2011 Honda Accord Coupe

2011 Honda Accord Coupe

For 2011, the Honda Accord receives the first significant updates for its current-generation platform. Most notably, fuel economy is up thanks to revised aerodynamics plus tweaks to the engines and transmissions. The SE trim level has been added and there are new optional features as well, including an iPod/USB interface, a rearview camera, driver memory functions and shift paddles. The exterior has been given a mild refresh, while the interior's climate-control buttons have been rearranged for compatibility with the optional navigation system.

What midsize sedan should I buy?" The answer to this question has long been "Honda Accord." It's the instinctive response, like being asked your birthday or your dog's name. The Accord has been a top choice in the segment so consistently that recommending one has always been easy. Times are changing, however. With impressive new competitors, the 2011 Honda Accord now has more serious rivals to compete against.

The current-generation Accord (it debuted in 2008) is the biggest yet, offering the most accommodating interior in its class. Yet this super-sizing of the Accord also comes with a downside, because it no longer feels like the "right-size" choice in the family sedan class. While its steering remains responsive and tactile, the Accord has a tendency to feel super-sized when driven around corners. Its acceleration is also a bit underwhelming, with a five-speed automatic transmission doing duty here when most competing models now offer snappier six-speeds. 

There is one bright spot for 2011, because the Accord's engines choices are now more frugal. Thanks to aerodynamic tweaks, engine friction reductions and revised transmission gearing, the four-cylinder Accord now has an EPA rating of 23 city/34 highway, a rise of about 2 mpg that takes the Accord to the top of the fuel economy chart for family sedans. The V6 is also a bit more efficient this year, too.

Unfortunately, the Accord's interior hasn't changed much for 2011. Compared to newer competitors like the Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima, the Accord's cabin looks and feels a bit down-market. The plastics aren't as nice and the look is rather drab -- especially if you opt for gray. Honda has made some slight changes to the convoluted climate controls found on navigation-equipped models this year, but the Accord's center stack continues to be plagued by far too many buttons. 

Nevertheless, it's important to note that the 2011 Honda Accord remains a solid pick among family sedans. It's spacious, fuel-efficient and reliable and should hold its value well. The Accord also comes in a sporty coupe body style, something that few other automakers offer in their midsize models. So we still recommend the Accord. But choices like the Fusion, Optima, Sonata, Mazda 6 and even the Suzuki Kizashi now outpace the Accord in many areas, so the answer to "What midsize sedan should I buy?" is now more muddled than it used to be.

2011 Honda Accord is available as a midsize sedan and coupe. The sedan comes in LX, LX-P, SE, EX and EX-L trim levels, while the coupe comes in LX-S, EX and EX-L trims.

The base LX trim comes equipped with 16-inch steel wheels, keyless entry, full power accessories, air-conditioning, cruise control, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, a height-adjustable manual driver seat and a six-speaker sound system with CD player and an auxiliary audio jack. The LX-P trim adds 16-inch alloy wheels and an eight-way power driver seat. The SE adds leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, power-adjustable driver lumbar and heated front seats. The EX adds or supplants LX-P equipment with 17-inch alloys, a more powerful four-cylinder engine, a sunroof, heated mirrors, power-adjustable driver lumbar, upgraded interior trim, a six-CD changer and a USB audio jack. 

The EX-L adds automatic headlights, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, Bluetooth, a seven-speaker upgraded sound system, satellite radio and the option of a navigation system with voice control and a rearview camera. A V6-equipped EX-L also gains driver seat memory settings and a four-way power passenger seat.

The coupe's LX-S trim is equipped similarly to the LX sedan, but gets 17-inch wheels and a six-disc CD changer. The EX coupe does not include the power-adjustable driver lumbar, but does get the EX-L sedan's upgraded stereo without satellite radio. Both lumbar and satellite radio are added to the EX-L. Opting for the EX-L with a V6 also adds 18-inch wheels.

carslegend.blogspot.com