2006 Honda Accord LX 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 Accord Coupe 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 base mid-level LX Coupe trim has an impressive list of standard features which include air conditioning, daytime running lamps, cruise control, power locks and keyless entry among others.

The standard engine is a 2.4-liter four cylinder with i-VTEC variable valve timing system that produces torquey smooth power over the entire rpm range.  This year, a drive-by-wire throttle and revised valve timing add to produce 166 hp at 5,800 rpm and 160 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm.

Two transmissions are available: the optional five-speed automatic and the standard five-speed manual. Reviewers were quite satisfied with the performance of both five-speeds citing the "perfect" gear ratios and buttery smooth shifting of the manual and the smooth, tight shifting of the automatic.

Consumer Guide tests saw manual transmission 0-60 times in 7.9 seconds, with automatics doing it in 8.6 seconds. Their reviewers felt the 2.4-liter engines with automatic transmissions "labor in passing maneuvers and climbing steep grades." But no one complained about the gas mileage with a manual transmission EX Coupe averaging 22.7-30.6 mpg and the automatic doing 25.2 mpg with 26.1 mpg over 19,000 miles. EPA estimates for the manual are 26/34 mpg and 24/34 mpg with the automatic.  

Accords are built with a double wishbone suspension that is engineered to reduce acceleration squat, raking 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 five-star ratings 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, ABS with Electronic Brake-force, and day-time running lights (new for 2006).

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.