refined look, while an aggressive stance gives it the air of a European sedan. The nose is short, the hood

and cowl are low, which complement the glassy cabin to provide excellent visibility from inside.

Two body styles are available, a four-door sedan and a sporty new coupe. The Accord Coupe shares all the

wonderfulness of the new sedan, but boasts unique styling and some performance tweaks designed to make it more

fun to drive. While the previous Accord Coupe looked like a two-door version of the Sedan, Honda designed the

1998 model to have its own identity. Only the headlights and door handles are shared with the Sedan. Indeed,

the Coupe is a handsome car, and a good choice for busy executives who want something practical and sporty.

But we're here to talk about the Accord Sedan, which comes in five models. The DX, LX and EX come equipped

with 4-cylinder engines, while the LX V-6 and EX V-6 models are powered by a new 200-horsepower, aluminum alloy,

3.0-liter V6. The 3.0-liter engine replaces the previous 2.7-liter powerplant. Equipped with Honda's Variable

valve Timing and valve lift Electronic Control, or VTEC, system, the 60-degree V6 is tuned to deliver optimum

torque over a broad rpm range. It's so smooth and so quiet that sometimes a glance at the tachometer is required

to confirm that it's running. It provides lots of power for merging into traffic or entertaining its driver.

Lest anyone fear an inferiority complex, the 2.3-liter VTEC inline-4 is a complete redesign as well. It produces

more power, less vibration and better fuel efficiency than its predecessor. It's so clean that the Accord EX with

an automatic transmission meets California's demanding ultra-low emission vehicle, or ULEV, standards. Generating

150 hp at 5700 rpm, an Accord equipped with this engine is by no means a penalty box. An Accord equipped with one

of these 4-cylinder engines is a great package that deserves consideration by anyone shopping for a roomy mid-size

car that excels in quality, durability, reliability, smoothness, ride quality, practicality and fuel efficiency.

Did we leave anything out?

A fantastic new chassis comes with a new five-link double-wishbone rear suspension and a redesigned double-wishbone

front suspension. Structural rigidity is significantly improved over the previous model for better handling and ride.