2008 Honda Accord Coupe - Conclusion and Specs - First Drive

The variable ratio steering is tight and well-balanced, in fact the whole car feels a level up on the competition in terms of responsiveness. There's little body roll or other delay when you decide to change direction. The closest dynamic comparison would be to recent BMWs -- though the Accord coupe requires lighter steering and shifting inputs and consequently reacts less sharply.

The six-speed manual is in the finest tradition of Honda manuals: fast, precise, with great feel. I'd rate it a hair below the Civic's for precision, but it has a weightier action I like better. It doesn't beat the king of Honda's lineup; the direct-linkage six-speed in the S2000 is still best in brand and one of the best in the industry, but the coupe can lay claim to one of the best 'boxes in the segment.

Can't say enough about the interior either. Honda has always done tight panels and high quality surfaces, but with the new Accord they've really outdone themselves. Other manufacturers must be ashamed f when they look at the seamless, matte finish, silver gray plastics. New Camry owners might be the most offended. Their cool colored, semi-opaque plastic rimmed audio/HVAC/nav panels look like first-gen Apple iMacs -- which is to say, not bad, just old. The new Accord dash displays are MacBook Pro all the way. Don't even get me started on the leather.

Honda identifies the sedan's chief competitors as the Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima. Naturally, the coupe versions of both of these are Accord Coupe rivals as well. While the Accord Coupe EX-L handily beats the old, big-booty, long-overhang Camry Solara, tougher is the competition presented by the Nissan's Altima coupe -- that thing is a dead ringer for Infiniti's scorching G37 coupe. Though they share the same profile and similar rear-end styling cues, based on the strength of the Nissan's face, the Altima coupe narrowly edges out the Accord coupe for looks. The drive is a different story -- and one someone else is going to have to write since I have yet to spend time in the Altima.

I can say, from my time in the Accord Coupe, that Honda has just put all other front-drive sedan and coupe manufacturers on notice. The 2008 Accord Coupe EX-L -- cute butt and all -- has just brought sexy back.