2016 Honda Accord Touring Coupe Review

The Honda Accord has been in production since 1976, it has been a top selling car for the Japanese automaker. The current car is the 9th generation of this popular car; for the 2016 model year, both the Accord sedan and coupe get a mid-cycle refresh.

Last summer we reviewed the 2015 Honda Accord Sedan Touring, powered by a V6 engine. This week we are reviewing the refreshed 2016 Accord Coupe V6, and next week we’ll bring you a review of the 4-cylinder Accord.

Like the sedan, the Accord Coupe is offered with 4-cylinder and V6 engines, which are mated to 6-speed manuals, Continuously Variable Transmissions, and 6-speed automatic transmissions, depending on which trim you choose. The base Accord EX Coupe starts at $27,090 and the top of the line Accord Touring Coupe V6 starts at $36,830. Below is a list of all the available models and prices:

I’m quite familiar with the Honda Accord Coupe, one of my good friends has owned several Accord Coupes over the last 15 years and I’ve spent quite a bit of time in the front passenger seat. The 2016 Accord keeps the same formula that has worked for decades, which is sensible styling, comfortable interior, and pretty good fuel economy.

The major visual changes for the 2016 model year is the refreshed styling on the front end of the Accord coupe and sedan. The front end looks much sharper now and has a similar design language as the 2016 Civic, giving these cars a family identity. The front lights now feature LED daytime running lights and they have a similar look to offerings from Acura. I had a few people comment on how the Accord Coupe looked like an Acura product.

Overall, the Honda Accord Coupe is a pretty decent looking car, it’s not a sports car, but still looks sporty enough. It’s a good choice for someone looking for a coupe that’s not too cramped like a sports car, but still offers the smaller size and sportiness of a coupe.

Like I mentioned earlier, the Accord Coupe is offered with two engine choices. The base engine is a 2.4 liter 4-cylinder with direct injection, producing 185 horsepower at 3,900 rpm and a 3.5 liter V6, producing 278 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 252 pound-feet of torque at 4,900 rpm. Both of these engines come with an “Econ” button, which dulls the throttle response, in an effort to save fuel. These engines are mated to either 6-speed manual, CVT, or 6-speed automatic transmissions.

According to Honda, Accords equipped with the 4-cylinder engine and manual transmission should consume 10.3/7.2/8.9 L/100 km city/highway/combined, the same engine with CVT should consume 9.1/6.8/8.0. The V6 with manual transmission should consume 12.9/8.3/10.9 and V6 with automatic should consume 11.4/7.3/9.5.

Our review car was the top of the line V6 Touring trim, with the 6-speed automatic transmission, in our one week review, we managed 12.0 L/100 km in the city and 9.2 L/100 km combined (50/50 city/highway) driving. That is pretty close to Honda’s claimed numbers, and not too bad for fuel consumption.

The V6 engine on the Accord is buttery smooth, after spending a week in the 4-cylinder HR-V, I really did appreciate the smoothness of the V6. Don’t get me wrong, the engine on the HR-V is not that bad, but driving the two back to back, made me really appreciated the smooth and effortless feel of the V6. The 6-speed automatic transmission is also very good at transferring power to the front wheels, the transmission is smooth and can be fun in the “sport” mode.

The interior layout on the 2016 Accord is the same as last year’s car, but there are new materials and color schemes available. The interior layout is simple and easy to understand and use. The center stack houses a large 7” touchscreen (standard on all trims), to control various features like the audio, apps, navigation etc. Above this screen is another screen that displays different sets of information (fuel consumption, trip computer etc) and acts as a display screen for the backup camera and the LaneWatch right side mirror mounted camera.

The interior is very comfortable and quiet, the materials used are good quality, although mostly plastic. The top part of the dashboard is soft plastic, while the bottom part is covered in hard plastic. The front seats are comfortable and come with heating and power adjustment for the driver and manual adjustments for the passenger. The rear seats are tight, but they are useful for short trips, children, or extra stuff that doesn’t fit in the trunk.

For 2016, the Accord also benefits from a slew of new tech features. One of the new packages is called “Honda Sensing”, which includes CMBS (Collision Mitigation Braking System) with Forward Collision Warning, RDM (Road Departure Mitigation) with Lane Keeping Assist (LKAS) and Adaptive Cruise Control. This package is an option on the LX and EX trims on the Coupe and standard on higher trims with CVT or automatic transmissions. The Touring trim also comes with automatic high beam headlights, that turns the high beams on and off automatically depending on light and oncoming traffic.

Below are highlights of some of the other tech features available on the 2016 Honda Accord

• Proximity key entry and push button start
• Remote engine starter
• Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)
• Heated seats
• Driver’s seat with 10 way power and Passenger seat with 4 way manual adjustments
• Dual-zone automatic climate control with air-filtration system
• Auto-dimming rear view mirror
• HandsFreeLink bilingual Bluetooth wireless mobile phone interface with steering wheel mounted controls
• Auxiliary input jack
• USB connectivity
• Navigation
• Multi-angle rear view camera with dynamic guidelines
• One-touch turn signals
• Wireless charging
• Hill Start Assist
• Auto high beam
• Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)
• Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS)
• Honda LaneWatch blind spot display
• Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS)
• Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD)
• Forward Collision Warning (FCW) system
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
• Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system
• Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) system
• Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with Traction Control

With refreshed styling and even more safety and convenience features, the Accord is going to be a very good seller for Honda. The coupe is a practical sporty car for the man or woman that doesn’t need a sedan and wants to feel a little sporty, without buying an all out sports car.