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2016 Honda Accord Coupe V6 Quick Spin

Popular opinion is that Honda has not been a friend to enthusiasts in recent years. The company killed the awesome S2000, got away from building low-cost driver's cars like the CRX, ruined the Civic Si (on multiple occasions, most notably in 2002 and again in 2012), and kind of neutered Acura into a listless near-premium brand devoid of its original charm. But there are bright spots: We're finally going to get a Civic Type R in the US, and while the new NSX is a long way from the lightweight original, it's still an extremely impressive specimen. And then there's the Accord Coupe, which doesn't necessarily look like a typical performance Honda on first glance. Honda has been building the two-door Accord for decades, even as virtually every other mainstream brand has abandoned the segment. What's even more interesting, is that Honda makes one for the car guys. The company builds a V6-powered, two-door coupe with a six-speed manual transmission that probably accounts for maybe half a percent of the Accord's overall volume. Such a blatant disregard for things like economies of scale could only be achieved by a brand with a real passion for performance. Now that the Accord has been fully refreshed for 2016, we set out to revisit our V6/manual hero. Driving Notes This naturally aspirated V6 produces 278 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque, which admittedly isn't as much as you'd get from the slightly larger V6 engines you'd find in the likes of the Dodge Challenger, Chevrolet Camaro, or Ford Mustang. But the Honda is extremely willing to rev. That, combined with a startlingly smooth, linear torque curve, means the 3.5-liter Earth Dreams V6 is remarkably composed in both normal and aggressive driving. Low-end grunt is easy to access, despite the 6,200-rpm torque peak, while the throttle response is relatively sharp for what you might expect in an Accord. It sounds spectacular too, with a howly, Civic Si-worthy exhaust note and a notable lack of any piped-in induction silliness. It simply sounds like, you know, an engine – and a very good one at that. The buttery smooth, six-speed manual transmission has a light action, making this a true case where all you need to shift is a flick of the wrist. The clutch pedal is light and the catch point is almost too broad, meaning it's easy to ride the clutch until you get used to this setup. Once you adjust, heel-and-toeing this front-drive coupe actually becomes an entertaining activity.

2016 Honda Accord First Drive [w/video]

For the 2016 Accord, Honda abandoned its one-size-fits-most approach to the family sedan and midsize coupe. The goal was to improve on the proven formula while creating a little more differentiation between trim levels. The attention is certainly warranted, since the Accord makes up almost a quarter of Honda's sales in the US. The 2016 refresh brings the usual visual tweaks as well as some new safety and connectivity tech. The trim hierarchy carries over from earlier ninth-generation Accords. Sedans start at LX and progress through Sport, EX, EX-L, and Touring, while coupes are available in LX-S, EX, EX-L, and, for the first time, Touring. A 278-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 is available on EX-L models and standard on Tourings, while the rest of the lineup uses a 2.4-liter four-cylinder making 185 hp, or 189 hp in Sport trim. Honda mostly left the engines alone, and they continue with the same transmission menu: six-speed manuals are available with both engines on certain trim levels, while most four-cylinders are mated to a continuously variable transmission and the V6 uses a six-speed auto. While they're no more powerful than before, Sport models get upgraded Active Sound Control programming that makes the engine a bit more vocal in the cockpit. The 2016 refresh brings the usual visual tweaks as well as some new safety and connectivity tech. The numbers that matter to most shoppers do get a boost, but only on some models. To improve efficiency, engineers managed friction reduction in the engines as well as the hub bearings. Sedans switch to an aluminum hood, which saves 18 pounds compared to the previous steel piece. The four-doors also got some aero massaging in the form of new closeout panels underneath, a chin spoiler, reshaped bumpers, and an air curtain slot ahead of the front wheels. Those changes don't amount to big needle movement in EPA testing, however; many ratings are unchanged, while the rest net a one-mpg improvement in either the EPA city or highway figure. The more noticeable fiddling concerns the styling. No drastic moves here either, and it's not as though the 2013–2015 models were looking dated, but next to the new car the previous version appears a little soft. The front fasciae, again distinct between sedan and coupe, have a more aggressive look for 2016, but one that's thankfully more restrained than what Toyota visited upon the latest Camry.

Honda sets record for lowest fuel consumption in Europe

If fuel economy over a long distance is of paramount importance, diesel continues to be a fantastic choice of fuel. Honda is the latest company to show that by earning a Guinness World Record for the lowest consumption in a car across the 24 contiguous countries of the European Union. The company's Civic Tourer wagon with a 1.6-liter i-DTEC diesel managed the equivalent of 83.5 miles per gallon over 8,387 miles. The 25-day journey was undertaken by Fergal McGrath and Julian Warren – members of Honda's European research and development team. They started from Belgium on June 1 and returned there on June 25 having driven around 7.5 hours each day. Over nearly a month of driving, their wagon only needed its tank filled nine times, and it averaged 932 miles between visits to the diesel pump. The Civic's results are impressive no matter how you look at it. The wagon handily beat the model's stated fuel economy of 61.9 mpg. The crew also beat the recent US record of 81.17 mpg over 8,233.5 miles in a Golf TDI for the best non-hybrid mileage across the 48 contiguous states. Guinness required that the Civic be unmodified from the standard car, and the same two drivers had to pilot it the whole way. The economy was certified via several redundant pieces of evidence, including a logbook, GPS, video, and photographs. McGrath and Warren credited their success to good route planning and smooth driving. Honda sets new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for fuel efficiency, averaging 2.82 liters per 100km (100.31mpg) in 13,498km (8,387 mile) drive across 24 EU countries July 7, 2015 - Honda has set a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for 'Lowest fuel consumption – all 24 contiguous EU countries (all cars),' recording an average 2.82 liters per 100km (100.31mpg) over 13,498km (8,387 miles), in a 25 day drive across all 24 EU contiguous countries. Behind the wheel of a Honda Civic Tourer 1.6 i-DTEC for the entire journey were two members of Honda's European Research & Development (R&D) team, Fergal McGrath and Julian Warren, who took on the challenge to further demonstrate the impressive real-world fuel economy of the Tourer. The remarkable distance travelled is similar to the team driving to Australia from their home in the UK, stopping just nine times to refuel. The car achieved an incredible average 1500km (932 miles) on each tank of fuel, at a total fuel cost for the whole journey of just 645 Euros* (GBP459).