New Accord Coupe is an oasis of awesome in a desert of dull

Is it too early to say that Honda’s got its groove back? Maybe, but that doesn’t discount how much the 2013 Accord Coupe V-6 feels like a return to form for the Honda brand. It’s attractive. It’s design is thoughtful. Most importantly, it’s actually fun to drive.

Cabin tech We’ve seen Honda’s new dashboard interface before in the Accord sedan and in the new Acura RLX (albeit, highly modified and reskinned for the premium brand).

In our navigation-equipped Accord Coupe, the infotainment system actually consists of two color LCDs and two different control schemes that work together. The main screen is standard to all Accord models and is an 8-inch display that sits at the top of the dashboard outside of the driver’s reach. It’s not touch sensitive and is controlled by a large control knob located low on the center stack, which is an odd placement. It’s not as easily reachable as the center console placement that the German manufacturers have favored recently, not as visible as the high placement favored by Nissan/Infiniti, and requires a bit of reaching around the shift knob depending on the chosen gear.

The main screen is where the the majority of the driver’s interactions occur, its interface split into four modes (navigation, phone, audio, and info) each accessible via a hardware button located near the control knob. Honda’s interface is greatly improved in this generation; every function is easy to find and, with a few exceptions that I’ll nitpic… [Read more]