Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Honda Accord Coupe - Practically a sports car. And it's practical.


The new Honda Accord Coupe has a more rigid body and new frame rails that assist aerodynamics.

There is also a new version of what Honda calls Variable Cylinder Management, which makes the engine run more efficiently, while still boosting its power.

Plus, its new body is sizzling - athletic, upscale and sexy.

So what does all this amount to?

The new Accord Coupe has come a long way from the cute hatchback that it used to be, but has retained its quality and reliability.

Overall, this car is an incredible deal.

The Accord Coupe's price has increased to accompany its larger size and added features.

The LX-S model with the 190-horsepower four-cylinder engine starts at $22,255.

Move up to the EXL, which has luxury features such as heated, power-adjustable leather seats, climate control, a V-6 engine and navigation system, and you're talking around $31,045.


WHAT'S TO LOVE?


A better question here would be what's not to love.

The V-6 engine, which our tester had, makes 268 horsepower and was mated to a six-speed manual transmission that created a ton of driving fun.

This is the eighth generation of the Accord, and it is larger than the last one. The wheelbase has grown 2.3 inches and the overall length has grown 3.2 inches.

Its interior volume has risen over 120 cubic feet.

Weight is up, too, but only by about 200 pounds.

In addition to the V-6, you can get one of two four-cylinder engine choices, with horsepower ratings of 177 and190, respectively.


ON THE ROAD

If you are driving a car with a six-cylinder engine and a manual transmission these days, most likely you are driving a German sports car.

But the Accord Coupe offers that, and therefore must be considered a sports car.

This car offers so much driving excitement you'll forget how to spell all those German brands, even if someone gives you an M or a W as a hint.

I was fortunate enough to find a huge, empty parking lot that allowed me to really see what its performance ability was all about, and believe me, I was most impressed.

Handling, smoothness and ability to attack the road are characteristics quite abundant in the Accord Coupe.

Its fuel economy numbers are 17 mpg city, 25 highway.

In a mix of driving, I got a tad over 19 mpg.

That's not too bad, especially when you consider how large and powerful this car is.

The back seat, for instance, can hold a couple of adults in relative comfort.

When it comes to safety, the Accord does well, using features such as aluminum cylinder heads and a racecar-like double-wishbone suspension and multiple airbags. This body structure bolsters the car's ability to disperse crash energy in a frontal collision.



ACCORD HISTORY


The Accord has long been known for its quality since its introduction in 1976.

It has been among the top five sellers in the U.S. for almost 20 years, with nearly 10 million units sold throughout its history.

The Accord is built in Marysville, Ohio.


3 comments:

Ciambellina said...

I've always wanted to drive a six-speed!

rob douthit said...

Ok, you're on -- next time I get one, I'll definitely let you know.
Plus, we still need to do lunch again. Maybe next week?

Mellow said...

This car is a beast.

I was surprised how powerful it felt to be below 300hp. There were several times that it really put me back into the seat with nominally-hard acceleration.

I would love to see Honda put a few of their sixes into the grand am rolex series...even a hyped up version into the prototype series make some noise.