If I had to choose, I would opt for the 2014 Honda Accord Sedan over the two-door door version. They’re both nice automobiles and both have the typical quality, styling and comfort that Honda is known for, but I just found the Coupe a little tight for my six-feettwo inch frame and 210-pound bulk.
Don’t get me wrong, the Coupe is fine automobile and many people have decided in favor of that sleek body style in the 10 months it has been available on the U.S. market. Just like the Sedan, the Coupe is powered by Honda’s innovative Earth Dreams Technology with a powertrain that includes the next-generation 2.4-liter, direct-injected four-cylinder engine mated to either a continuously variable transmission or a six-speed manual gearbox.
Both the Sedan and Coupe also are available with a powerful and efficient V-6 coupled to a six-speed automatic. You also can get the V-6 Coupe with the six-speed manual. Both the Accord Plug-in Hybrid Sedan and the new Accord Hybrid Sedan use an all-new and very efficient two-motor hybrid system.
Fuel efficiency is the best ever for Accord in the EPAMidsize class, with four-cylinder models earning a 36 mpg highway EPArating and V-6 models getting a 34 mpg highway rating.
All Accords have a highly rigid unit-body, refined suspension technology and advanced electronics that make the chassis the most capable in model history. The Accord is quiet and responsive on city streets, smooth and composed on the highway, and responsive to command on winding roads. Features include a MacPherson strut front suspension (with Amplitude Reactive Dampers on Hybrid models), a hybrid steel-and-aluminum front subframe (all-aluminum on Hybrid models) and electric power steering (EPS). Active Noise Control (ANC) and Active Sound Control (ASC) on both four-cylinder and V-6 models counteract noise for a quieter cabin.
On the inside, the Accord interior really has been stepped up to a new level of luxury and craftsmanship. Available in black, gray and ivory color schemes in cloth or leather, the interior is comfortable and has a broad range of available technologies. New for 2014 is a more premium cloth seat fabric on the Accord LX. A new smarter autodimming rear-view mirror no longer requires an on/off switch. Standard features include dual-zone automatic climate control, rearview camera, eight-inch (diagonal) “intelligent” Multi-Information Display (i- MID), Bluetooth HandsFreeLink phone interface, Pandora Internet radio interface and an SMS text messaging feature.
Other innovative technologies include the cloud-based HondaLink connected car system, which lets you put away your smartphone but remain connected to friends, music and social media. Also available is LaneWatch blind-spot display passenger mirror for an enhanced view of the passenger-side roadway.
The base MSRP on the 2014 Honda Accord is $23,545.
Ron Beasley is the automotive editor for Miami’s Community Newspapers. He may be contacted by calling 305-662-2277, ext. 261, or by addressing email correspondence to LetsTalkCars@aol.com.
