Christian Wardlaw’s 2006 Honda Accord Driving Impressions:
Driving a Honda Accord V6 is no chore, unless you choose the new EX-L V6 with the six-speed transmission. I must be getting old, but I’d much rather have Honda’s five-speed automatic. This car’s manual has tight, notchy gates and a spring-loaded clutch that’s tricky to operate, entirely out of character with what a Honda Accord is all about. Yes, I know, this is supposed to be Honda’s attempt at making its amazingly capable family sedan into a sporting machine. Indeed, the Accord EX V6 is quick and agile, especially around town and on country roads. Just don’t ask too much of the car, because hairpin turns are not the understeering Accord’s friend, and the brakes get hot and fade pretty quick when you run this puppy hard.

Around town, the brake pedal is sensitive and instantly responsive, almost touchy. The EX-L six-speed’s sport-tuned suspension is noticeably stiffer and not particularly compliant, yet over dips the Accord’s body gets a bit more woozy than expected. The result is a busy ride quality on most paved surfaces. The steering offers a hint of road feel, exhibits a touch of torque steer, and requires mid-course correction when driving hard on sweeping curves. Rolling down the highway, the wheel waggles a bit under your fingertips as the tires hunt and peck over anomalies in the pavement, but the Accord feels planted nonetheless.

The engine of our first test sample, which had about 500 miles on the odometer, exhibited an uncharacteristically lumpy idle, but when the motor was revved up it sang a lovely aria, delivering smooth, refined power to the front wheels. I never got tired of running through the gears when traffic cleared. But my left knee ached after driving this car in L.A.’s notoriously bad traffic.

Thom Blackett’s 2006 Honda Accord Driving Impressions:
First, let me say that I have reason to favor Hondas. My first new car was a Civic DX, a dark green sedan that lacked air conditioning and any real creature comforts, but damn if that $197 payment wasn’t relatively simple to make every month. Besides tires and routine maintenance, that car never asked for so much as a new light bulb, despite covering nearly 88,000 miles in less than three years. But, my attitude is slowly changing as I drive the most recent crop of rides from Honda, from the masochistic S2000 to this confused Accord.

Maybe it’s more a case of me being confused, not quite understanding what this car is about. On paper, a 244-horsepower sedan with 17-inch alloy wheels, front and rear stabilizer bars, and a six-speed manual transmission conjures up thoughts of a sporting ride through the mountains. In reality, the 2006 Honda Accord EX sedan with the six-cogger exhibits typical family car squat and dive, relatively light steering, and controlled body roll. But I expected more from this car, like steering that dialed in some heft at higher speeds, brakes that didn’t fade after short bursts of spirited driving, and some semblance of communication between myself and the vehicle. On the positive side, the Michelin tires refused to make a sound even when pushed to extremes, the ride was almost silent aside from some tire and wind noise, and road irregularities were well absorbed. However, that doesn’t negate the fact that the neutered 2006 Honda Accord’s engine is so quiet that only a bouncing tach needle told me it was time to shift, and the steering is seemingly incapable of providing feel through the wheel. The speedometer proved that I was flying through corners, but there was absolutely no feedback indicating where I was in relation to the car’s limits.

If you’re thinking a manually-equipped Accord would be a great commuter, again, you owe yourself a test drive. While rowing through the gears of the tranny, reminiscent of that in the S2000, is a good bit of fun and the engine allows for easy highway passing, the temperamental clutch can be a sore point in stop-and-go traffic.

Brian Chee’s 2006 Honda Accord Driving Impressions:
The Honda Accord is already one of the most enjoyable rides on the road, and now comes with a horsepower boost to 244, for the V6 engine. With the six-speed manual transmission, that makes it even more fun, a driving treat for those locked in the daily grind. In fact, that’s almost a problem: idling in traffic, knowing the fun that waits, corked and silent, in the manual transmission, is a frustration not shared with other sedan operators. If only there was some open road…

The Accord is that fun to drive. True, the 2007 Toyota Camry and others offer more power, but driving fun ain’t just about power, bunky, it’s really about the combination of gearing, torque, horsepower and the suspension setup. All of that makes the Accord a special ride, one enhanced by the 2006 model’s standard 17-inch wheels. If you’re used to the Accord, then the rest should be no surprise: braking and acceleration are excellent, the vehicle goes as if hit with a whip, it handles corners nicely, and there is no noticeable brake fade or pedal play.

Sadly, though, most Accords will never frolic in the way they’re capable, used instead for the slog of freeway traffic, grocery-getting and other day-to-day drudgeries. On that score, the Accord is nicely suited, offering a quiet ride though it’s easy to see how some may find the suspension a bit too stiff and jarring. All in all, the 2006 Honda Accord strikes a pretty nice balance between driver’s car and commuter’s car, though it does lean toward the driver’s side of the fence.

Ron Perry’s 2006 Honda Accord Driving Impressions:
I have to say I love the Honda VTEC engines, especially when they are hooked to a six-speed manual transmission. The engine pulls hard from anywhere in the rev range, but the sweet spot is definitely from around 4,200 rpm and up. The 3.0 liter VTEC V6 is also incredibly smooth as it runs the revs up to redline. I did note the engine runs out of pull from 6,000 rpm to redline.

The biggest negative for me had to be the slight torque steer experienced under hard acceleration. Steering on the Accord is quick and precise and gives the driver a feel of confidence, but accelerates too hard, especially out of a turn, and the torque pulls at the wheel enough to get your attention. I was amazed at how well the Accord takes corners. The car really turns in nicely for a sedan. I exited a 360-degree freeway on-ramp pleasantly impressed at how well it tucked down and continued to take steering and acceleration input with minimal understeer. Brakes are also great and deliver positive feedback to the driver. One issue I question on the Accord is the amount of road noise that enters the cabin, as well as the harsh ride over washboard asphalt and lane markers. I was expecting a smoother ride. Do Accord buyers want a ride that mimics a driver’s car rather than a luxury sedan?

Despite a few disappointments, I found the overall driving experience to be a fun one. It is refreshing to get into a car that looks and feels as good as the Accord does, and has the performance to enhance the experience.