[TN9thSi]

So I've had my '13 Coupe for less than four months and am really enjoying the car. However, I have a bit of a dilemma; I can't haul much of anything in it! I can barely get my road bike in the trunk with the front wheel off. A few weeks ago I went to Home Depot to buy two deck chairs and a small table and it took me 10 minutes to figure out how to get the chairs inside the car. Too big for the trunk opening, so I reclined the passenger seal all the way and laid the chairs (stacked together) on top of the seat. Had to place towels around the door panels and dash to keep from scratching the trim.

Seems like I am constantly fighting to get things into trunk. Being a homeowner, I make quite a few trips to Home Depot and Lowe's and sometimes end up with large or bulky items. Getting some things into the trunk is a pain. If I had it to do over, I might have ended up in a CX-5, CR-V, or dare I say it, a Crosstour. I love the 9th Gen Accords, but as an only vehicle, the utility is just not there. I wish I had realized this when I was shopping for a new car. I did to some extent, but couldn't talk myself into even test driving a CR-V or CX-5. Now, I'm wishing I had.

I thought about installing a hitch and buying a small trailer for hauling larger items, but I hate the idea of having an exposed hitch on my beautiful coupe!

Anyone else have the Accord (coupe or sedan) as your ONLY vehicle? What do you do when you have a lot of large cargo to haul?

 

[Flyboy]

I understand your pain. A coupe is a sporty car with an occasional back seat. If you trade in your car you will take a huge loss. My suggestion is to make friends with a neighbor who has a pickup and buy him a tank of gas occasionally for driving you to the hardware store when you have to haul something over sized. Actually, I think Home Depot will rent you a truck by the hour which is a much cheaper proposition.

 

[TN9thSi]

I've rented the truck from HD, for getting an exterior door home, and it was super cheap since I live close enough to rent for one hour. Just a huge hassle to do this frequently, and my local store only has one of the "Loan n Go" trucks to rent.

 

[DRK92]

Any family member's cars you can use?
If I HAD to, I would just do the hitch and small trailer idea. I do not want anything besides a coupe at the moment being that I'm still young and single. I hitch isn't horrendous looking, better than taking a loss and buying a new car.

 

[Gator_CR2]

buy a second car! A running small pickup (tacoma/s10/ranger/etc) can be had for under three thousand dollars (probably the amount of money you would lose if you traded in the accord). Or you can do like me and find a spouse that drives one of those big trucks so you don't have to!

 

[mdreibelbis]

I hear ya.

My wife just trader her AWD Mitsubishi Outlander SUV for a little Mazda 3 hatchback - I'm waiting for the first time we need to bring something bigger than a breadbox home from the store.

On the other hand - she'll just about double her MPG so it will be worth the occasional inconvenience.

 

[newfmp3]

I don't know why you sound surprised, it's a coupe. I lived with a coupe as my only car for ions. Borrowed a friend or family vehicle for bigger stuff but honestly its not like I'm buying big stuff every weekend - are u?. Its very rare I need anything big brought home. Even during renovations I managed just fine.

Everyone's lifestyle is different. Maybe you got lured in by a sexy car and forgot about practicality. Get a bike rack and or util trailer maybe?

 

[redhat]

I use my 8th Gen Sedan to tow all the time. Whether it's a fridge, bags of top soil, or even camping; the Accord handles a trailer no problem. I was able to cruise right along at 65mph in 5th gear on the 90 from Buffalo to Albany with my trailer loaded up with all of my camping gear. The whole trip I averaged 25MPG!

I have a very light Triton aluminum trailer. Max weight of the trailer, dry, is probably 300-350lbs at best, probably the heaviest the trailer has been for the car is about 900lbs. Accords have a 1,000lbs towing limit per the manual. Also, over 1,000lbs you are required to have trailer brakes.

**On a side note, the same exact Accord in Europe is rated to tow 3,500lbs. I'm not saying by any means to go over the recommended limit for the US, but I am mentioning this as a way to 'backup' or add credibility to the fact that towing 1,000lbs will NOT hurt the car.

If you do plan to tow with an automatic, I would recommend a transmission cooler if you're plan is to tow up and down some hills where you might see some frequent shifting. I think with a tranny cooler and frequent drain and fills with the A/T fluid, you'll be fine.

Here's a pic with the trailer loaded up:



Next summer I'm thinking of loading up the 'ole '94 Polaris Magnum and do some 4-wheeling down in Pennsylvania. With this setup here, the possibilities are endless .

