By now you should have seen the new Accord and the two-door variant on the road. Here is the bottom line: The new Coupe is nothing short of a scaled down Acura CL; they are obviously brothers. If you like the CL, but can’t afford it, then the new Accord Coupe is the way to go. The car delivered the performance expected and then some. Although Honda has never impressed me, save for the S2000, this is a definite stellar performer. The overall package is impressive; the quality of the materials used is fit for an Acura. What makes this car stand out are the features, like the ability to drop all the windows with the turn of the key, heated seats, available side curtain airbags and a voice activated navigation system. All these things seem just a little too luxurious for a Honda, but it comes in all the new Accords. From the rear, the new Accord strikingly resembles the much more expensive Mercedes Benz CL-class.

News from the rumor mills state that Honda and Daimler Chrysler came together to develop the new Accord and Civic. But for the price of the least expensive CL500, you can buy two fully equipped Accords. The Coupe’s main competition, the Toyota Camry Solara, is handsomely equipped as well, but the Accord’s fresh new styling and sporty character are more desirable. The only point to ponder is the convertible Solara, to which Honda has no answer yet. The Coupe comes with several trim levels to please any buyer. My choice, however, is the EX-V6 with the six-speed manual transmission and sport package, just like the one I tested. This engine produces 240 horsepower from a three liter engine. I do find some fault with its styling, however. Although the overall body is sleek, it appears to be too soft, as if the accounting department axed a few items that the original design sported. The S2000 snout is not a bad touch, gracefully supporting the muscular wheel flanks, but they make the 16-inch wheels look a little small. No big problems though, since there are after-market pieces already available that make the Coupe truly unique. More than 1,000 Coupes have been sold in the southern United States already a good indication that the new Coupe is welcomed. I would bet a good number of those drivers are looking to California for ground effects, which astonishingly are already available for this car.

Contact Andrew Popoolaat ghostface_50@hotmail.com