scottsan

I'm currently an 05 Acura RL owner and love everything about it.. but the Accord Coupe is quite sexy...

I wish the Accord Coupe was a Acura CL or something.

Just feels like I'm going to be downgrading. They did such a good job on the Accord Coupe.. I hope the CL/TL will be something like it.

miner

Nothing wrong with the Accord Coupe. About time Honda stepped up with this car. I have high hopes for the TSX 2-door now.

lland

There's a new Accord coupe parked outside my office window just about every day. Very nice looking inside and out, and certainly worthy of consideration.

LL

plastikman

I heard that that although the new Accord looks nice, once you compare quality though, well there is no comparison.

neuronbob

You will be taking a step down in terms of interior fitments.

I mentioned in another thread that I sat in the V6 Accord sedan and despite the similar electronics to the RL, the interior fitments looked rather cheap. Better than most, but compared to the RL, still cheap. I'm not badmouthing the Accord as its interior still beats most other cars in its price range, but the RL's is at another level.

With that said, the Accord coupe's exterior does look pretty good.

dwest1023

I test drove the 4 cy Accord Coupe and it felt very underpowered to me. Fit and finish is nowhere on the level of our RL, or my TSX . The V6 could be a different animal, but I have not driven one yet. Times are tight, and if you need to downgrade, you still have Honda reliably.

gotsand

We let go our '08 MDX (don't need three rows of seats any longer); got the '08 Accord Coupe (great looking/good MPG/regular gasoline) and kept our '06 RL (great luxury/features).

2007AcuraRL

To me, one of the the biggest low points of the Hondas is that the Accords don't come with an auto-stick tranny. I use my all the time and can't understand why Honda doesnt include it at least with the V6 version of the Accord. Not everyone wants the impracticality of a 6 speed manual to be able to shift gears on the fly. Practically every other car maker is putting auto-sticks in. I have a friend with a 4 cyl Altima and even that 21k car has an auto-stick!

cai06

If you want to switch to a more sporty drive, I think you should at least wait until the new TL (TL-S) is released.. maybe you can stay with Acura. The Accord coupe does look good -and big-. either way you can't go wrong.

darth62

The Accord has the basic underpinnings of the TL and also shares some design features with your RL. So, if you overlook the premium brand vs. mass market brand distinction, I don't really see it as all that huge a downgrade. And, in fact, the Accord basically has the same engine as your RL.

The features that are available on the current Accord also rival the current TSX and TL. So, its not like you'll be taking a huge downstep in terms of options.

Where I think you will see a significant difference is in the interior materials. I sat in the new Accord at the LA Autoshow and felt that interior was a bit of a downgrade from the previous generation. But, take a look, and see if you like it.

Personally, I don't see the Acura vs. Honda issue as major. I'd even contend that Honda generally offers you more bang-for-the-buck (although I am personally willing to pay a premium for having a car that does not appear at every stoplight).

Mike_TX

Maybe a smidge off-topic, but while we're talking about coupes and transmissions and companies shooting themselves in the foot ... I personally think the Altima coupe looks a lot better than the Accord coupe, but Nissan made the bad (IMO) decision to abandon the conventional automatic transmission and go to CVT's in all their cars, and that alone would make me never buy one.

That's a shame, because I had terrific luck with my '04 Maxima and might have considered another Nissan product except for that. And they say Carlos Ghosn is a genius ...

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darth62

Why so down on the CVT, Mike? CVTs do tend to lead to better MPG and some improvements in performance (if not NVH).

Chuck091279

I do like the way the Accord looks, but don't like the protruding headlights. But then again, I don't completely "LOVE" everyhting about the RL either. In any event, I think the Accord is a good car, but everytime I sit in my car and find myself racing for exit ramps just to use SH-AWD, I am reminded why I purchashed the car.

As a side note, I don't like the interior dash on the Accord, I think the middle console is awkward.

2007AcuraRL

I had an '08 Maxima loaner for a month and I really liked the way it rode. The interior was nice too but for that silly depression molded into the top center of the dash. The 18rims were very attractive too (certainly better than the stock RL wheels). The CVT tranny was weird however. When the car revved the engine sounded like an electric motor. There was no sporty sounds to it.

Mike_TX

CVT's make a car operate like a motorboat ... that is, if you floor it, the engine immediately revs to redline and then the car's speed begins to catch up as you move down the road. To me, that's too weird, since I'm accustomed to the engine's revs being more directly related to forward movement. A CVT just sounds too much a badly slipping transmission to me.

As for improvements in gas mileage, it's minimal at best. The main reason Nissan went with CVT's wasn't improved mileage - it was COST. Notice, too, that other mfr's have pretty much abandoned the CVT (Ford being the latest) because of lack of public acceptance and nagging mechanical problems.

Last but not least, CVT's are torque-limited, meaning there's only so much torque they can handle. That's why the Maxima and Murano have stayed at their lower hp ratings while the Infiniti side of the house has gone on to 300+ hp and higher torque with essentially the same VQ-series engines.

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CL6

Yea but it's so big.

scottsan

Thanks guys, I think I need to give it a test drive... to see how much of a downgrade I'm getting.

but yes, as you guys said I'll at least wait until the TL is announced

and also people say the Accord is big.. I like it big

ok sorry that sounded a little feminine.

cai06

FYI, just got my April issue of Motor Trend, they have a nice comparo of 08' V6 FWD coupes: Accord vs Altima Vs Eclipse. The Accord ended 1st. More refined, balanced and very slick.

gotsand

Does anyone think that Acura pulled the plug on the RSX Coupe too early?? I"m sensing (and reading about) a trend toward coupes generally for a number of reasons. See: Cadillac CTS Coupe at Detroit Auto Show.

cai06

Not at all. Getting rid of the RSX was probably the best decision Acura has made recently. Too low in the lineup and was competing directly with the Civic Si. Acura needs a bigger luxury coupe.

neuronbob

The TSX is where the kiddies need to start with Acura. It's certainly a nice move-up from the Civic.

