2006 Honda Accord EX V6 Coupe

Honda freshened the 2006 Accord with some exterior and interior tweaks and upgrades, a bit of engine tuning, and additional standard safety equipment. The exterior face lift involves a new grille, front and rear bumpers, deck lid, and LED tail lights. The EX V6 Coupe is the Accord's performance statement.

The top of the line EX comes with a long list of comfort and safety equipment which includes: 17-inch alloy wheels, heated side mirrors, a power glass sunroof, in-dash six-CD changer, four-wheel-disc brakes with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), and steering wheel audio controls. Leather upholstery, XM Satellite Radio, a voice activated DVD navigation system and many other options were also available.

The Accord Coupes and sedan share a family resemblance but no sheet metal. The Coupe's shapely figure produces a low drag coefficient of 0.29 compared to the sedan's 0.30 - the lower the number the more aerodynamic. In addition, Coupes have a 105.1-inch wheelbase compared to the sedan's 107.9 inches.

The 3.0-liter V6 has also been tweaked for 2006 delivering 244 hp and 211 lb-ft of torque. The i-VTEC equipped V6's torque range begins down low in the rpm range. Reviewers loved the V6's performance. Consumer Guide saw 0-60 come up in 7.0 seconds in an automatic Coupe, with Car and Driver wheeling a six-speed manual EX Coupe to an impressive 5.9 second 0-60 run.

A six-speed manual or five-speed automatic are no cost options. Reviewers were quite satisfied with the performance of both transmission options citing their smooth, tight shifting. EPA gas mileage for the automatic is 21/30 mpg. Consumer Guide recorded 22.4 mpg in a city/highway mix with 26.1 mpg in mostly highway driving for the automatic.
  
Accords are built with a double wishbone suspension that is engineered to reduce acceleration squat, braking nose dive, and cornering lean. Reviewers were highly impressed by the handling. New Car Test Drive reviewers found the Accord rode smoother and was more comfortable than Nissan's Altima, handled better than the Toyota Camry, and was, "stable at high speeds with crisp handling on winding roads." Consumer Guide found the steering, "quick, informative; tight turning radius." Brakes were good, but stopping distances are not "super short" and they fade under hard use.

The interior, freshened for 2006, sports a new instrument panel with new satin chrome accents on the vents, new seat fabrics, and a new steering wheel. The instrument panel gets high marks for its layout and clarity. The interior materials are high quality and tasteful with typical Honda finish quality. Reviewers found the seats "great, generously wide" and "the driver's seat provides a one-with-the-car feel" with the Coupe's seat feel surpassing the sedan due to its more aggressive side bolsters. Standard across the Accord line, a tilt/telescope steering wheel adds to that feel. Rear Coupe seats are typically a bit more difficult to reach but are comfortable for two people. The Accord Coupe trunk measures 12.8 cubic feet.

Accords are safe with a five-star rating for driver and front-seat passenger in government frontal crash tests. The Coupe scored a five-star rating for front- and rear-passengers in the side-impact test. Honda has enhanced the standard safety equipment throughout its lineup. All Accords come with front dual airbags, side-impact and curtain airbags, and ABS. In addition, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) and brake assist come standard on all V6 models and the EX V6 adds traction control.

Honda has made one of the best selling cars in the U.S. better - consider: for 20 of the 24 years that Car and Driver has been handing out 10Best Cars awards, the Accord has made it onto that exclusive list.