* Click HERE to see a video on the Honda Accord Coupe *
A wolf in sheep's clothing
2003 came around with the promise of an all-new Accord sedan and coupe. Honda wasted no time in introducing all models: from the base 4-cylinder 5-speed sedan to the new grand touring coupe, the EX-V6 6-speed. Honda has not been able to convince many young people that the Accord Coupe is a sports car (that is what modifying a Civic is for), but they seem to have been able to tap into the crowd that use to drive the Prelude.
The base LX-G Accord Coupe's price begins at $25,700 and will reach $34,300 in EX-V6 6-speed trim. Ours was the 6-speed.
Exterior styling
The look of the 2003 Accord has left some cold and some enthusiastic.
The only let down in as far as the exterior is concerned is the fact that the paint had tons of orange peel in the finish; very unfortunate. The panels were skilfully aligned.
Interior styling
As in just about every Honda and Acura car or truck, the front seats are excellent. They provide commendable support and are very comfortable. The driving position is also extremely good thanks in part to the tilt and telescoping steering wheel. The leather that wraps these sport buckets is supple and of top quality. The back seat is reserved for two people at the most. The comfort level offered by the bench is quite good however legroom is very tight.
The dashboard is another example of Honda savoir faire. Taking into consideration that it is comprised of many different pieces, the fit and finish is masterful. The plastics are grade "A" quality and look and feel it too. The upper portion of the center console is where all the controls are found. They are located around a small screen where the temperature,
The gauges are large, effortless to read and the red and white backlighting is nice. My only suggestion would be, to complement the red V6 badge, in placing the tachometer in the center of the cluster or at least making it bigger. That way, there would be a sportier difference to the Coupe's interior over that of the Sedan.