I still take minor offense that the S2000 was not branded as an Acura, but that's seven years of water under the bridge and I don't lose sleep over it.

PixelHarmony

I went from my 04 TSX to a 07 Civic... In all honesty I thought it was a pretty big downgrade. Everything about the Civic was screaming less luxury compared to the TSX. It's been almost a year now and I've learned to live with the car as a car. I have a condo now and am leasing the civic for $120 a month... I never have to worry about the car.

Come 2009 I get another car so now it'll be an exciting time for me.

UW RL

CL6

I disagree. It was a fatal mistake killing that car. Come out with something new and raise the price.

You've got a 'sporty' division with no coupes. Pretty sporty.

The Civic killed the RSX. Because Honda didn't want to develop a new car they just pulled the plug on it.

cai06

Nobody is saying that Acura doesn't need a coupe , I'm just saying that the little RSX was in the wrong segment and was/is still affecting the already struggling brand equity Acura has. I also can't understand why Honda with all it's motorbike and Formula 1 know-how can't come up with a nice sport Acura coupe, something like a G37 & 335 fighter.

CL6

As the owner of a CL, I feel your pain. Their refusal to develop a RWD platform is the biggest reason. Letting the NSX expire due to 'emissions regulations' is BS. I think Honda cannot develop their cars and Acuras at the same time. The RSX killed the Toyota Celica and the Honda Civic killed the RSX.

Can't sell a luxury car, won't make a sports car or a coupe. The Acura line-up is reduced to an Isuzu-like few models. Very sad.

The TSX was getting too old to turn it into a coupe and the RSX still had life left in it so it was allowed to run its course. Now the new TSX is coming out and it has not been turned into a coupe, probably because a coupe version of that car would compete against other Hondas in the rest of the world and I've been told the TL won't be turned into a coupe.

So you have the RSX and CL nameplate, for whatever they are worth, dead in the minds of customers so all that money spent promoting those names was wasted. Very stupid.

geronimomoe

Agreed. The quality of the RL overall is superior to the Accord. The extra $13K to $18K in list price better get you more! Honda has to cut corners somehow to get the MSRP of the Accord that "low".

However, the Accord for all it's equipment, overall refinement, and engineering, is a great value. Nothing wrong with comparing the two.

TampaRLX-SH

In it' class, the Accord offers an impressive package. And much of the RL's features have trickled down to the Accord. Superficially they appear to be like cars, and I even overheard a new Accord owner bragging it is the same car as the RL.

Of course that is not correct. Dimensions and content alone is what most buyers compare vehicles by. Assuming they like the style, and the price reflects their desires, there is no need to look further. But the similarities between Accord and RL are limited to dimensions, features pioneerrd by the RL 4 years ago and engine variant.

But most will not be aware of or appreciate how well the RL is put together and beneath the skin, the aluminum structure components, how every detail seems to have been thought out for the long term experience and yes, the SHAWD which so many take a sour grapes approach to. I chuckle at SUV drivers who buy them because they are 'safer' but in the same breath claim AWD as unecessary. But next time you was your RL, take note of the underbody, the detail under the front and rear facias, the smooth panels under the rocker panels. I did not find that on my TL, and you will certainly not find it on the more comparable Accord.

I still think of Acura not as 'Advance', but more of 'Precision Crafted Performance'. The RL deserves the caliper emblem on the grille, and the Accord deserves the H on the hood. If a buyer cannot see of appreciate the difference, it is wiser to buy an Accord.

geronimomoe

Agreed..

bluemule

My '94 Accord EX has not been driven much since purchasing my '05RL in June, '05. The Accord has 462,000 miles on it. I will disagree with most here about the quality of the materials...the Accord may not have the outward luxury appearance of the RL, but I don't feel the least bit deprived when I get into my Accord. The materials have held up and appear to me to be of the same quality as what's in the RL. In fact, my Accord cloth seat doesn't have a worn spot in it, as does the RL's.

Also, I'm not that crazy about how rough the RL rides. My personal opinion is that the Accord is a better long distance road car because it is easier on me when driving...and I've been using the softer Michelin sports on the RL (I can't remember the designation, but will be changing them out soon and probably going back to the OEM's, if they're still available).

I recently sat in the new Accord, and didn't get the feeling that it was deficient in any way.

I like having the RL and the so-called luxury amenities, and it looks great sitting in the driveway, but in many ways, I miss my Accord and have on more than one occasion considered trading it for a new Accord. One things for certain...I can get the Accord serviced at a Honda dealer...and I can't say the same for getting my RL serviced at an Acura dealer...I'm still having the RL serviced at my Honda dealer.

darth62

One issue is durability of materials. And, yeah, you won't find any difference between the Accord and Acura in that regard. So, I'm not all surprised that it has held up overtime. I'm also not surprised that the seats on the Accord (which are 100% synthetic) have worn better than the leather in the RL.

But, durability is not everything. My TSX has high quality soft plastic whereever you put your hand. The new Accord has lots of hard plastic and som visable seams. To me, it screams low budget. I'd even go so far as to argue that the interior is not as nice as the previous generation.