So you think you know Honda Accords?

I bet you I could drive one to your house, park it in your driveway and you won't even know it's an Accord.

That's because the mystery car would be Honda's sexy, game-changing 2008 Honda Accord Coupe. It doesn't look like any Accord you've seen. with its ground hugging profile, aggressive grille, semifastback roofline and honkin' dual exhausts.

It's game-changing because of its racy appearance and hot performance, two elements not previously associated with the Accord Coupe. It may be a coincidence, but in the wake of the Accord's unveiling last year, a host of other coupes have been announced. Could it be the Accord Coupe has helped re-energize the coupe segment? Could be.

As one visitor to a chat room who owned the coupe said: "The new body style is off the hook! I catch people looking to see what kind of car it is all the time."

And, yes, it's got a walk to go with the talk, thanks to a healthy 3.5-liter, 268-horsepower V-6 that gets 19/28 miles per gallon. Coupe base prices start at $21,860 and climb to $30,510.

There are many surprises with our test car, a 2008 Accord EXL-V-6 Coupe.

Start with the huge amount of room in this coupe. Its sibling, the four-door sedan, is so large inside that it's been moved up a notch to the large car category, rather than a mi-size, by the Environmental Protection Agency.

The back seat of the coupe will swallow you up, and you won't have any trouble getting back there. This is one of the friendliest coupes for passengers. Another pleasant surprise is that the trunk, at 11.9 cubic feet, also is pretty roomy.

While you're inside, you'll find an expensive looking interior with an ultramodern dashboard that separates operation-related instruments on top and information instruments on a lower level. At night, drivers will notice that the controls are separated by color, with the audio system done in white, and climate control in aqua green. The dials are classically designed, with crisp numerals and contemporary presentation.

But you'd better get familiar with the owner's manual. The Accord Coupe, like the sedan, has a bewildering number of small controls, buttons and gizmos on the center stack. Make sure you know how to operate everything before you drive.

There's lots of new technology, too. There's the variable cylinder management system, in which some cylinders shut down during cruising to maximize fuel economy. There's the new body structure, which maximizes the car's ability to disperse crash energy in a frontal collision.

Though the Accord coupe feels heavy and substantial when you drive it, it still moves smartly through traffic. And Accord's stock in trade has always been that it's the sportiest of family cars, with strong cornering and handling attributes.

For that reason, if having a family doesn't mean giving up your driving gloves, Accord is one of your best choices, along with Chevy's Malibu and Nissan's Altima.

Consumers on chat sites lauded the Accord Coupe's styling, high quality, powerful V-6 and what many said was a top-notch interior design. But some said the Accord Coupe's ride was a bit rough, and others said the headrests were a bit intrusive, and that the rear window angle on the coupe made rearward vision tough at times.

But the Accord Coupe still holds its own against the competition by offering a few surprises along with strong ride and handling characteristics.