A Review of the 2008 Honda Accord Coupe LX, with Pictures

This is a review of the 2008 Honda Accord LX-S Coupe, 4-Cylinder, Automatic Transmission (Eighth Generation). I bought this car just over a month ago and have put about 1000 miles on it to date. For comparison purposes: I am 6'1" and about 200 lbs. My previous car was a 2007 Honda Civic Coupe, a review of which is here.

more images at part 2 of this review: http://bobbypd.blogspot.com/2008/06/2008-honda-accord-coupe-lx-s-pictures.html

In the time I've had the car, I've filled up 5 times, averaging 21 MPG as my actual real MPG, with about 75% city driving. I use the recommended 87 octane regular unleaded, usually from Sunoco and Exxon. (For comparison, the average MPG of my old Civic was 26 MPG). My lowest MPG has been 17.8 (the first fill-up, mostly city miles) and my highest 24.3 (with 100% highway driving that particular fill-up), giving me a somewhat disappointing MPG. This is definitely not the 21/31 MPG that Honda has advertised - I understand that no car gets its advertised mileage, but still...I wasn't expecting my mileage to be right at their lowest estimate. The 2008 Honda Accord gas tank has a capacity of 18.5 gallons.







phrawr. click to see full-size image.

Everyone I drive by stops and gawks, and I get lots of compliments, so there is no denying that this coupe is a real winner in the looks department (especially this belize blue pearl color) - but you don't need me to tell you - this thing is sexy! I definitely prefer the look of the coupe to the sedan, but that's up to you, though personally, I feel that the 2008 Accord sedan is a real step backward in the looks department from previous generations - it really looks like a Hyundai. So I'm really glad that Honda made the 2008 Accord coupe look radically different from its four-door sibling.

Driving

I feel confident passing cars at highway speeds, and the 4-cylinder, 190-horsepower engine is more than enough for everyday driving. Normal highway speeds keep the engine in the low-2000 RPM range. I sometimes feel like I should have gotten the v6, BUT really, with gas at around $3.80, I'm glad I didn't. And really, the performance of the I4 engine is more than ample for city driving or highway cruising.

The coupe is hard to see around, however. I cannot see down the hood of my car, nor can I see my trunk that well. And really, there's a lot of junk in the trunk, so I'm always concerned about hitting something when backing up. Seeing around the sides of the car is also a challenge, since the curtain airbags take up a lot of space along the sides, reducing the rear side windows to tiny triangles – just barely of any use, and because the sides are quite high.

I'm a tall person and this car fits me perfectly (this was an issue with my Civic). A friend who drives a large SUV said that he somehow feels that my car is more spacious feeling than his - at least in the front seats. The back seats are ok, but headroom is significantly reduced due to the dramatically raked roof, and the legroom is very minimal. I’d suggest only children and/or shorter people should sit back there for long rides. Specs from Honda, Two Door, 2008 Honda Accord Coupe LX:

Interior Measurements
Headroom (in., front/rear): 39.1 / 35.9
Legroom (in., front/rear): 42.2 / 33.1
Shoulder Room (in., front/rear): 58.4 / 54.5
Hiproom (in., front/rear): 56.4 / 46.3

Exterior Measurements
Wheelbase (in.): 107.9
Length (in.): 190.9
Height (in.): 56.4
Width (in.): 72.8
Track (in., front/rear): 62.2 / 62.2
Curb Weight (lbs., MT/AT): 3221 / 3283

Other Stuff:


Fresh from a wash and wax. Phrawr!

This is the 2008 Honda Accord, LX model, so there is no moonroof. This is something I sometimes wish I got, but thinking back to my Civic, I was a little bit concerned about the headroom that it would take up - I'm much happier with so much headroom. The seats are firm, but comfortable, and controlled manually. The LX model comes with 2 power outlets, and an aux jack for iPods, etc, with a 160-watt audio system. The audio system is noticeably weaker than the 270-watt system I had in my Civic, but it's fine. FM reception can be a little bit spotty at times, and I'm not sure why because I didn't have this issue in my Civic; however, most of the time it gets good reception.

Both the driver and passenger have lighted-vanity mirrors, and powered windows and rear-view mirrors. The trunk space is sufficient to "fit in at least two dead bodies", according to the dealer. It really is spacious; however, the rear seats do not fold flat so don't expect to use the 2008 Honda Accord Coupe to haul cargo. The rear seats do fold down, but leave about a 30 degree angle, not flat, and the pass through between the trunk and rear seats is only a square in the middle, maybe large enough for skis, or maybe lumber, to be accommodated.

2008 Honda Accord Coupe, Automatic Transmission, 4-Cyl

Pros: Beautiful, beautiful car; peppy acceleration
Cons: Rather low mileage
The Bottom Line: Good performance, sexy styling, cool extras. Some visibility issues, but nothing you can't get used to.

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