Honda Accord Coupe. Out with a bang. The Management Fleet

We bid a rather inauspicious farewell to the Management Fleet Accord Coupe. Sorry Honda!

Phill’s hitherto perfect collision record ended last month in the Volkswagen Golf against an Audi A8 bumper. This month, it was the turn of our Honda Accord Coupe to suffer a bump

The high kerbs outside the crankandpiston oval office are littered with scratches and chips, all of which offer a detailed history of ruined front bumpers. We hadn’t fallen foul until a couple of weeks ago when one of the team – who begged to remain anonymous – set off for work without his morning coffee. The Accord’s LaneWatch Blind Spot system shows an extended view of the passenger-side roadway thanks to in-built cameras. This meant he completed his commute without getting sideswiped, only for him to misjudge the distance between kerb and front bumper outside the office. Crunch.

The right lip attached to the bumper was dented, the paint was scuffed and the connecting pins were broken (the eagle-eyed amongst you will notice the lip is missing in the pictures above). Fortunately the impact didn’t damage the bumper itself but we still had to make a sheepish phone call to Honda and own up.

It’s an inauspicious end to the Accord’s long-term test, particularly since it’s proven a big hit with the team. It looks superb (the metallic blue does help), and while the interior won’t pull many heartstrings, it is at least elegantly put together and spacious. You can even sit in the back, despite the sloping roof limiting headroom. For this writer in particular it’s characterful, a trait we haven’t seen with many Honda products in a while.

The drive is similarly good. Yes, the seats don’t offer ideal lumbar support and the front wheel drive layout means understeer is inevitable. But there’s considerable oomph from the Earth Dreams 3.5-litre V6 and the six-speed gearbox (complete with paddles) offers responsive shifts. Plus when you’re not setting the tyres alight, good ride comfort and plush seats make the journey very relaxing.

From day one I wondered whether the new Accord could take 70 percent of the 70,000 regional sales Honda has earmarked to shift each year by 2016. It certainly has the potential to do so. Hopefully these 49,000 new owners will avoid the high kerbs.