Performance Intercooler, fits Honda Accord 1.5T/2.0T 2018+

The 2018+ Honda Accord is more than just a family-friendly grocery-getter. We've been hammering this point home since we first laid eyes on Honda's tenth-generation mid-sized sedan. No matter if you're being propelled by the 1.5T or 2.0T, these new-fangled turbocharged Honda motors add the much-needed dash of spice into the daily commute. This platform rolls off the factory floor with loads of potential too. Just how much potential, you ask? Well, to find out, we ran a series of tests on our loaner 2.0T Accord Sport to collect baseline readings along with torture tests for our intercooler design.

Upgrading your intercooling system is all about keeping your intake air temperatures down. Like we've mentioned before, heat-soaking the intercooler is not very practical for your sporty sedan. Hotter air doesn't compress as well as cool, charged

Honda inadvertently morphed the Accord into an enthusiast car when the turbocharged variants took over. That means drivers are sure to push the 10th generation Accord to the limits in all walks of life. Whether you're picking up groceries, laying down lap times, or setting a new personal best time for your work commute, the turbo mounted to either engine variant adds a practical boost and economical speed to your family-oriented sedan. That is, of course, until the intercooler soaks with heat.

As we covered in our last posts, no matter your driving style, it's never practical for the intercooler to fill with heat. We covered why this happens with the stock cooler, and our plans to combat the issue. Now, those plans have come to life, and we're eager to show them off.

To many, Hondas are blank canvases. For years, enthusiasts of all kinds have found the Accord to be an ideal base for their unique brushstrokes of modification. Given the tenth generation's addition of forced induction, it comes as no surprise that this Accord is also popular among tuners. Every build starts with a vision, though, and our intercooler project is no exception. We might only be in the sketching phase of our next masterpiece, but we're eager to share the plans.

We have our work cut out for us to improve on the Accord's intercooler design. Specifically, the space available to us is extremely limited. In Honda's never-ending quest for driver safety and comfort, every Accord model comes with Honda Sensing as standard equipment. That's all well and good for the driving experience but less than ideal for us since the radar sensor is mounted very close to the OEM intercooler. In short, this sensor doesn't leave us much room to expand core thickness.

Practicality comes in many forms in the automotive world. From the towering full-size SUVs to the micro hatchbacks, there's a version of practicality that suits everyone. For most, the mid-sized sedan fits that vision, which is where the 2018+ Honda Accord shines. Not only does it deliver four doors, cavernous trunk space, and plenty of legroom, but also two potent turbocharged engines and the option to row through the gears manually. The 2018+ Accord provides practicality tailored to the enthusiast.

There is, however, one aspect that stifles the potential of both the 1.5T and 2.0T variants of the Accord: the intercooler. When it comes to squeezing every drop of power out of your L15B7 or K20C4, keeping intake air temperatures down while promoting flow is vital. But, the stock heat exchanger isn't quite up to the task, especially once the boost increases. We here at Mishimoto are already hard at work on our new intercooler design, but first, let's dive into the stock unit and why it's