2004 Honda Accord EX Review

The 2004 Honda Accord Coupe EX marks the first series in which the Coupe has had its own distinct styling. Our test car was a performance model known as an EX V-6 6MT, the fastest Accord you can buy. Prices: US $26,500. Canada: $33,600. Warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles. Warranty Canada: 4-years/80,000 km.

The Accord Coupe's history goes back to the 1970s when it was introduced as an affordable 2-door hatchback with sporting pretensions. A darn good car. I know; I owned one. From there it grew in stages until today the Accords sold here are designed and built in North America for American tastes. Perhaps our 2004 Honda Accord Coupe EX shares its soul with that first Accord, for it is definitely aimed at the enthusiast driver. But now the performance comes from an exotic 240 hp, 3-liter all-aluminum V-6 featuring drive-by-wire electronic throttle control, mated to a 6-speed manual transmission, and with stopping power provided by an electronic brake distribution system acting on 4-wheel disc brakes. The 2004 Honda Accord Coupe EX is fitted with a sensual leather interior plus many, though not all, of the features normally associated with luxury cars. Low-profile performance tires sit on alloy wheels, the suspension is tuned for roadholding. There are no options... not even automatic transmission. Which, as you'll soon see, is a shame.

When compared with other '04 cars, the 2004 Honda Accord Coupe EX's styling follows the latest trends. High haunches, upswept beltline, reduced side window glass, very aerodynamic profile. And big. Too big if you like the taut, compact lines of earlier Accords. Little of this designer stuff is beneficial to passengers who get no benefit from the high waist and narrow windows, or even to the driver, who loses the superb sightlines for which Accords were always admired. The 2004 Honda Accord Coupe EX, however, offers deeply-contoured and heated front seats, 10-way power adjustment on the driver's seat, telescopic-and-tilt steering column (though I never found the telescoping adjuster), concert-hall CD stereo, dual-zone climate control, and a host of other electronic assists. Rear seat roominess is not bad at all, though passengers will wish for a center armrest. The trunk is deep but not tall and the 60/40 fold-down pass-through is too narrow for anything but skis and golf clubs. A sumptuous interior if you don’t suffer from claustrophobia.

If driving was an orchestra, this babe would play in the trumpet section. She hits the high notes on the highway where the close-ratio 6-speed box directs the V-6 to stay where maximum torque turns into neck-snapping acceleration. Indeed, my passenger commented that he could get whiplash from being propelled forward at such rapid speeds. Steering response is quick, feedback from road irregularities is better than a back massage from a naked nymph. Yes, there is too much torque-steer in the 2004 Honda Accord Coupe EX and the ride will bring back feelings of nostalgia for anyone who rode the rails in the days before welded tracks. But the engine is remarkably quiet, delivering just enough bass trombone when the tempo picks up. Traction control kicks in sufficiently to help keep the Accord on line through corners although wheelspin makes itself briefly known if you hit the throttle hard on exits. Given a tantalising road full of curves, the 2004 Honda Accord Coupe EX can be an entertaining performer.

Having provided a number of superlatives, you might expect me to award the 2004 Honda Accord Coupe EX five stars. Sorry, but Honda's attractive, quick, beautifully-built Coupe EX is all but impossible to drive smoothly in traffic. The brakes are powerful but difficult to modulate. The clutch action is heavy, its take-up race-car sudden. Changing gears requires a firm action and a long throw. While I can appreciate Honda's wish to keep the V-6 at ideal rpm's, a close-ratio gearbox is best-suited to sports cars meant for occasional track use; though this may sound like heresy, I'd have much-preferred a 5-speed automatic with manual over-ride. Equipped as our test car was, it competes with Honda's own Acura nameplate, currently being repositioned as a sports/performance brand. Where's the logic in that? Worse, the 2004 Honda Accord Coupe EX's heavy feel prevents it from being a pleasing car for urban use or even suburban runarounds. If you live in the wide-open spaces of Wyoming or Montana or Texas you'll love it. But in Boston, Chicago, or Vancouver you may find each journey to be more like a workout at the gym.