Honda accord coupe 2008

Article - www.thecarconnection.com

Most automotive magazines and consumer auto Web sites agree that at Honda, 2008 has brought out the most refined Accord Coupe ever, with new bold styling that distinguishes it from Accords of the past.









The new 2008 Honda Accord Coupe has a larger footprint than the outgoing model. Popular Mechanics notes that it's 3 inches longer, 1.5 inches wider, and a full inch taller, which makes it roomier and more comfortable, but it's still small enough to carry the designation of being a compact car. At a quick glance, the Accord Coupe does look big, but it's more of an illusion caused by the taller, longer nose. Also notably larger are the wheels; the four-cylinder models now have 17-inch wheels, while the V-6 version gets bigger 18-inch hoops.

Cars.com and Edmunds both point out that the Coupe's hindquarters, with a distinctive kink in the C-pillar and taillights that wrap around the side of the body, are reminiscent of the BMW 5-Series. Edmunds goes on to report that the 2008 Accord Coupe "is a genuine attention-grabber, in a sporty kind of way -- something no previous version of the Accord Coupe could be accused of." Cars.com notes that at Honda, 2008 brings a Coupe with “a chiseled look that's highlighted in front by a narrow mesh grille and bulging front fenders."

Jalopnik is not as enthusiastic about the Coupe's exterior or interior esthetics, saying, "In places the 2008 Honda Accord Coupe is woefully bland, in others awkwardly edgy." While they claim that the interior is "positively posh," they're not too crazy about the grayish plastic dashboard and "cornucopia" of buttons, which are "awkwardly unintuitive" and clash with the nice leather.

Motor Trend disagrees about the Accord Coupe's cabin. "Honda has always done tight panels and high quality surfaces, but with the new Accord Coupe they've really outdone themselves." They like the look of the seamless matte finish and silver gray plastics and go on to say that "the new Accord's dash displays are MacBook Pro all the way."

TheCarConnection.com’s editors don’t find much wrong with the new Honda; 2008 brings, for the first time ever, a unique look and completely different body panels for the two-door. The two-door is markedly sleeker, with a sexy curve to the roof, and the bold character line, sweeping from front wheels to rear lamps, gives the coupe a sense of constant motion. The new Accord's cockpit is definitely among the best, too--the dashboard is laid out in a sort of dual-cockpit mode, and gauges and controls are particularly well placed.

Performance

The base 2008 Honda Accord Coupe features a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that pumps out an impressive 190 hp and an estimated 21/31 mpg. The optional 3.5-liter V-6 with 268 hp will be on the top of the list for those who crave more performance, but despite the huge power increase, the V-6 isn't much thirstier at the gas pump. Thanks to Honda's Variable Cylinder Management system that shuts down cylinders when they're not needed, the V-6 earns an estimated 19/29 mpg.

Popular Mechanics believes that Honda will probably sell more Accord Coupes with the 190-hp four-cylinder engine, and those who opt for this package will be pleased with the engine's silky smooth operation and seamless power delivery. They also praise the Accord Coupe for its miserly fuel consumption, saying the four-cylinder Accord has "simply excellent fuel economy for a car this size."

The 2008 Honda Accord Coupe V-6 is the most powerful Accord to date; TheCarConnection.com found that the majority of reviewers praise its smooth power delivery, silky smooth six-speed shifter, and sportscarlike handling. Car and Driver believes that the Honda Accord Coupe is a better machine than its No. 1 competitor, the Nissan Altima. "It's certainly fast," the reviewer notes, and even though the Accord Coupe has fewer ponies under the hood, it's quicker and has a "slick and easy to use" six-speed gearbox. Motor Trend reports that the 268-hp Accord Coupe EX-L they tested "drives like a dream." It also has 248-pound feet of torque, "and yet at WOT, there's no wheelspin or torque steer.”

Cars.com praises the V-6's smooth power, but knocks off a few points because "it doesn't feel as strong as its 268 horsepower rating would suggest". The V-6 Accord Coupe exhibits good acceleration, "but it doesn't blow you away with its power the way the Toyota Avalon's V-6 can."

Edmunds compares the Accord Coupe's performance to that of the discontinued Acura CL Type-S. The 2008 Honda Accord Coupe has more power, however, and the six-speed shifter and clutch mechanism "feels exactly the same" as the Acura's. They report that six-speed shifter also shares the CL's notchy feel, "and the clutch take-up is abrupt, making an Accord Coupe with its powertrain difficult to drive smoothly." They have no gripes about the Accord Coupe's power and report that even though it "is narrowly outgunned by the 270-hp Altima Coupe," the Honda's engine is "far smoother" than the Altima's VQ-Series V-6.

TheCarConnection.com believes the new 2008 Honda Accord Coupe is one of the best compact coupes to drive, in four- or six-cylinder guise. It handles very well, too. Though bigger, the new Accord has a lower center of gravity, thanks to Honda engineers. They've modified the double-wishbone front suspension geometry and gone with a multilink rear. The result is a very supple suspension package that seems to soak up bumps almost imperceptibly, without numbing its road feel. The new, variable gear ration steering is precise and supple, with a clear, on-center feel. At Honda, 2008 brings the Coupe standard 18-inch wheels, too.