The gauges on the new Honda Accord coupe may be just about the most beautiful gauges I've ever seen. Their background is brushed charcoal, the indices are little backlit acrylic bricks set into an aluminum ring, the font is easy to read and the needles are so sharp they could be daggers. They're gorgeous – and indicative of an increased focus on style and panache in this new Accord. Two generations ago, Honda started to differentiate the styling of its two- and four-door mid-sizers, but the 2008 model goes the furthest yet, with styling that swoops and creases and generally draws a lot of attention to itself. During two weeks of driving, I discovered I was pretty much the only one who found the new styling a bit awkward, with its high, truckish hood and its sloping rear end. Everyone else seemed to really dig it. I've never driven another Honda that prompted people to roll down their windows on the Don Valley Parkway to give thumbs-up; I've never been asked by a bicycle cop what, exactly, is that gorgeous car you're driving. Maybe it's the big multi-spoke 18-inch wheels; maybe it's the aerodynamic body kit with its lengthened side sills, jutting front bumper and foglights; maybe it's the twin exhausts and the rear spoiler. Whatever it is, Honda's accomplished its mission of turning more heads with the Accord coupe. That's true even before you look inside, where you discover a dashboard that curves like a pair of wings, a large central display screen and enough buttons and knobs to make it feel like mission control. Thanks to the high-end features – six-disc CD changer; auxiliary audio input; power heated seats; available navigation; a control logic reminiscent of BMW's iDrive – it looks and feels really upscale in here. There's plenty of leg-, head- and shoulder-room up front and a wheelbase stretch means the back seats are more habitable than ever. The seats themselves are big and cushy, comfortable for long trips but supportive in the turns. Practical storage abounds, from large door pockets to three bins in the centre console to giant cupholders and a rear seat that folds to expand the already-generous trunk. Some of the ergonomic details, however, rankle: The climate controls are a long row of switches that stretches across the middle of the dash, while the entertainment system is arrayed in a mess of buttons and knobs just below; The controls are far away from the screen that displays their settings and the logic of some of the controls can be odd. If you sit way forward, like I do, the window and lock switches are too far back on the door. The new Accord is a bigger car than ever, which is something you definitely feel when driving it. The dashboard is expansive, the nose seems really far away and the car feels quite wide, especially when reversing into tight parking spaces. All of which means that, initially, the new Accord doesn't feel as nimble as the old one. Spend some more time with it, though, and it does seem to shrink. The steering still responds with right-now quickness and is delightfully accurate, full of road feel. The brakes, clutch and six-speed shifter all operate with an intuitiveness that flatters even ham-fisted driving. The engine revs cleanly and eagerly and sounds great while it goes about its work. The new Accord may be bigger, but it's still a sporty drive: more entertaining than a Toyota Solara, more precise than a Nissan Altima coupe and with more sophisticated sensations from the engine and gearbox than the Pontiac G6 GTP. With 268 hp from the 3.5 L V6, the new Accord is probably at the limit of how much power you'd want to put through the front wheels. Torque steer in the first three gears is rampant if you're not careful with the throttle. Better instead to upshift early and surf along on the newly fattened torque curve. Even at 1500 r.p.m., there's enough grunt from the V6 to pull away in any gear, and freeway passing manoeuvres rarely require a downshift for swift progress. On balance, given the upgraded four-cylinder engine available in lesser Accord coupes, I might be tempted to go that route instead. Go for an EX-L and you get the same level of equipment as the V6, right down to leather-trimmed seats and power moonroof. Another reason to go for the four-cylinder is price: the V6 model starts at over $35,000; a cloth-interior coupe is less than $28,000 and a leather-lined version $30,390. You may not get quite the same excitement (the snarly V6 sound, the surging passing power, the tug of torque steer), but you do get the same quality, solidity and, uh, Honda-ness for a lot less money. |