The Urban Dink: 2008 Honda Accord Coupe

I’m not a fan of large coupes that don’t have some kind of performance aspect inherent in their existence. What the heck am I talking about? The Ford Mustang, Pontiac GTO, BMW 335i — they’re worth the two-door, 2+2 seating configuration headaches. Otherwise, I find most coupes — like the new Accord, Pontiac G6, Nissan Altima and the god-awful Toyota Camry Solara — just pointless. Even as an Urban DINK, you might want to go out to dinner with another couple in comfort, and there are plenty of sporty sedans on the market these days.

What does all this spell for my time with the Accord coupe? It has a lot to make up for in my warped mind.

It’s clear right away that the Accord coupe is better for the suburbs than the city. The front suspension is unusually rigid, sending harsh shockwaves right up the spine over the severe road imperfections you find in big cities. I was really surprised that any Accord would have such feedback, and I don’t remember the new sedan being this rough. If there were some clear advantage in the handling department I could live with it, but the Accord is just above-average around the bend.

Now, before I sound overly negative, this coupe carves twisty roads adequately, and it’s a terrific highway cruiser. The V-6 had plenty of power — I averaged about 21 mpg (EPA is 19/28 mpg) in mostly bumper-to-bumper traffic — and that touch of sportiness will keep guys happy behind the wheel. The really luxurious interior will keep the better half happy, too. My wife was really surprised at how nice the leather was, how elegantly the dashboard curved and how the surfaces appeared. The seats are quite comfortable for short or long hauls, too.

The storage for technofiles is also well done, with a compartment up front to hide away garage clickers, cell phones or MP3 players. The AUX jack is hidden inside a well-padded center cubby. Two deep cupholders are great for tall water bottles, but not so good if you’re a grande Starbucks fan. That size latte will fit, but it won’t come out easily while driving.

The styling isn’t for everyone, but I have to say this car looks much better in person than even the best pictures. Just take a look at the wicked-looking chrome door handles. Every time I opened the door I thought, “this is one cool ride.” After only a few days, I was so comfortable with the Accord that it felt like my own daily driver.

My test car was decked out with leather and navigation, bringing the total just north of $31,000 after destination. Ouch. That’s a lot of dough. Granted I could do without nav for $2,200, but still, this is one pricey ride. Believe it or not, though, the rich leather, interior cabin and solid build really back up the price tag. Although I do take back that line about there being a lot of sporty sedans out there; there aren’t many at this price. The best I could find that you’d realistically get at this price point are the Acura TSX, Mazdaspeed6, Subaru Legacy GT and VW Jetta GLI. All the luxury makes will sticker well above the mark. Other coupes, like the Mitsubishi Eclipse, Mazda RX-8, Nissan 350Z and Ford Mustang, don’t really offer a better experience for urban dwellers, either.

If you’re a Suburban DINK and you need a cool-looking, reliable ride — and you’re not going to miss Autobahn performance — I’d highly recommend the Accord coupe. Urbanites, however, just won’t be willing to put up with the size and suspension, even if it looks good.

Related
2008 Honda Accord Expert Review (Cars.com)
More Honda Accord News (KickingTires)