The cabin is laden with plenty of good sized cubby holes. The carbon fibre interior trim is very tasteful however it will reflect sunlight depending on the angle of the rays. Visibility is fair for a coupe: the front "A" pillars are large and the rear ¾ view is hampered by smallish windows. The trunk has a large opening and is deep and wide.
Technical
All Accords (excluding the Hybrid), including the Coupe, are offered with a choice of two engines. The first is 2.4L inline 4 cylinder which develops 160 hp at 5 500 rpm and 161 lb/ft of torque at 4 500 rpm. The second is the delightful 3.0L V6 that churns out 240 hp at 6 250 rpm and 212 lb/ft of
torque at 5 000 rpm. The 2.4L, also found in the Element, CR-V and Acura TSX, receives a 5-speed manual transmission or an optional 5-speed automatic. The EX-V6 can only be had with the slushbox. The EX-V6 6-speed is obviously charmed with a do-it-yourselfer with six cogs. The LX-G version is the only one that gets a front disc/rear drum brake setup whereas the others are blessed with 4-wheel discs. All Accords have a fully independent suspension, front and rear stabiliser bars and speed sensitive, variable assist power steering.
On the road
The 3.0L gem of a Honda engine is powerful. And like most Honda powerplants, their real beauty begins to shine at high rpm; 5 000 rpm in this case. Driving along the streets or on a highway, the V6 hums along peacefully. Should you decide to downshift from 6th to 3rd for example, you will be rewarded with a vicious roar that will basically leave everyone else in the dust. The downside to all of this high-end horsepower is not all that much torque in the lower rev range. Honda engines are simply all like this; if you are taking off from a stop sign in second gear, you will have to be patient.
What one can also expect from a finely tuned Honda motor is very reasonable fuel consumption. My stint behind the wheel returned 13L per
100 km. Quite good if you take into consideration that driving at or around the speed limit seldomly occurred.
The shifter is notchy, weighty and even noisy when used. From the cabin, especially when entering 3rd or 5th gear, it sounds like the lever is hitting the gate. The throws are short and precise and coupled with a heavy clutch pedal; manual driving does not get much more involving than this. The heel-toe manoeuvre is simple to do thanks to a well spaced pedal cluster.
Brakes are another high point for this big coupe. The pedal is firm and initial grab is instantaneous. Feedback is plenty and the pedal can easily be modulated. Repeated high speed braking exercises do not please the system as fade reared is ugly head after a few attempts.
The ride is exemplary in terms of comfort and handling. The suspension has plenty of wheel travel which allows for a high level of grip in the twisties. This same movement permits bump soaking of nearly all shapes and sizes. The 17" Michelin tires are somewhat smooth and quiet at the expense of real performance. A few dash rattles were present in the car during our week-long test. This is unfortunately not so unusual as trim-noise related complaints have been on the rise for many of Honda's products. Other than the small amount of annoying crics and cracs, the Accord feels incredibly solid and sure-footed.
Technical
All Accords (excluding the Hybrid), including the Coupe, are offered with a choice of two engines. The first is 2.4L inline 4 cylinder which develops 160 hp at 5 500 rpm and 161 lb/ft of torque at 4 500 rpm. The second is the delightful 3.0L V6 that churns out 240 hp at 6 250 rpm and 212 lb/ft of
 |
On the road
The 3.0L gem of a Honda engine is powerful. And like most Honda powerplants, their real beauty begins to shine at high rpm; 5 000 rpm in this case. Driving along the streets or on a highway, the V6 hums along peacefully. Should you decide to downshift from 6th to 3rd for example, you will be rewarded with a vicious roar that will basically leave everyone else in the dust. The downside to all of this high-end horsepower is not all that much torque in the lower rev range. Honda engines are simply all like this; if you are taking off from a stop sign in second gear, you will have to be patient.
What one can also expect from a finely tuned Honda motor is very reasonable fuel consumption. My stint behind the wheel returned 13L per
 |
The shifter is notchy, weighty and even noisy when used. From the cabin, especially when entering 3rd or 5th gear, it sounds like the lever is hitting the gate. The throws are short and precise and coupled with a heavy clutch pedal; manual driving does not get much more involving than this. The heel-toe manoeuvre is simple to do thanks to a well spaced pedal cluster.
Brakes are another high point for this big coupe. The pedal is firm and initial grab is instantaneous. Feedback is plenty and the pedal can easily be modulated. Repeated high speed braking exercises do not please the system as fade reared is ugly head after a few attempts.
The ride is exemplary in terms of comfort and handling. The suspension has plenty of wheel travel which allows for a high level of grip in the twisties. This same movement permits bump soaking of nearly all shapes and sizes. The 17" Michelin tires are somewhat smooth and quiet at the expense of real performance. A few dash rattles were present in the car during our week-long test. This is unfortunately not so unusual as trim-noise related complaints have been on the rise for many of Honda's products. Other than the small amount of annoying crics and cracs, the Accord feels incredibly solid and sure-footed.