I was working at a car wash in Columbus, Ohio and this car pulls into one of our Auto bays. All the badges were covered, but I knew what it was the minute I saw it....
It was the new 08 Accord Coupe
I talked to the guy after he got out of the wash. He works at the Marysville plant and asked me what I thought. I told him its better than what I thought it would be, and definately better than the 4dr version I had seen pictures of.
Overall the car isn't too bad. The front is pretty nice, much more aggressive and more radical than most of Honda's previous stuff. But the rear is an exaggerated Scion Tc. Its this giant rear facing wedge that looks ok from the side, but not so good from other angles.
The car is becoming even more like a fat bubble, and the nice lines of the 90's Honda's are now completely gone. It definately looks aggressive and new, but I would not buy one.
My personal design opinion...
Honda has lost touch with its keen design understanding of proportions and simplicity that so many enjoyed with its 90's product line. Its design goals seemed to be more in line with Chris Bengal's design approach at BMW. The new accord that I saw is a perfect example of that. I only hope that Honda's Acura line up will remain intact with its current style and proportions therefore I will still have some Honda product Im willing to buy.