Click image to enlarge Test Drive: 2001 Honda Accord Coupe EX by Greg Wilson Last redesigned in 1998, two-door Honda Accord Coupes come in two models: EX with a 150 horsepower 2.3 litre SOHC 16 valve four cylinder VTEC engine; and EX-V6 with a 200 horsepower 3.0 litre SOHC 24 valve V6 engine. 2001 MSRP's start at $26,800 for the four cylinder model and $30,800 for the V6 model, plus $850 freight.

A sporty coupe, but not a performance coupe

For those who think four-door sedans are a little too conservative and two-door sports cars are a little too racy, there are a number of two-door sporty coupes on the market that offer a good compromise. Mid-sized sporty coupes, like the Honda Accord Coupe, offer many of the practical benefits of a sedan with a slightly higher level of style and performance - without the hood scoops, turbochargers, and high-tech engines of performance-oriented sporty coupes.

In the mid-size class (between $25,000 and $35,000), examples of these sporty coupes include the Honda Accord Coupe, Toyota Camry Solara, Pontiac Grand Prix Coupe, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, and Chrysler Sebring Coupe. Most share the same platform and powertrains as their four-door sedan counterparts, so their features, performance, interior room, and reliability are usually comparable. For buyers who want style and comfort rather than flashy looks and exhilirating performance, a mid-sized coupe like the Honda Accord Coupe may fit the bill.

Accord Coupe based on Sedan platform

The two-door Accord Coupe was last redesigned in the 1998 model year. Though it looks similar to the Accord sedan from the front, it shares very few body panels. The Coupe has a pointier nose, a more sharply raked rear window, a higher rear deck, and unique rear body-width taillamps. It does, however, offer the same platform with a slightly shorter wheelbase for greater manoeuvrability, the same powertrain options and the same fully independent suspension.

Accord Coupes come in two models: EX with a 150 horsepower 2.3 litre SOHC 16 valve four cylinder VTEC engine; and EX-V6 with a 200 horsepower 3.0 litre SOHC 24 valve V6 engine. Honda no longer offers the base LX Coupe model. 2001 MSRP's start at $26,800 for the four cylinder model and $30,800 for the V6 model, plus $850 freight.

For 2001, subtle styling changes were made, including a redesigned body-coloured front grille, hood, front bumper, rear bumper, and new alloy wheel designs for both EX four cylinder and EX-V6 models. The 2001 Accord also receives refinements to reduce interior noise, vibration and harshness.

Inside, the dashboard has been revised with metallic-look accents, the seats have a new moquette fabric design, the window switches are now illuminated, a 6-disc in-dash CD changer is now standard, and there are new open head restraints on V6 models.

Safety improvements include new dual-threshold front airbags that detect crash severity, new front seat belt pretensioners, and new standard side airbags - the side airbag system employs a cut-off system on the front passenger seat that will prevent the side airbag from deploying if a child or small adult is leaning into the side airbag deployment path.

EX models include standard 4 wheel disc brakes, driver's lumbar support, power moonroof, keyless entry with security system and auto-off headlights.

Driving impressions

My test car was a four cylinder EX with the standard five-speed manual transmission. The Accord Coupe has longer, heavier doors than the Accord sedan, and I didn't like the flip up door handles - they're hard to grip and sometimes slip off your hand.

The driver's outward visibility is excellent to the front and sides - the large triangular-shaped rear side window helps when changing lanes. However, the Coupe's rear deck is higher than the sedan's, so visibility is not quite as good.

The Accord features a 2.3 litre, 16 valve SOHC 4 cylinder engine with Honda's variable valve timing system called VTEC. The engine produces 150 horsepower at 5700 rpm and 152 pounds-feet of torque at 4900 rpm. (Accord V6 models have a 3.0 litre VTEC V6 with 200 horsepower and 195 pounds-feet of torque). Both these engines meet LEV (Low Emissions Vehicle) standards, and don't require new spark plugs for 160,000 kilometres.

With a curb weight 1367 kg (3014 lb.), the Accord Coupe's 150 horsepower engine doesn't offer exciting acceleration - I clocked 0 to 100 km/h in just over 10 seconds on my stopwatch - but it's a willing, free-revving engine that's sporty and quite fuel-efficient. Fuel consumption is a credible 9.6 l/100 km (29 mpg) in the city and 6.8 l/100 km (42 mpg) on the highway.

Cruising on the freeway in fifth gear, the engine turns over 2400 rpm at 100 km/h, and 3000 rpm at 120 km/h - it hums along with very little effort or noise. In fact, wind noise is louder than engine noise.

The 5-speed manual shifter offers light, precise shifts that engage with ease, and effort required to depress the clutch pedal is light. There's a handy 'dead pedal' next to the clutch pedal to rest the left foot.

