4:43:00 AM
My vision of the Accord as the most boring car ever has been completely shattered.
Now all I picture is a sporty red coupe that actually growls when you step on the gas pedal. Needless to say, I enjoyed the test week.
Design
I've always thought the coupe was more attractive than the sedan in the Accord lineup, and in 2016 the styling refresh adds even more appeal. The lines are a bit more chiseled, and the overall look is more aggressive. The facelift includes a new grille as well as restyled headlights and taillights. The interior also gets some upgrades with new interior trim accents.
The overall appearance of the interior is clean and simple - with one exception. I absolutely abhor the dueling info screens - one on the center stack and one bubbling up over the dash. It's information overload in too little space, and all the data on the top screen could easily be housed in the center of the speedometer or on the main infotainment screen.
The seats were well-bolstered and comfortable. The test vehicle had the black interior, which added to the overall sporty feel of the vehicle. If you're not a fan of dark interiors, ivory (which appears more khaki) is available both in cloth and leather seating surfaces.
As a petite driver, I thought the coupe was roomy, with plenty of space behind me for a rear-seat passenger. Taller drivers and passengers, however, will likely find a tighter fit - but such is the design of a coupe.
Ride & Handling
The base engine for the Honda Accord Coupe is a 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder engine that delivers 185 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. While I'm sure this is perfectly adequate, it should be no surprise that I prefer the up-level V-6 that came in the test car.
This engine is a great example of what a V-6 should be, delivering 252 horsepower and 252 pound-feet of torque. It's fast off the line, and does really well in passing maneuvers on the highway. Plus, every time you step on the accelerator, the engine gives a deep breathy roar - something I didn't expect with a Honda. At all.
The test vehicle had the 6-speed automatic transmission, but a 6-speed manual is also available. In a time when a lot of automakers are going away from offering a manual, I've got to give Honda props for offering a 6-speed manual with both the 4- and 6-cylinder engines.
The Accord Coupe was incredibly responsive, quiet and fun to maneuver. I felt a great connection with the road without being overly bothered by bumps and potholes. Honda manages to make this coupe both smooth and sporty - a great combination for a car that's both fun and reliable.
Fuel economy
Depending on the engine and transmission, there is actually a wide variety of EPA estimated fuel economies available for the Accord Coupe. So, here's the city/highway/combined MPGs broken down by bullet point:
- 4-cyl engine, 6-speed MT: 23/34/27
- 4-cyl engine, CVT: 26/35/30
- V-6 engine, 6-speed MT: 18/28/22
- V-6 engine, 6-speed AT: 21/32/25
Tech & gadgets
The tech news for the 2016 Accord Coupe centers on phone mirroring software and super safety systems.
First, starting at the EX trim, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard - no app downloads or software upgrades necessary. Simply plug in your smartphone, and the primary infotainment screen mirrors approved apps. I had sat through demonstrations of CarPlay and Auto previously, but this is the first time I experienced it while driving.
I have an iPhone, so I was using CarPlay. While I was driving, it was very easy to swipe through the screens, select music or access text messages. And voice texting was virtually seamless. During one drive, I experienced a flurry of familial texts over my sister's new kitten, and with an easy screen tap, I could have all the messages read to me. With another tap, I could respond via voice-to-text. The system understood my voice fairly well, and typos were minimal.
One thing I noticed, however, is that if I had my phone plugged in and I wanted to use something other than CarPlay - such as if I wanted to use the car's navigation or listen to SiriusXM radio instead of my iTunes music - the car would get a little confused when a text or phone call came in, and it would revert to the CarPlay screen when I didn't want the CarPlay screen. So, my word of advice here would be if you aren't actively using CarPlay, don't plug in your phone.
Additionally, every trim is now available with Honda Sensing - the high-tech safety system that helps the Accord get Top Safety Pick + honors. This system includes all the lane departure and crash warning and mitigation systems that are currently hot safety commodities.
Trims
The Accord Coupe lineup has a wide range of trims, spans $11,000 and proffers two engine choices.
LX-S: The base trim for the Accord Coupe comes equipped with the 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder engine. It comes with standard features such as 17-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control, cruise control, Bluetooth phone connectivity and Pandora compatibility. The standard transmission is a 6-speed manual, and a continuously variable transmission (CVT) will add $850 to the bottom line. Base price for the LX-S with the manual is $24,610.
