. It's generally considered, one of the best cars in the world.

This brings us to the 10th generation Honda Accord. It's brand new for the 2018 model year. After a decade in the wind, Honda's passenger cars have been resurgent in recent years. The Japanese automaker absolutely nailed the current 10th generation Civic back in 2016.

And Honda looks to return the Accord to its former glory after earning mixed reviews for its eighth and ninth generation models. (My mother actually drives an eighth-generation 2012 Accord EX-L and let's just say I'm not exactly thrilled by the ownership experience.)

Recently, Honda dropped off a 2018 Honda Accord 2.0T Sport in San Marino Red for Business Insider to evaluate. The base 2018 Accord LX starts at $23,570, while the top-of-the-line Touring model starts at $33,800.

Our mid-grade Sport model starts at $25,780, but fees and the optional 2.0-liter engine pushed the as-tested price up to $31,200.

So, has the Honda Accord returned to its former glory? Let's find out: