While riding in the passenger seat, I thought the suspension tuning felt pretty firm for a car like the Accord that's oriented more towards the mainstream. Of course the road was a little bit beat up, and the driver I had been paired with had a tendency towards using binary steering, throttle, and brake inputs, so I think my observation was likely exaggerated. There's certainly a fair degree of road feel, though, and if I took anything away from the experience, it seemed like it may have been a touch too springy.

From a drivetrain perspective, my first impression of the new K24 was quite favorable. At the time of our drive, the specs that had been presented to us indicated that the motor developed 200hp, and all things considered, that number felt about right. Much like the K24 that was found in the previous Accord, torque delivery is nice and even, but if you lean on the loud pedal long enough with this version, you'll feel a much stronger VTEC-induced scrabble to the 7000rpm redline. Indeed, this 4-cylinder pulls quite nicely up top, though the mechanical symphony accompanying this sort of behavior may not be appreciated by your typical "mainstream" customer. In fact, I thought it was a little bit on the loud side. The good thing is that most mainstreamers probably won't be spending too much time with the tach needle buried this deeply, so it shouldn't upset them too much, but for those of us who enjoy exploiting the performance potential of a vehicle, we have something to look forward to.

The exhaust system on the 190hp version of the K24 is tuned to a fairly sporty key. It's not raspy or droning (thanks to the ANC), or annoying by any stretch, but in this segment it seems like a fairly aggressive touch. As mentioned earlier, this exhaust system was necessary to achieve the flow requirements of the more powerful motor. The 5-speed automatic transmission seemed to be matched pretty well to the characteristics of the motor, but until we get some more meaningful seat time in this version, we'll wait to say more. The new engine felt perfectly adequate on flat roads, but on inclines it seemed to be taxed by the 2008 Accord's added mass.

Accord V6 EX-L 5AT
During the press preview ride and drive, I had very limited seat time in the V6 EX-L sedan, but I was subsequently able to borrow one back home in Atlanta for a full week. During my first (Boston) encounter with the V6 sedan, what struck me most was that the new 3.5L V6 lacked the level of urgency I had anticipated, and my weeklong followup experience with the car reinforced this initial impression. I wouldn't call it slow, but compared to some of its V6 competitors, it certainly doesn't exactly stand out.

According to our test equipment, this Accord clocked 0-60 times in the 7.2-7.3 second range and 1/4 mile times of around 15.3 seconds. These numbers are actually slightly slower than the last 7th generation Accord V6 5AT sedan that we tested. The results aren't bad, but they put the Accord on the tail end of the competitive spectrum. It should also be noted that in order to even achieve these numbers, we had to manually control the transmission - in full automatic mode, the average times were slower by another half second or more.

One area where the 3.5 felt subjectively better than the 3.0L was with respect to part throttle performance. The 3.5s torque curve is more accessible, and provides a more relaxed, effortless feel while zipping around in everyday traffic.

Despite the 2008 Accord V6's heavier curb weight, and 500cc larger motor (with more power and torque, of course), Honda claims that the new V6, with second generation cylinder-cut technology that permits 3-, 4-, and 6-cylinder operation, delivers better fuel economy than the 2007 Accord's 3.0L V6. After driving the car for a week, I'm wasn't exactly blown away by the new V6's thriftiness. In my typical around-town driving routine, the trip computer barely registered 17.0mpg. After driving it for several days and working to get the average up, I decided to take it out on the freeway where I could set the cruise at 75mph, reset the trip computer, and cruise for about 40 miles on a reasonably level stretch of highway. In this scenario, I was hoping to see the trip computer report over 30 miles per gallon, but at the end of the run I only saw 28.5mpg.

The new generation V6 VCM system's additional mode of operation (4-cyl) means that the "ECO" light glows quite frequently, even at speeds above 82mph and up gentle grades. Those familiar with the first generation VCM (found in the '05-up Odyssey, 2006-up FWD Pilot, and Accord Hybrid) know that the "ECO" light goes permanently dark at any speed above 82mph or with the slightest throttle tip in.

Hear that?
Honda claims to have taken numerous steps to reduce cabin noise in the car, but contrary to these claims we found the V6 sedan to actually seem noisier than the previous Accord. And our sound level meter confirms that at freeway speeds, the Accord's noise floor is indeed several dBA higher than the last generation Accord V6 that we tested, hovering in the 70dBA range. Interestingly, the noise floor remains fairly constant with respect to speed. The biggest culprit seems to be the tires - they are okay over soft asphalt surfaces, but on older, grained pavement, their song is quite noticeable.

The 8th generation Accord's chassis tuning is still calibrated more towards ride comfort, but perhaps thanks to the car's increased overall mass and larger dimensions, it's now a better match for the thrust and mass of the V6. The V6 Accord still isn't a sport sedan, but over challenging roads it maintains a higher degree of composure than the 7th generation V6 Accord did, and it doesn't feel quite as nose heavy, nor as floaty at speed.

The Accord's variable ratio steering delivers on its ease of use promises, but at city speeds I didn't care for its vague on center feel. At speeds of around 65mph or more, it finally weights up and begins to offer an acceptable on-center feel. Apart from the lack of on-center feel, my only other beef is that it feels overboosted, but that's a personal preference and generally something that I can adapt to.

Overall, I found the 2008 Accord EX-L V6 sedan to be a very nice car, but I'm not convinced that the new VCM system justifies its level of complexity. There doesn't seem to be a significant payoff in terms of efficiency, and performance-wise it's a disappointment as well. Honda should offer the much more potent motor that's found in the 6MT coupe. And a 6MT flavor of the sedan should have been offered up front, too. If Honda waits for the MMC to offer the 6MT in the sedan, it will be too late, as enthusiasts tend to be early adopters.

Accord EX-L V6 6MT Coupe
To date, our only experience with the V6 6-speed coupe was at the long lead press introduction. On that day, we managed to grab a 6MT coupe for our ride back to the hotel. Unfortunately, I again deferred to the 2nd stint, which turned out to be essentially 100% freeway driving. My chassis evaluation was limited to how the car felt on a single cloverleaf onramp, and even that was compromised by somebody in a lumbering Tahoe that I caught midway through the cloverleaf. What was impossible to miss was that this version of the 3.5L V6 felt very strong - like in the sense that I'm not certain I'd be able to tell the difference if you blindfolded me and took me for a ride in a TL Type-S 6MT and the '08 Accord V6 6MT. Even with 18" wheels, traction can be an issue, even midway through 2nd gear. The torque delivery of this motor is impressive, but it too easily overwhelms the car's ability to transfer the torque to the road. A limited-slip differential would help immensely. I didn't sense much in the way of torque steer, but I predict front tire life to be very limited for spirited drivers.

The 6MT shifter was precise and accurate, though the mechanism itself had a somewhat plasticky and/or hollow feel to it, for lack of a better description. Clutch takeup is better than past Accord and TL 6MTs but it still needs more feel to make it feel natural. The engine is very smooth - so smooth that my driving partner elected to keep it in 4th gear as we howled down the freeway at 80mph. He informed me that he doesn't understand why anybody would need 6 ratios. I might not have noticed that we were in 4th, except he kept cycling the throttle on and off to maintain our speed, which generated a square wave.

The coupe is fairly roomy, though the rear seat still seems a little cramped considering the bulky exterior dimensions. Clearly, style was the key focus for this version.