 

[MJL]

ive hauled a lot of things in my coupe so far. the trunk space is there for utility and ive even got a powered sub on the drivers side. ive had multiple bags of mulch, plants and even a landscape rake i borrowed from a friend i fit in the trunk with the rear seat folded down. ive even fit a tree in the trunk with the rear seat folded down. sometimes you have to get creative and take things out of the box to get them to fit too. i dont have a bike to haul around but if i did id most likely get a rack that is easy to remove.

honestly if you dont have a friend of family member you can borrow a vehicle from, id get a hitch and small trailer. the hitch can do double duty as a place to attach your trailer or a hitch style bike rack.

i also like the idea of getting a small used truck for a grand of so if you really think youll need to haul a lot of stuff.

 

[Dudley]

I guess I always assumed the 2 door was a hatchback. Makes no sense to have the shape of a hatchback and then saddle it with a trunk. I wonder why they did that. With a hatch it would have lots of utility.

 

[II Kings 9:20]

I agree with a hitch/trailer. Coupes have small interiors and trunks and there is no way around that. If you are serious about getting rid of your coupe and take a big hit, never buy another coupe because it will be the same and you never know what you might need to haul.

 

[II Kings 9:20]

I guess I always assumed the 2 door was a hatchback. Makes no sense to have the shape of a hatchback and then saddle it with a trunk. I wonder why they did that. With a hatch it would have lots of utility.

Hatchbacks don't sell in the US, neither do wagons or manual transmissions. If they did, there would be a lot more.

 

[Dudley]

Hatchbacks don't sell in the US, neither do wagons or manual transmissions. If they did, there would be a lot more.

But the Accord 2 dr is a hatchback in shape. Why not give it the utility.

They can still call it a coupe or whatever - Corvette is a hatchback.

 

[II Kings 9:20]

But the Accord 2 dr is a hatchback in shape. Why not give it the utility.

They can still call it a coupe or whatever - Corvette is a hatchback.

I agree with added utility but we had the opportunity to by many hatchbacks years ago and didn't so automakers withdrew. Hatchbacks also cost more to build and if no one buys them, why add the cost (Hondathink).

Cayman and 911 are also hatchbacks and collectively HBs would make up less than 1% of the market.

 

[TN9thSi]

Hatchbacks don't sell in the US, and one reason is that the majority of the car-buying public choose a car for form over function, or they are part of a two-plus car household and have a large SUV/Van for kid duty.

2-door hatches are not very utilitarian, but you can get a surprising amount of cargo into a 5-door hatch like the Fit or Mazda 3.

 

[Pilm1112]

The coupe is nice but truck space was critical for me and the extra 2 cu ft the Sedan has makes a surprising difference in what you can haul, my road bike fits easily and I can get 9+ bags of mulch, not to mention 2 strollers and a play yard when I need to.

 

[ObsidianEX-L]

I do the load & go or rent a Zipcar truck if I need anything large brought home. Funny thing is I'm fine with doing that and wish I'd gotten the coupe instead of the sedan.

 

[Dudley]

I understand the form vs function preference in the US, but the 2 dr already has a hatchback form.

I put a sofa in the back of my Scirocco - about half stuck out the back, but I drove it home. I put a twin mattress and box spring with the frame in my Integra and it barely stuck out. 2 door hatches can fit almost as much cargo as 4 door - they usually have the same wheelbase and length.

I know I am preaching to the choir here, but a 2 door in the shape of hatch like the Accord or Altima etc., just looks kinda "off" with a trunk. The only real difference is that the hinges are at the top of the rear window instead of the bottom.

 

[redhat]

I understand the form vs function preference in the US, but the 2 dr already has a hatchback form.

I put a sofa in the back of my Scirocco - about half stuck out the back, but I drove it home. I put a twin mattress and box spring with the frame in my Integra and it barely stuck out. 2 door hatches can fit almost as much cargo as 4 door - they usually have the same wheelbase and length.

I know I am preaching to the choir here, but a 2 door in the shape of hatch like the Accord or Altima etc., just looks kinda "off" with a trunk. The only real difference is that the hinges are at the top of the rear window instead of the bottom.

I have to agree. I think they could pull off the look and it would make the car much more versatile to open the back up.

 

[ObsidianEX-L]

+1 on the hatch

My friend has a Scion tC, that car will swallow almost anything you'd buy on a weekend shopping outing.