Back in the early 1990s, a family friend of ours had a Honda Accord Coupé. As a child, the most fascinating thing for me was the fact that it had pop-up headlights. It was that very car that led me to keep a close eye on Hondas – these cars made for the average Joe definitely had some flair to them. Even at 10 years old, I thought the Accord was a great-looking vehicle. It was far from being the exotic sports cars I envied growing up, but as a car nut from the beginning, it still fascinated me. Ever since I started writing for Double Clutch, the one car I wanted to spend a week bonding with was the 2013 Honda Accord HFP Coupe. Okay, maybe it was the HFP overall over the last couple years, but this very car nonetheless.
My tester for the week was none other than the 2013 Honda Accord HFP Coupe, painted in a sleek Crystal Black Pearl and complemented by a very high-quality jet black leather interior. The interior is virtually unchanged from the regular fully-loaded Accord Coupe, with the exception of the bright red HFP-badged floor mats. To those who don’t know why they’re red, the “Honda Factory Performance” cars unofficially pay homage to a fallen ancestor of this car, the legendary Integra Type-R. The exterior of the HFP Coupe comes with a great-looking appearance package that includes a front, rear, and side lip kit – also branded with the HFP emblems.
I personally feel that the Honda Factory Performance body cladding combined with the lowered sport-tuned suspension makes this the best-looking Accord of all time. The smoked chrome 19” wheels on Michelin Pilot Super Sports perfectly accent the already sexy lines of the car. Although the interior of the HFP is identical to the EX-L model I drove last year, I must reiterate just how comfortable these seats are. There is plenty of room for both front and rear seat passengers; which isn’t something to be taken for granted in a car lacking rear doors. Comfortable as they may be, the seats lack side and thigh support when you want to feel the performance and handling of the car.
Much like the regular Accord Coupé, the HFP model is powered by the same 3.5L 24-valve V6 that actually moves the car very well. Once the i-VTEC is at full tilt, the straight-line power it exhibits is incredible. While powerful, the Accord torque-steers like no tomorrow. Then again, 278-horsepower and 252 lb-ft of torque in a front-wheel-drive car isn’t anything to scoff at. The way the Accord puts its power down is actually quite reminiscent of my recent week with the Mazdaspeed3, just with a lot more class. The engine is hooked up to a typical “Honda-good” 6-speed manual transmission; the shifter is as close to perfection as it gets, though the clutch takes more getting used to than I’d expect from a Honda.
The HFP suspension actually makes quite a bit of difference over the regular Accord. Paired to these sticky Michelin Pilots, I didn’t find myself complaining in the corners – the car feels surprisingly planted. Understeer is to be expected from a car this front-heavy, but aside from that it’s extremely composed, especially on the highway.
Speaking of the highway, I was able to get the Accord HFP down to 7.9L/100km using the “ECON” button and feathering the throttle. Overall fuel consumption for the week was 9.8L/100km in extremely spirited driving, combined equally between highway and city. While these number aren’t the most frugal, it’s not bad at all considering the sheer amount of power this thing puts down, especially in the first couple gears. I remember similar results from my week with the Toyota Avalon, which has an the same engine displacement and is also front-wheel-drive.
The HFP Coupe comes fully-equipped. Things like satellite radio, a navigation system, a sunroof, and comfy leather are all standard. It also comes with the gorgeous LED daytime-running lights as the regular Accord, and they look great. I have found Honda’s i-MID system to be a bit sluggish and hard to navigate in the past. I can’t say it’s any better in this coupe, and it’s something they really do need to work on. The Bluetooth system worked great for wirelessly playing music from my iPod, but the sound quality leaves a lot to be said. A car that looks this classy shouldn’t have a stereo this basic. Implementation of the Krell or ELS audio technology found in the Acura models would add to the upscale image the Accord HFP is going for.
With an as-tested price of just over $40,000, the 2013 Honda Accord HFP Coupe is a bargain. It’s even more of a steal when you consider the fact that it’s a limited-production vehicle and may very well be worth some money in the future. I mean, just look at what used Integra Type-Rs are going for nowadays. Performance-oriented Honda products have been historically proven to hold their value well, even if they aren’t limited production. The now-defunct S2000 roadster is a great example of this. If in the market for a loaded-up Accord Coupe, it’s a shame to not consider the HFP model.
2013 Honda Accord HFP Coupe Gallery
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