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THE NATION’S NEWSPAPER Special As seen in E-print Edition June 15, 2004 Honda delivers a knockout in Accord coupe Looks good, sounds good, and it takes off like a rocket Test Drive What stands out uBig. Not huge, but more spacious than its midsize designation suggests. Photos by Honda uDeluxe. Plenty of standard features, it gave the Accord a clean-sheet shift up to the next cog. The vehicle shoots even on the cheap. makeover for the 2008 model forward with verve matching the engine's Sporty. Tight feel behind the wheel. year. liveliness. u Hewing to the definition of a It sounds good, too. coupe, it is a two-door and, fol- It's big. The sedan on which it's based has By James R Healey lowing the custom for coupes, is sleeker, moved up from midsize to — barely — full USA TODAY shorter and sportier overall than the sedan. size. Though the coupe, typically, is short- In fact, it's a knockout, filling the promise er and smaller inside than the sedan, and Honda has marketed a coupe version of of the sweet-looking concept car that remains a midsize car, it still benefits from the Accord long enough to know a couple Honda exhibited at auto shows much bet- the upsizing. of key things. ter than the sedan does. The rear seat, for those nimble enough to Having a coupe in the line jazzes up the The test car was a well-equipped model get there, is roomy enough for two adults image of all Accords, making buyers of the with V-6 engine, manual transmission and or three kids. Rare. And the front seats are four-door sedan feel less like they're set- leather upholstery. It could stand tire-to- expansive. tling for a family car and more like they're tire with some luxury models. Compared with the Nissan Altima coupe getting something sporty on the sly. Immediately apparent: It's a rocket. Nail (Test Drive, Sept. 7), the Accord is bigger, Having a coupe boosts sales just about the throttle in first or second gear, and the more luxurious and not quite as crisp-feeling. enough to keep one in the lineup. engine revs to its 6,800 rpm redline on the It's tough to drive smoothly. The inter- So Honda included a coupe model when tachometer almost before you're ready to play between the clutch and the throttle Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved. Special E-print Edition 2008 Honda Accord coupe uWhat is it? Coupe version of redesigned 2008 Accord. for front occupants, head-curtain air bags front and rear; anti- Midsize, front-wheel drive; smaller, sleeker than the sedan lock brakes; stability control. and has only two doors. uWhat's the rest? Standard on all models: air condition- uHow much? Prices for four-cylinder models range from ing; power steering, brakes, locks, windows, mirrors, driver's $22,495 to $26,595, including $635 destination charge. V-6 is seat; cruise control; tilt-adjustable and telescoping steering $28,945. Navigation system, available on top models, adds column; AM/FM/CD/ MP3-compatible stereo with auxiliary $2,200. Too new for deep discounts. jack. uHow many? 50,000 a year, Honda forecasts. uHow big? Longer, taller, wider, heavier than Nissan uWhat's the drivetrain? Base engine is 2.4-liter four- Altima coupe (Test Drive, Sept. 7). Accord coupe is 190.9 cylinder rated 190 horsepower at 7,000 rpm, 162 pounds- inches long, 72.7 inches wide, 56.4 inches tall on 107.9-inch feet of torque at 4,400 rpm; five-speed manual transmission wheelbase. (five-speed automatic optional). uHow thirsty? Four-cylinder is rated 21 mpg in town, 30 Optional: 3.5-liter V-6 rated 268 hp at 6,200, 248 lbs.-ft. at on the highway, 24 in combined driving with automatic trans- 5,000; five-speed automatic or six-speed manual is standard, mission, 22/31/ 25 with manual. V-6 is 19/28/22 with manu- depending on model. al, 17/25/20 with automatic. V-6 manual test car recorded 17 Traction control is standard on all models. mpg in suburban driving. uWhat's the safety gear? Front and side-impact air bags uOverall: Highly appealing blend of style, comfort, performance. makes it hard to avoid at least a slightly Thetestedcoupe's jerky engagement when shifting up or suspension deliv- down. Mitigating: The V-6 has enough ered a remarkable low-speed torque to drive smoothly if blend of smooth, you're a heathen and refuse to shift into a luxurious ride and lower gear when you oughta. agile, responsive Of course, opting for the automatic handling. transmission ($800) eliminates the issue. You could enjoy A four-cylinder coupe wasn't available to the excitement of test, but the four-cylinder sedans are pret- snapping around a ty accommodating, as long as you don't turn and immedi- demand too much from the smaller ately chase that engine's more modest power output. with the sublime Keeping with the coupe's sporty intent, delight of burbling the only four-cylinder available is the 190- along as if youwere horsepower version. The 177-hp engine in out for a Sunday the base sedan isn't available in the coupe. drive in your vintage The coupe's V-6 lacks the cylinder cutoff Cadillac. A dual-duty feature of the same engine in the sedan. buggy that could match your mood. and controls right out in plain sight and Honda calls it variable cylinder manage- Packing that pair of attributes into a sin- easy reach. There are enough to overwhelm ment (VCM) and says it saves fuel, using gle machine is difficult, and it broadens the the eye, but it takes little time to learn them only as many cylinders as needed for the Accord coupe's appeal beyond the simply and become grateful for the straightforward circumstances. Curiously, it makes scant sporty types generally attracted to sleek, presentation. difference in the cars' fuel-economy rat- two-door cars. And, of course, it gives any easily impressed ings, giving the VCM sedan merely one Steering felt right. Point the carstraight, and friends and relatives a powerful message: more mpg on the highway but otherwise that's where it went, without lots of nibbling Look at all the stuff in my car. no advantage. steering corrections you still find in plenty of Joy-knobbers can get enough to suit otherwise good them with the optional navigation system machines. ($2,200). The instrument Hard-core sporty folks, those who think panel is a refresh- a car can't handle well unless it has a stiff- ing change. Instead enough suspension to whack you around of trying to control on even small bumps, probably aren't myriad functions Accord coupe types. via a joystick com- Those who want a satisfying blend of bined with a knob, ride comfort and handling precision, as as in Mercedes- well as sharp looks, plenty of standard fea- Benz, BMW and tures and unexpected room inside, could Audi, Honda slaps have trouble finding a candidate as strong big, bold buttons as the Accord coupe. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved..

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