2015 Honda Accord Coupe V6 testdrivenow.com VIDEO REVIEW

2015 Honda Accord Coupe V6 VIDEO REVIEW

Ever wonder what happened to the big coupe? Do you remember nameplates like Cougar and Monte Carlo? And you used to be able to buy 2-door variants of the Camry and Altima, as well. But while most manufacturers have given up on the bodystyle, Honda decided to keep it when they launched the all-new Accord in 2013 and for those with sportier intentions, that’s a very good thing.

The Accord is one of the best-selling cars in America. But of course, the vast majority is sold with 4-doors. Let’s say you prefer the silhouette and sexiness of a coupe though but can do without the often small and juvenile nature of a 2+2. Well, before you is the perfect solution. The Accord Coupe is a front-drive midsize-proportioned 2-door underpinned by Honda’s chassis expertise, available with 4 or 6-cylinder power matched with either a stickshift or automatic transmission. Mine is the range-topping EX-L V6 with navi and 6-speed auto with no options, priced at $33,370.

I hadn’t driven one since the car’s launch a couple years back and this week reminded me of just how fun it really is. Just 2” inches shorter between the wheels than the sedan, the Coupe comes styled with a similar level of maturity with just the right infusion of luster to give it that racier, sports car look. If it’s hood scoops and oversized spoilers you’re after than move along. But I really like the understated nature of this car and these 18” wheels are a perfect match.

When you go V6 you buy into a 278-horsepower, 251 pound-feet of torque Accord that’ll squeal its high-end Michelins on its sprint to 60mph in a scant 5.5-seconds. It responds to your impulses with a surprising urgency, with 6 gears, a sport mode and paddle shifters with which to play.

There’s something very straightforward and simple about the Accord Coupe that people who like to drive will appreciate. It doesn’t try to deliver an overtly sporty experience; instead it puts you in control of a car with precise, light steering, frisky handling and a strong, smooth powertrain. It has Honda’s sophisticated diving feel in a more exciting package that doesn’t neglect practicality.

Some bemoaned the deletion of the double wishbone suspension when this car was redesigned, but the MacPherson struts do a yeoman’s job of balancing ride and handling, reducing body roll and contributing to quietness. The virtual absence of torque steer is a feat as is the Coupe’s willingness to plant its nose considering 63% of the car’s 3,500 pounds is up front. It’s not a rear-wheel drive drifter but it’s definitely engaging to drive.

The 3.5-liter Earth Dreams engine dreams a little less than its 4-cylinder counterpart with a single – not double overhead cam design – and without direct-injection, but uses variable cylinder management to muster an impressive 21mpg city/32mpg highway on regular unleaded. There’s also an Eco mode for tooling around town.

This EX-L trim has leather, of course and a host of other standard niceties to justify its premium pricing – such as heated seats with driver’s side memory, push button start, Active Noise Cancellation and the feature-laden though cumbersome HondaLink infotainment system. With just-right front seats and excellent all-around visibility the Coupe makes for an agreeable handshake and items like Lane Watch, Forward Collision Warning and Lane Departure Warning solidify the safety. It’s fairly unadorned and a little old school inside yet other than the fussy center stack, the cabin functions with an appreciated ergonomic grace. You’d laugh at most coupe’s rear seats but these are absolutely adult usable and easy to access from the passenger’s side. The trunk loses only 2 cubic-feet to the sedan too, though my car’s rear seat proved problematic to drop.

When the demands of adult life call yet a youthful passion still burns, the Accord Coupe is there to work it out.

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