I’ve always liked the Honda Accord. It’s stylish, roomy and comfortable, handles well in any road situation, has good power and seems to improve in all aspects with each new model.
And that’s true for 2011, as the entire Accord lineup received updates and improvements to give the car increased fuel economy, enhanced exterior and interior styling. There is a variety of models available in either sedan or a coupe styles, with either four-cylinder or V-6 variations. And a new Special Edition (SE) trim level has been added.
The 2011 Accord Sedan’s exterior has a more upscale presence with a new front grille, front bumper and rear deck lid, along with a new wheel design for EX models. The Accord Coupe has a more muscular look and is enhanced with a bolder grille design, a new front bumper shape and a new wheel design for V-6 models. Improvements to vehicle aerodynamics, engine friction and transmission gear ratios all contribute to fuel economy improvements.
A 190 hp 2.4-liter, 16-valve DOHC i-VTEC four-cylinder engine is standard in the Accord EX and EX-L Sedans and all four-cylinder coupes. The 2.4-liter i-VTEC four-cylinder engine in the Accord LX, LX-P and SE Sedans produces 177 hp. The available 3.5-liter, 24-valve SOHC i-VTEC V-6 engine produces 271 hp and has Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) technology that can deactivate up to half of the cylinders while cruising for better fuel economy. EPA fuel economy ratings for the 2011 Accord V-6 Sedan are 20 mpg city/30 mpg highway.
The performance-oriented Accord EX-L V-6 Coupe with the six-speed manual transmission has a 3.5-liter V-6 VTEC engine (without VCM) that has a performance-tuned valvetrain, intake and exhaust system to broaden the torque curve in the low- to mid-rpm range for enthusiast-level performance.
A five-speed manual transmission is standard on four-cylinder models and a five-speed automatic is available. A five-speed automatic is standard on V-6-powered models, while a six-speed manual transmission is available only on the Accord EX-L V-6 Coupe.
The new Accord SE Sedan trim level offers all of the standard features from the popular Accord LX-P while adding leather-trimmed seating, heated front seats, driver’s power-lumbar support and a leather-trimmed steering wheel.
New features on some models include steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters on the Accord EX-L V-6 Coupe, a USB Audio Interface on all coupe models and Accord EX and EX-L Sedans, a rear-view camera on sedans equipped with the available Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation2 System, and all Accord EX models get the auto on/off headlight feature.
Pricing on the 2011 Honda Accord ranges from $21,180 for the LX Sedan with a five-speed manual transmission to $31,730 for the Accord EX-L V-6 Coupe with Navigation.
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.