LX-S with Honda Sensing: The LX-S has the same engine, but the base transmission is the CVT. With the addition of Honda Sensing, it adds high-tech safety features such as forward collision warning, lane departure warning, collision mitigation braking, road departure mitigation, lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control. Base price is $26,460.
EX: This trim also gives the option of a 6-speed manual or CVT (+$850) and adds standard features such as a remote start engine (CVT only), 18-inch alloy wheels, Honda LaneWatch, push-button start, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM Radio, HD Radio, power moon roof and smart entry. Base price for the EX is $26,735.
EX with Honda Sensing: This trim comes standard with the CVT and adds the Honda Sensing features. Base price is $28,585.
EX-L: The EX-L is the top trim level available with the 4-cylinder engine, and it is only available with the CVT. It has a LEV3-SULEV30 CARB emissions rating and adds standard features such as a leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather trimmed seats, heated front seats and automatic dimming rearview mirror. Base price for the EX-L is $29,580.
EX-L with Honda Sensing: In addition to Honda Sensing, this trim also adds illuminated steering wheel mounted controls and a navigation system. Base price is $31,580.
EX-L V-6: This trim switches to the 3.5-liter V-6 engine with variable cylinder management and, as the base trim with this engine, has a standard 6-speed manual transmission. A 6-speed automatic is a no-cost addition at this level. The EX-L V-6 also has a LEV3-ULEV125 CARB emissions rating and adds remote start (AT only), chrome exhaust finishers and hood struts. Base price is $31,760.
EX-L V-6 with Honda Sensing: This trim only adds the Honda Sensing and has a base price of $33,760.
Touring: This top-level trim includes the V-6 engine, 6-speed automatic, Honda Sensing and navigation, plus it adds 19-inch alloy wheels, body-colored parking sensors, automatic headlights with on/off, automatic high-beam headlights and rain-sensing windshield wipers. Base price for the Touring is $34,960.
The test vehicle was the well-equipped Touring model with all the whistles and bells included in the base price.
Safety
Standard safety features on the Accord Coupe include vehicle stability assist, traction control, anti-lock brakes, a multi-angle rearview camera, tire pressure monitoring and daytime running lights. When equipped with Honda Sensing, the Accord Coupe adds forward collision warning, lane departure warning, collision mitigation braking, road departure mitigation, lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control.
This coupe gets top marks across the board from both the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It earns a Top Safety Pick + (when equipped with Honda Sensing) from IIHS and an overall 5-Star rating from NHTSA.
Not sure what the safety ratings mean? We break it down for you here.
New for 2016
The Accord was all-new for the 2013 model year, so 2016 marks a mid-cycle refresh to the ninth generation. In addition to some design tweaks, Honda Sensing is now available as a stand-alone option at every trim except Touring, where it's standard. Other changes include the expanded use of LED exterior lighting, the addition of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and the availability of remote start, rear parking sensors and heated rear seats.
A few of my favorite things
The Accord Coupe was the first vehicle I had that was equipped with Apple CarPlay, and I really liked how easy and intuitive it was to use. Simply plug in to the USB port on the center stack and go. The talk-to-text is both intuitive to use and easy to understand. It reads text messages to you, and the words never appear on the screen so you don't take your eyes off the road.
Let's be honest, the V-6 engine in the Accord is phenomenal. It's fast and fun, and it even emits an aggressive roar during hard acceleration. More than once during the test week, I had to stare at the Honda emblem on the steering wheel to remind myself that I was actually driving an Accord.
What I can leave
I found the double info screens confusing. One sits atop the dash, and the other is embedded in the center stack. The top typically displays car data while the other displays the infotainment. But really, it was information overload.
The fuel economy in the Accord was also a bit of a disappointment. I was primarily doing long stretches of city driving during the test week in an urban environment with stop signs on every corner, but I certainly expected something closer to the 20 mpg mark. In fact, for most of the test week I was closer to 13 mpg, and it was only a long highway trek at very end of my week that pushed me up toward 16.
Another thing to note: Honda Sensing is only available with the CVT or automatic transmission models - no manuals allowed. For manual-transmission enthusiasts, this is a bit of a bummer. You have to choose fun or safety.
The bottom line
I really, really loved this car. And, frankly, I never thought I'd say that about a Honda either.
There are very few cars I say I'd want to buy, but the 2016 Honda Accord Coupe makes the list. However, I'd probably ditch the automatic transmission and opt for the EX-L with the V-6 - even though that means I'd be giving up some of the high-tech safety features.
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