On a recent trip to my local Honda dealer to trade in my grandmother's leased 2002 Civic for one of the few remaining 2005 models (she ain't down with the '06 redesign), I stumbled across a few '06 Accords. What caught my eye was the new rear end that ditches the disproportionately thin taillights for a proper set of lamps inspired by the more robust rosy red ones on the coupe. This minor refreshening of the car's rear addresses the longstanding issue many folks had with the previous Accord's ample rear end.

The front end received a mild face-lift and the V6 has been retuned to produce 244 hp (post SAE net revised calculation), four more than last year, which also returns 30 mpg on the highway when combined with a sweet new short-throw six-speed MTX. The range topping EX sedan with the V6 and six-speed starts at $27,300, the only available option being a $2,000 satellite-linked DVD nav system.

P.S. - Does anyone else see a resemblance to the 2006 Chevy Impala? (see side-by-side after jump)

High quality pics after the jump…