2019 Honda Accord Hybrid

I meant going with an older standard automatic model or the CVT. This is the first time i have come across one and want to go into it at least marginally informed.

CVT's are not known for reliability but they are known for high replacement cost.

and slightly better MPG. I wouldn't buy a car with a CVT.

There seem to be two meanings of "CVT," or maybe three if you distinguish "eCVT", and people confuse them. All allow the ratio of wheel rpms to ICE rpms to vary continously. The traditional one is a mechanical device where a belt or chain moves along conical gears. The one in Toyota hybrids is a planetary gearset where the ICE's rpms are split between a generator and the wheels, so the rpm relationship is split in two. The one in Honda's iMMD hybrid system isn't a mechanical tranmission, it is purely electrical. There (usually) is no connection between ICE and wheels. The ICE runs at an optimal speed and generates electricity only. The electricity goes to the drive motor and/or battery. Like all electric cars, it is the smoothest "transmission" you will ever drive. There is no shifting, linear acceleration, and instantaneous torque at any speed. The only exception is that above about 45 mph, and in low-power situations, a clutch will engage the ICE to the wheels directly. There still is no transmission, just a single overdrive gear ratio. When the car is warm, you won't feel it happening. When it is cold, there is a slight hitch that is less than a traditional automatic transmission shifting. I didn't even notice it until I had the car for four months, and it was winter. The only downside is that when significant power is required, the ICE will immediately rev much faster. The disconnect between the increase in sound and the increase in the car's speed will bother some, especially those prone to be bothered by "rubber band" feeling of a traditional CVT. IMO, it isn't the level of sound that bothers them, it is the fact that it gets there immediately. Others cars will eventually rev to the same level. I see getting there quicker as a plus.