Honda’s Accord lineup has taken on different shapes and sizes over the years, mostly to accommodate new styles or trends. The

Elegant yet sporty lines, the Accord Coupe backs up its styling with commendable performance in V6 trim. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

first Accord was a sporty two-door liftback that went head to head with Volkswagen’s Scirocco, with that model soon being joined by a four-door sedan. Over the years the sedan has always been part of the Accord lineup, but other body styles have included a wagon and most recently a four-door liftback crossover wagon-SUV thingy called the Crosstour, while most everyone’s favourite Accord has long been the Coupe.

The Accord Coupe came into being just before another Honda favourite, the Prelude (R.I.P.) was pushed out to pasture, and seems to have taken over the role of sporty four-place conveyance within the Honda lineup. And yes, it is truly a four seater, with ample room in back for two adults plus a smaller one happily in the middle if needed. It offers a large trunk too, with a fold-down rear seatback to boot, making the Accord Coupe one of the most practical two-door choices in the mainstream market.

That

New 18-inch wheels add flair while twin chrome pipes let all know a V6 is under-hood. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

segment has been shrinking, however, with few competitors, outside of the muscle car set, even taking part anymore. No, with Toyota having dropped its Camry Solara and Pontiac gone from the market altogether, you’d need to step up to a premium brand to get into the large personal coupe market if it weren’t for a couple of rivals. And the Accord Coupe, starting at $28,340 including destination, certainly isn’t priced like a premium car.

It’s an elegant ride though, with chiseled sheet metal that rakes forward from rear haunches to front fenders at an aggressive angle, letting onlookers know that this is no bread and butter Accord. Honda reworked the grille, front bumper, and brake lights this year, plus gave the V6 model sweet new 18-inch alloys wrapped up in a chubby set of 235/45R18s, a solid stance befitting a significant step up the performance

The Accord Coupe is a real joy on the open road. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

ladder from the 190-horsepower base four-cylinder Coupe’s 17s.

The 3.5-litre V6 makes 271 horsepower and 251 lb-ft of torque, which might currently be outshined by a couple of competitors sporting more updated technologies like direct injection, but nevertheless moves the Accord Coupe along with enough oomph to induce menacing grins. The Accord Coupe makes due with a 5-speed automatic too, whereas 6-speed boxes are becoming the norm in this class now, but it certainly is smooth and its single-cog shortcoming doesn’t seem to get in the way during acceleration. I’m guessing a 6-speed automatic would improve fuel economy though, at least on the highway due to the ability to include a taller final gear. Currently, the Accord Coupe V6 is rated at an estimated 11.0 L/100km in the city and 6.7 on the highway, nothing to sneeze at when comparing it to rivals.

The interior might be a bit dated, but it's still competitive. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

If you want something thriftier you can opt for the four-cylinder and still get it well featured in the same EX-L trim my tester sported; fuel economy estimates are 8.8 and 5.8 respectively, which is slightly better than last year. There’s a 6-speed manual option too, but with no Variable Cylinder Management, which shuts down up to three cylinders under light loads to improve fuel economy, replaced with a variable valve timing and intake system for heightened performance, its fuel economy is the least appealing at an estimated 12.6 city, 7.8 highway. But do you think I’m complaining?

Hardly. As important as fuel economy is in today’s market and more personally my wallet, people don’t buy into the two-door coupe segment with this ideal in mind first and foremost, and if they do Honda’s got another sporty model dubbed CR-Z that will serve such purposes better. The CR-Z, as cool as it is, won’t scoot away from a stoplight like the Accord Coupe V6 with the

Seats are large, yet still offer decent lateral support. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

manual gearbox. It’s a nice 6-speed too, with a fairly short-throw lever and nice clutch take-up with positive feel yet light actuation. The leather-clad driver’s seat is large yet supportive enough laterally to keep rearmost body parts firmly in place during spirited maneuvers, yet comfort is still priority one. The steering wheel is leather wrapped too, and soft-touch plastics cover surfaces you’re more likely to touch. Accord switchgear has long been a highlight, and the Coupe is filled with high quality buttons and knobs, extremely user-friendly as well. This year the instrument panel design is updated with climate-control buttons moved to left side for closer proximity to the driver.

And the climate control is automatic and dual-zone in all Accord Coupes, with additional standard

A well laid out pod-like centre stack, Honda moved the HVAC controls closer to the driver for 2011. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

niceties including heated and powered mirrors, speed-sensing variable intermittent wipers, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel with audio controls connecting through to a 270-watt 7-speaker 6-CD/MP3/WMA audio system with USB and auxiliary inputs plus XM satellite radio, Bluetooth phone connectivity, Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) with the automatic transmission, a powered glass sunroof, plus all the regular powered stuff, not to mention active front head restraints, a tire pressure monitoring system, traction and stability control and all the usual airbags.

The EX-L adds an 8-way power driver’s seat, powered passenger seat, heated front seats, plus the aforementioned leather upholstery and leather-wrapped steering wheel. Along with a more powerful engine the EX-L V6 gets 18-inch rims, fog lights, a rear decklid spoiler,

One of the larger trunks in the personal coupe segment. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press)

chrome door handles, and paddle-shifters if you don’t opt for the manual gearbox, which is a no-cost option, incidentally. Up the ante to include navigation and Honda throws in 2-position driver’s seat memory. A full-load 2011 Accord Coupe V6 EX-L Navi, as my tester was kitted, will set you back $37,440, destination charge included. If you want to step things up a visual notch or two, for an additional $2k you can have your dealer slap on an aerodynamics package, or better yet spend that $2k on the new HFP trim level that adds an aero package as well as a lowered sport-tuned suspension, a nice set of 10-spoke 19-inch rims, and Yokohama rubber.

The HFP shows that Honda is still taking the personal coupe market seriously, and the Accord Coupe, no matter the trim level, is a worthy contender. My V6 EX-L Navi tester was proof to that.

Interior

Exterior

Mechanical

Safety

Dimensions

Misc

(J003) Standard Metallic Paint

(J005) Standard Gloss Paint