Because it's such a big seller, the styling on the Accord is neither daring nor dramatic in order to be all things to all people. Take the Coupe for example: The '07 model was not a bad looking car, and the '08 pushes the wedge-shaped design even further. It's a much more contemporary style but it retains its Accord-like appearance. The tale of the tape places the overall length of the new Accord Coupe at 190.7 inches, making it 2.9 inches longer; its width of 72.7 inches is 1.4 inches wider; and height of 55.7 inches is 0.7 inches higher than the '07 model. Compared to the '08 Accord Sedan the coupe is 3.4 inches shorter in length and 1.7 inches shorter in height, with the same width between the two. This swelling actually bumped the new Accord Sedan from the EPA Midsize to Large classification. To put this into perspective, the first generation CVCC Accord with its 93.7-inch wheelbase is actually three inches shorter than that of the Fit and its 68 hp is 22 ponies more than just one cylinder on the new Accord.
Not only is the upcoming Accord larger than the CVCC, it's equipped in such a manner that only eight generations of progress can provide. The intuitive voice-activated Navi includes a Zagat Survey guide, an 8-inch screen, and an interface dial. It should also be noted that this is the first use of a Bluetooth HandsFreeLink in a Honda product.
Even the Sporty Spice V-6 six-speed MT Accord Coupe we sampled drove like, well, an Accord. This car is smooth and easy to drive, a commuter's dream, cosseting the driver without disengaging him from the drive. The lack of an LSD on the six-speed manual wasn't even an issue as there wasn't the slightest hint of torque steer even when we rocked out on the 273 hp V-6. WOT was rewarded with surprising alacrity and a heartier growl as the intake manifold and higher flow-rate silencer were specifically tuned on the 6MT Coupe.
The '08 Accord Sedan should go on sale Sept. 12 of this year with the Coupe debuting later in the month on the 20th. The base model LX Sedan with the 180-hp four should start at $20K while the EX-L V-6 6-Speed Coupe should come in at $30K. If quality, dependability, and reliability are high on your list of priorities, then the Accord is the car for you. But if aftermarket personalization is more of your bag then you may be better off with a Civic.