Honda Sexy Family Car? Maybe

Author's Rating:

Pros: Very sporty Car with excellent fit and finish, with enough space for a family.

Cons: It could do better on fuel economy.

The Bottom Line: 

Great looking car with all the driving qualities to match its looks.  You'd have a hard time finding a comparable quality car in a higher price range. 

Author's Review
Are you looking for a car that will let you live out your youth, but now that you have youths of you own don't think you can any more.  Well read this review and you might change your mind. 

My Camry after 8 years and 150K miles of dutiful service was starting to show its age.  So now being a thirty something family guy, I started looking to a number of sedans including Nissan Altima, VW Passat, Ford Fusion, and the Honda Accord.  While some have passable aesthetics, I can't say that any screamed out to me to be driven.  Then walking past the Accord Coupe, I was immediately drawn to it.  And then sitting in all the seats, front and rear, was pleasantly surprised with the spaciousness of it.  So after test driving the car, I thought this car provides a great balance between its sportiness and all of its practicalities that makes it a good family car.  This review is specifically for the V6 - EXL.  For other

THE DRIVE
I have put on 6K miles on this car in a few months and can say without reservation that this is a fun car to drive.  It handles very well although it is subject to a relatively rough ride on the crumbly surface that folks in Southeast Michigan call roads.  But once I get to the highway it shines as I have no problems zooming through traffic. 


ACCELERATION
I have the V-6 model and there is no doubt that it accelerates as well any any comparable coupe available.  I have clocked 0 - 60 in just over 6 seconds.  Since I'm not in the market for speeding tickets, I don't do this often.  But since I was so enamored by the car, I thought I'd open it up and see what I can do.  And the 268 HP certainly is put to good use.

BRAKING
The braking is great.  I found it to be very responsive in wet and dry road conditions.  And of course it has ABS.

EXTERIOR LOOKS
The coupe is very well proportioned.  I was taken by the muscular look of the car as well as the chiseled groove carves its way from the rear to the front, giving it a very finished and cut look.  It has beautiful 18"  alloy wheels.  The chrome trim around the grill and side windows might be a matter of taste, but I like the look. 

INTERIOR LOOKS AND COMFORT
Absolutely beautiful inside.  It might agree with those that prefer a more modern look of clean lines, ambient lighting with a technological marvel of an audio / heating system.

It has heated leather seats, fully automated on the drivers side.  And it has XM radio built in and a home link system.  I didn't opt for the Blue Tooth / Navi options as they took the car out of my price range.

When you sit in the drivers seat, I'd guess that you wouldn't knowthe difference if you were sitting in a more pricey luxury sedan.  With all the controls, the feel is very customizable and does provide lumbar support.

There is lots of leg room in the rear of the car and I have been able to have 3 adults fit (snugly) in the back seat.  It certainly will accomodate the 2 car seats I need for my kids, who can't stop raving about how they love the car too. 

Trunk space is not as big as many sedan, but is surprisingly spacious.  It can certainly handle a number of suitcases for a family of four.  It has fold down rear seats, that unfortunately don't have a 60 / 40 split as many others do.

DASH / AUDIO SYSTEM
I think its great.  Some don't much care for how busy it is saying it is much too complex, but honestly if you are going to buy the car, you can certainly spend a few moments figuring out what the buttons do.  The audio system has a large push button that spins which allows you to navigate the menu or MP3 cd much the way you would with an Ipod.  speaking of which there is an aux plug for Ipods in the arm rest.  The speakers sound great in all parts of the car.

SAFETY
The Accord Coupe has front and side airbags.  It also features Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), which during the winter it activates if the car starts to slip or slide in the snow and ice.  This feature detects and prevents skids by applying braking to individual tires to assist you regain control of the car.  It also has Anti Locking Brakes as well as Tire Pressure Monitoring system.

FUEL ECONOMY
This is one area that has been a bit of a let down for me.  I was excited by the VCM feature (variable cylinder management), which is indicated by a green ECO light on your dash.  This indicates that not all cylinders are being used.  This mostly occurs during cruising.  Despite the effective marketing tactic, it hasn't exactly proven to be a fuel miser.

It is rated 17/25, which is a bit low for a Honda Coupe.  In prodominantly city driving, I have averaged about 22MPG.  On a long trip, I was able to get 26, but I suspect I could have gotten better if I focused on getting my ECO light lit throughout the drive.  But frankly, when your car has 268 horses, somehow you always find opportunities to use them.


THE VERDICT
The car looks great and drives great.  It has ample room for the entire family and I wouldn't hesitate taking it on a long road trip.  The family enjoys it and it gives me a sporty drive when I feel like I need to take one.

I have very much enjoyed my car and hope that it will last me a long time.  And given the glowing consumer reviews of that manufacturer, I don't doubt that it will be a while before my next review.  So I give the Honda Accord Coupe a Strong Thumbs Up.