2015 Honda Accord Coupe Review

2015 Honda Accord Coupe V6 EX-L Navi at a glance

BODY STYLE: Compact sporty coupe.
DRIVE METHOD: front-engine, front-wheel drive; six-speed manual (as tested) or six-speed automatic
ENGINE: 3.5-litre 16-valve DOHC direct injection V6 (278 hp, 252 lb/ft).
CARGO CAPACITY: 379 litres
FUEL ECONOMY: (Regular) manual (as tested) 13.0/8.4/10.9L/100 km city/highway/combined; automatic, 11.4/7.3/9.5L/100 km
PRICE: $35,555 as tested

Accord V6 - Honda's best-kept secret

The 2015 Accord V6 Coupe is one of Honda's best-kept secrets.

The EX-L V6 Navi, as it is more properly named, is more like a custom-build.

For instance, there are only three Accord Coupe trim levels, EX, EX-L Navi and the model tested here, the V6.

The first two come with a 2.4-litre direct injection inline four-cylinder with a standard six-speed manual or CVT transmission. The V6 gets the same standard manual, but there is an available six-speed automatic.

The 3.5-litre direct injection V6 is the biggest production engine Honda makes, with 278 hp and 252 lb/ft of torque.

On the V6 only, you'll find LED headlights and daytime running LEDs, 18-inch alloy wheels and Honda's excellent HomeLink info/navi system.

But more to the point, this is a surprisingly competent driver's coupe with the V6 and manual, as I was to find out recently on a Honda press event at Blue Mountain for the 2015 CR-V CUV and the 2015 Acura RLX Sport Hybrid.

Taking a family sedan and turning it into a sporty car seldom works well, but in this case it does.

The suspension is MacPherson struts with stabilizer bar but there is also a shock tower stress bar making for much increased rigidity. The rear is a stout multi-link independent system with stabilizer bar.

Instead of taking Hwy. 400 and Hwy. 26 over to Blue Mountain, I decided to take Hwy. 9 west to Airport Rd.

The latter runs straight north, but rolls up and down through some of the greatest farm country in the province, made more beautiful with the fall colours in the trees.

The stubby manual shifter on the V6 is typically light, but not as much as on the Fit or Civic Si.



But like Fit and Civic Si, the clutch bite is at the top of the clutch pedal travel, which makes it easier to work in the city but the reverse is preferred by me, because it is easier to synchronize engine revs to the revolving speed of the gears.

You sit quite low down in the cabin, which imparts a driver's feeling. As you begin to push the envelope you find the placement of the shifter makes it possible to drop your hand and it lands directly on the lever.

There's a lot to see on this route such as a stop in at Creemore for lunch (no beer at the brewery as I was driving) or the quaint Olde Stanton Store on Airport Road just north of Hwy. 89.

Sitting way out in the country by itself, it is crammed with the best selection of gifts from glass to whirligigs and wind chimes to a fabulous counter of fudge.

The entire route is festooned with vendors, produce, country meat stores, even a poutine truck or two.

Sightlines from the driver's seat are pretty good considering this is a coupe, but there is no doubt the standard rear camera is a necessity when reversing.

Also standard is Honda's new LaneWatch system. When you flick on the right-hand turn signal you are given a panoramic rear view of the right lane(s) on the centre LCD screen.

With full leather seating the cabin of the V6 Navi is very upscale, giving the car the feel, look and smell of a grand tourer rather than a sporty car.

The instrument cluster features a quite large speedometer in the centre. That's a good thing as the power of the engine plus the refinement of the suspension often results (in my case at least) of speed creeping up.

The centre stack mounted eight-inch i-MID (intelligent Multi-Information Display) not only keeps you connected to the Accord's text message and e-mail functionality, it also provides a host of important vehicle information such as fuel efficiency and trip range. This also includes audio and phone info, the standard rearview camera and available Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System.

Fitted to my tester was the Honda Navigation System with bilingual Voice Recognition that incorporates 3D map display and FM Traffic alerts.

Coming home on Hwy. 89 there was a several kilometre back- up both ways in Cookstown, due to construction in the town. Thanks to the big Navi screen, I found a route parallel to the highway that let me out right at Hwy. 400.

Without that Navi system, I might still be there.

I mentioned the standard rearview camera but optional is a multi-angle rearview camera with three different viewing angles - wide, normal and top-down.

One thing you expect with a coupe is a marginal backseat and the V6 is no exception. But with the front seats part way back there is enough knee room for two adults.

Cargo volume is a usable 379 litres.

Over something like 400 km I averaged 9.6L/100 km mostly on secondary highways. NRCan official fuel consumption for the manual is 13.0/8.4/10.9L/100 km city/highway/combined so I didn't do too badly.

As a matter of interest, the automatic is better, at 11.4/7.3/9.5L/100 km. With the paddle shifters that come with the autobox, it can be driven like a manual. But to me, it's just not the same thing.

When it comes to sporty coupes with V6 engines, the closest thing is the Hyundai Genesis Coupe 3.8 GT with 348 hp and 295 lb/ft of torque.

The Accord V6 manual tested here has a price of $35,555, which compares to $37,199 for the Genesis Coupe manual.

Also in the mix would be the Mustang with 3.7-litre V6 and the Camaro with 3.6-litre V6.

Although I only had it for two days, I really enjoyed the Accord V6 Coupe for its civility, but also that touch of GT class.



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