Sometimes, you just need a backseat. But sometimes, you really don’t want the four doors that usually go along with it. What is a car buyer to do? The simple answer is: the coupe. How about the 2015 Honda Accord Coupe EX-L with Navigation?
While one would never call the Accord ugly or tame, there certainly are more sporty and aggressive looking coupes out there. However, there are some nice style creases in the hood and along the side. The roof slopes down to the rear lip spoiler at a jaunty angle, and dual exhausts fill out the rear end.
Features in the top of the line EX-L trim include leather trimmed seats, a leather wrapped multi-functional steering wheel, back up camera, Bluetooth, satellite radio, a USB port, keyless entry and start, heated seats, driver’s 10-way power seat with 2 position memory, cruise control, a sunroof, and navigation. Also included are 18″ alloy wheels, fog lights, heated power door mirrors, and automatic headlights.
The interior is sleek and clean, full of soft touch materials. There are two information screens in the Accord. The top 8″ screen is for navigation and technical information. Below that is a smaller touchscreen for audio controls. Below that is a knob that controls inputs for the top screen. The infotainment system on the whole is a little finicky and not the most intuitive. For example, more than once the audio, set at satellite radio when the car was turned off, mysteriously jumped to terrestrial radio upon start up. The graphics on the navigation screen look a little dated and an upgrade would be welcome.
The EX-L comes with a 3.5L V6, good for 278 horsepower and 252 lb/ft of torque. EPA fuel ratings are 21 mpg in the city, 32 mpg on the highway, and 25 mpg combined. During my week in the Accord I averaged 19 mpg. Power goes to the front wheels via an available 6-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. A six-speed manual is standard on the V6. Other trim levels get a 4-cylinder engine and either a CVT or 6-speed manual transmission.
| STATS | Starting Retail Price | As Tested Price | HP / Lb-Ft |
| 2015 Honda Accord Coupe | $23,775 | $32,550 | 278/252 |
| EPA Rating MPG | As Tested MPG | ||
| Rating: BUY IT! | 21/32 Combined 25 | Combined 19 |
The Accord has a lane departure warning system, which will alert you if you cross over a lane marker without signaling. The feature is able to be completely turned off. Additionally, there is a camera in the passenger side mirror, activated when you signal right. The feature is pretty cool, if a little unnecessary. It gives you a nearly identical view as the mirror, and the visibility in the Accord is quite good. should the driver decide to check a blind spot the old fashioned way, by slightly turning their head.
There is also a forward collision warning system, that will activate an alarm and a flashing light projected on to the windshield if the car thinks a forward collision is imminent. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to its activation. It went off when there was no chance of a forward collision, such as when there were no other cars around, yet it did not go off during “intentional tailgating.”
Behind the wheel, the coupe is much more fun to drive than the four door recently reviewed here at TFL Car. The extra horsepower gives it the grunt off the line missing in the sedan, and the standard automatic with paddle shifters offers more control than the CVT (needless to say, not as much as the standard 6-speed manual). Sport mode will allow you to manually shift the 6-speed and if you have the guts you can rev it up to the red line of 6800 rpms and just let it hang out for as long as you want. However, when taking a leisurely drive around town, it readily shifts for you from first to second, easing your traffic commute. There is an Econ mode for those who are willing to trade a less aggressive throttle and transmission programming for better mpgs.
The suspension on the Accord is tuned more towards the sporty side yet it is still comfortable over broken pavement in the city. With front and rear stabilizer bars, a multi-link set up in the rear and a MacPherson strut set up in the front, the coupe corners with aplomb. The electric power steering is on the lighter side, but it’s quick and direct, and should be satisfying to most drivers.
The 2015 Honda Accord Coupe EX-L with Navigation will cost you $31,595. If you’re looking for other coupes in that price range, you’ll be looking a while. Cadillac has a line of fantastic coupes, but the least expensive starts at $38,000. The Nissan Altima hasn’t been available in a coupe since 2013. You could look at the Hyundai Elantra coupe. It’s far less money but offers far less power. Another Hyundai is the Genesis Coupe. It’s the same price but it’s much more sporty, with 348 hp and RWD.
On the TFLcar scale of:
- Buy it!
- Lease it!
- Rent it!
- … or Forget it!
I give the 2015 Honda Accord Coupe EX-L with Navigation a Buy It!
The V6 gives it a fun, punchy drive and the coupe makes for a comfortable yet sporty ride. Let’s hope Honda puts as much development into their infotainment system in future models as they have put into their reliability quotient.
Check back soon for a full video review of the 2015 Accord Coupe, but for now, check out this video of the 2013 Accord with the 6-speed manual transmission.
Emme is a driver, reviewer, rabble rouser, and Gazelle who can be found online on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and either one of her blogs.