The Coupe's double wishbone front and rear suspension is sporty but not performance-oriented - the ride is comfortable and moderately firm with good damping characteristics and very little suspension noise or vibration. When cornering, lean is minimal, and the standard 195/65 R-15 inch Bridgestone Turenza tires offer good grip in various weather conditions. Forward pitch is well-controlled when braking. The standard variable-assist power steering requires very little effort and is quite responsive and accurate. At speed, the Accord Coupe tracks straight and true with little steering input.

All in all, I'd say the Accord Coupe offers a very pleasant driving experience - but while sporty, it's not a performance car. The V6 model does offer better acceleration than the four cylinder model, but neither car is meant to be a BMW or a Porsche.

Interior built for five, good for four

The Coupe's front seats have prominent side bolstering and good lumbar support, however I found the seatback too firm. The standard side airbags are built into the front seats, so they move with the seat. The front seats include power height-adjustment, but fore-aft adjustment is done with a manual lever.

Metallic dashboard trim is now de-rigeur, so the 2001 Accord Coupe has some in the centre control panel and on the door amrests. Behind the steering wheel is a large central speedometer, a tachometer to the left, and fuel/coolant gauges to the right.

The central control panel protrudes towards the driver and includes a digital clock at the top of the stack, an automatic climate control system below that, and an AM/FM/cassette stereo with in-dash 6-disc CD changer with big, bold controls that are easy to see and operate. At the bottom of the centre stack is a large open storage bin which is handy for storing things like pens, writing pads, cell phones, cameras, candy bars, and other knick knacks - and there's a handy 12 volt outlet next to the open bin for charging a cell phone.

Other storage areas are a slide-out drawer for coins on the left side of the dashboard, a flip-down sunglasses container on the overhead console, and a small depression for a pen next to the shift lever. Behind the shifter are two covered cupholders and a handbrake lever.

Between the front seats is a raised armrest which includes a large, dual-level storage container. The top portion is a shallow bin for small items and coins - the bottom storage bin has slots for CD's and cassettes.

To the left of the steering wheel on the dash is a master button for Cruise Control and a power moonroof button - I prefer sunroof/moonroof controls on the dash rather than on the roof because they're easier to reach and operate. I also liked the steering wheel-mounted controls for cruise and audio. The power window buttons, power heated mirrors, and power door lock buttons are all located on the door.

A lockable release lever for the trunk and fuel door is located on the floor next to the driver's seat.

Getting into the rear seat from the passenger side is relatively easy - the front passenger seat automatically slides forward when the seatback is reclined, and automatically slides back to its original position when the seatback is pushed up. However, the driver's seat does not have this feature.

Rear passengers in the Accord Coupe are not cramped - there's adequate headroom for adults and plenty of legroom and footroom under the raised front seats. The rear seat is better suited for two passengers, though it does have three 3-point seat belts. Outboard rear passengers have cupholders and a small open storage container built into each armrest. For storing magazines and newspapers, there's a flexible pocket on the back of the front passenger seat.

The rear seats are split 60/40 and are lockable. The trunk is wide and roomy and has two open storage bins on the left side. However, the liftover height is considerably higher than that of the sedan.

Price and features

For a base price of $26,800, the Accord Coupe EX four cylinder includes the standard features mentioned above - a 4-speed automatic transmission is a $1,000 option. Other options include 15 inch alloy sport wheels $1,232, a body-coloured rear spoiler $600, chrome exhaust tip $102, front fog lights $743, woodgrain trim $146, leather shift knob $127, and a block heater $115.

My test car came to $28,159 plus $850 freight.

Technical Data:

2001 Honda Accord Coupe EX
Base price	$26,800
Price as tested	$28,159
Freight	$850
Type	2-door, 5 passenger mid-size coupe
Layout	transverse front engine/front-wheel-drive
Engine	2.3 litre 4 cylinder, SOHC, 16 valves, VTEC
Horsepower	150 @ 5700 rpm
Torque	152 lb-ft @ 4900
Transmission	5 speed manual
Tires	P195/65R15 inch M+S
Curb weight	1367 kg (3014 lb.)
Wheelbase	2670 mm (105.1 in.)
Length	4767 mm (187.7 in.)
Width	1785 mm (70.3 in.)
Height	1395 mm (54.9 in.)
Cargo capacity	385 litres (13.6 cu. ft.)
Fuel consumption	City: 9.6 l/100 km (29 mpg)
	Hwy: 6.8 l/100 km (42 mpg)
Warranty	3 yrs/60,000 km
Powertrain warranty	5 yrs/100,000 km

Greg Wilson is a Vancouver-based automotive journalist and editor of CanadianDriver

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