First Drive Review
When we're asked to recommend something in a bland GT, the Accord coupe tops our list. Of course, no one ever asks for bland, just as they never search for lower gas mileage or alcohol-free vodka. So Accord coupe sales trickle along at five percent of Honda cars.
Coupes are about style. Finally, the Accord gets some-gets a lot, actually. This new version shares no skin-or glass or lights or grilles or bumpers-with the sedan. The roofline is lower by 1.7 inches. The look is new and flowing and original. The shape carries its visual weight down low, like a water balloon lying on a table. This is distinctive; you'll spot this coupe silhouette, and recognize it, when it's still far off.
Compared with the sedan, the coupe is close-coupled, but not very. The wheelbase is chopped 2.3 inches, leaving it still 2.8 inches longer than the previous coupe.
Overall length is 190.9, 3.1 inches longer than before. Aerodynamics are improved, only one tick for drag to 0.33, but more significantly for lift, where the coefficient drops to 0.14 from 0.20.
The 190-hp four is the standard coupe engine, either five-speed manual or automatic. Two V-6s are offered, both rated at 268 horsepower; automatics share the sedan's selective-cylinder engine. Six-speed manual versions drop that feature in favor of variable timing and lift on the intake valves for better low- and midrange punch. Audio tuning adds thrills to the sound.
Standard wheels are 7.5-by-17-inch alloys, replaced by 8.0-by-18-inchers on V-6 coupes, wrapped in 235/45 all-weather Michelins. Along with the sound tuning, the six-speed version gets a stiffer front anti-roll bar for crisper zigs and zags.
So, the bottom line: Has bland been left behind? The coupe's sharp new duds make a big impression, but the bones are still Accord.
Click here to go back to the 2008 Honda Accord Sedan
