I have a hard time thinking of an Accord as especially hard riding or noisy, but I’ll think a moment. The Lincoln MKZ of a few years ago was based on the excellent (very reliable) Ford Fusion, but should be a bit softer riding and maybe a bit quieter. I don’t have any special knowledge about prices, but Lincolns tend to depreciate badly, so this should be pretty reasonable. It’s slightly smaller than your Accord, though still in the same general class of vehicles.
Anything significantly smaller will almost certainly have a ride at least as stiff as the Accord’s, and be at least as noisy. That’s just the nature of small cars. Bucks are the classic grannymobiles, but they aren’t very competitive in smaller cars. For a couple of years they’ve sold the Verano, related to the Chevy Cruze, but I’d have a hard time recommending it as the smaller GM products don’t do well on reliability. It is a nice size, a bit smaller than an Accord, but still big enough for most adults, but I suspect it won’t be quiet enough for you.
The Camry that many mention is the Accord’s archival from Toyota, and in most respects they are similar, but it does tend to ride a bit more softly. I don’t think there will be a big difference in noise, but most reviewers think it is quiet. Most cars these days are absolutely loaded with soundproofing materials and have excellent aerodynamics, so should levels are far lower than a generation back. For most cars tire and suspension noise make up most of the noise, so quieter tires can give a meaningful improvement.
Good luck finding something appealing. Ride and noise are very subjective so it may take some tests before you find dome thing you like.
