If you like the idea of a smart looking car that is well equipped and powerful, you might want to move on an Accord Coupe… 

 

2014 Honda Accord Coupe V6

It’s fascinating to watch trends in the auto industry play out over time.

Some changes happen quickly, with one manufacturer coming out with a feature, then the rest of the industry following suit. Backup cameras would be a good example of this.

Other trends are much slower, changing because of demographic fluctuations. One example of a slow-moving trend is the two-door coupe falling out of favour and its replacement by sedans and crossovers. This trend is greatly affected by baby boomers getting older and buying more for practical reason, rather than styling.

In the 1980s – and even the beginning of the 90s – there were plenty of coupes to choose from and they sold well. But where are the Honda Prelude, Toyota Celica, Pontiac Sunfire and Ford Probe coupes now? Gone and many not replaced with newer models.

I’m thrilled to report that there are a few coupes still available and one worthy of consideration is this new 2014 Honda Accord Coupe V6.

Looks

The Accord Coupe is based on the all-new Accord sedan that has been selling very well for Honda. In fact, it won the Canadian Car of the Year this year as decided by the Automobile Journalist Association of Canada.

Honda has done a good job of updating this big coupe with a more modern twist.

Sold in three configurations from the base EX to the EX-L Navi (L stand for leather and navi is self-explanatory), which are both 4-cylinder equipped models. The top trim is the EX-L Navi with V6. This top trim level is the model seen here, it comes with LED projector headlamps, 18-inch wheels and duel chrome exhaust tips. The 4-cylinder equipped models come with halogen headlamps and 17-inch alloy wheels. The coupe starts at $26,400, a $2,500 premium over the regular sedan but when the sedan is equipped with alloy wheels, the price is almost identical. The EX-L is $30,100 for the leather and navi and the V6 premium is $35,500.

Not an inexpensive car but most are very well equipped.

Inside

It’s a big and comfortable coupe. The back seat is actually usable for adults and the front seats are very comfortable. The trunk is huge and the back seat folds for extra long items but the seats do not split and fold, plus the opening to the back seat is small. Standard feature on all Accord models is a backup camera and heated seats.

Honda, in my opinion, has raised the bar in the mid-sized category and produced the nicest dash I have seen in this class. There are two screens in the centre console, one for the navigation unit and the other for the radio.

They are framed in beautiful, high quality satin metal, chrome and soft touch materials.

One area that could be improved is the way the radio stores and retrieves pre-set radio stations. It took a long time to set the stereo up and having to go back and forth between different screens is not that intuitive. The rest of the dash is large, with big cup holder and plenty of storage areas.

The steering wheel buttons and heat controls on the dash use first rate switches and they are placed with precision.

Drive

Another trend that Honda is bucking, with this Accord Coupe, is the inclusion of a 6-speed manual transmission and V6 engine.

The latest movement is to turbo or supercharged 4-cylinder engines to replace V6 power plants and duel clutch automatic transmission in favour of a manual. I’m glad that Honda still offers this layout; it shows they are serious about being a true enthusiast car company. Granted, most buyers will get the very good 6-speed automatic transmission with the 3.5L V6 but with 278hp and 252 lb.-ft. of torque it will be a very lively car in either configuration. The manual is a joy to use and it is like a throwback to drive a V6 equipped manual car. The 4-cylinder models have 185hp from a direct injection 2.4L engine and either a manual transmission or continuously variable transmission (CVT) for added fuel savings. The CVT is capable of 7.8L/100km in the city and 5.7L on the highway. The V6 uses more at 10.0L/100km in the city and 6.1L on the highway.

Verdict

When I started reviewing cars back in the early 1990s, cars like this were common; a mid-sized sedan with a V6 engine and a manual transmission. I can clearly remember driving a Toyota Camry, Nissan Maxima and Accord equipped this way.

While most companies are moving away from this design, Honda is sticking with it for now.

Soon Honda will have smaller turbocharged 4-cylinder engines available and this big coupe might too be fitted with something more efficient. If you like the idea of a smart looking car that is well equipped and powerful, you might want to move on an Accord Coupe V6 before it follows the latest trend.

Contact: zack [at] drivewaybc [dot] ca

The Lowdown

Power: 2.4L 4-cylinder with 185hp or 3.5L V6 with 278hp

Fill-up: 7.8L/5.7L/100km (city/highway 4-cylinder)

Sticker price: $26,400-$35,500