2006 Honda Accord

However one defines an automotive enthusiast, there's no arguing that the love of driving is the basis of every buff's being. It helps, then, that what we drive can actually be driven. Behind every restoration or upgrade project, or collector car aspiration, is the desire to drive what we love. For the everyday drive, reliability is key. We need to go, we want to go without too much expense, and we want to go with aplomb. Enter the 2006 Honda Accord EX V6 with the 6-speed manual. Think about what you might usually think about reliable transportation. And think again. Football players can be intelligent, gorgeous girls can be nice—and safe, comfortable, efficient cars can also be quick, fast and fun.

Styling

Accord, Honda's perennial midsize mainstay sports freshened styling and a fistful of new features for 2006 over the entire model line. The 7th-generation Accord is offered in coupe and sedan body styles, with 4- and 6-cylinder engines. Trim levels include VP (Value Pack, 4-door/4-cylinder only), LX, LX Special Edition, EX, and the Accord Hybrid. We tested three EX level models: a 4-cylinder sedan with 5-speed automatic, and a 6-cylinder sedan, and coupe, both V-6 models with the new 6-speed manual. Accord pricing begins at $18,225 for a VP sedan with manual transmission. The top-of-the-line EX V6 coupe with navigation, and your choice of transmission, is priced at $29,400.


Interiors on both coupe and sedan are cleanly styled, well finished and logically laid out. Both seat four adults, five in a pinch. The coupe's curvier roofline will graze a six-footer's head in back and, as with any two-door, the trip in and out of the rear seat is best made by the limber. Instrumentation is an easy read, and switchgear fall easily to hand. A caveat on controls applies only if your car is equipped with the optional navigation system. Our EX sedan tester (no nav) had straightforward rheostats for HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) and radio.

Interior

Redundant switches on the steering wheel for items commonly tweaked in passage (sound system, cruise) allow the driver to make adjustments without undue distraction. The EX coupe was equipped with the navigation option. The satellite-linked system has voice activation and a bright, 6.5-inch screen. As you add buttons for the many functions channeled through the navigation screen display, you sacrifice some of the ease of use benefits of the non-nav layout. The voice control feature works best if one remembers to use the same tone of voice (loud, slow, enunciate clearly) normally reserved for ordering food at a drive-in restaurant, or lecturing a bad dog.


Cargo space in the Accord coupe's trunk measures 12.8 cubic feet, while the sedan weighs in with a slightly more luggage-friendly 14.0 cubic feet. Lift-over height is low, though the package shelf roof limits the height of the trunk's mouth. The back seat folds forward to accommodate longer items. Else wise, storage-wise, the cabin provides usable spaces to stash one's belongings, including covered sections in the center dash. Other spots include a dual level center console (the cover of which doubles as an inside arm rest) and molded map pockets in the doors, with a separate section sized for a water bottle.