Q. I'm considering a 2005 Accord. What is your experience?

Hi,

I think I'm going for a 2005 Accord LX, 4 cyl, 5 spd. Does anyone have any experience with this set up?

Please advise Thanks, George

Reply to
George
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Great car.

However, stick-shift may, in time, become an annoying burden if you do a lot of in-town driving. Stick-shift will also make the car very difficult to sell (for you or a dealer) come trade-in time. In a recent survey barely 10% of the driving public claimed to know how to drive a stick. Of the 90% who didn't, only 3% expressed they "might be interested in learning someday".

To & from school and to & from work or the supermarket is one thing. Earning your living behind the wheel (sales calls, service calls, deliveries, investigative work, etc.,) or an unusually active lifestyle and you may someday start to dread driving the thing.

Good choice of cars. Bad choice of transmission. I'd strongly recommend the automatic.

Reply to
Bubba

Thanks for the intelligent response. However, I've always said 'my next car' will be a stick. I insist on the stick for 2 reasons:

1) The certain fun factor of a stick (though realizing it eventually 'wears off' ).

and

2) I have definite plans for upgrading the bottom-end performance, and would appreciate advice on how to best bring up the bottom end without sacrificing the mid-range, and top-end performance.

With money being a factor, I intend to make all mods gradually, and permanently. Every mod I make must complement the one made before. Then, when I see how 'good it can get', that's it.

Please advise, Thanks, George

Reply to
Jim Jones

Owned a 91 Accord with 4 cyl, 5 spd for 10 years, now drive a 2001 Accord with 4 cyl, 5 spd, this is the best engine/manual trans you can buy. Yes it will be harder to sell so you will be better off keeping it a long time.

Reply to
Grahame

I drove a 2000 Accord similarly outfitted. Loved it. Plenty of power, and everything right where it needs to be--and incredible gas mileage to boot. In the mountains in summer, with the AC on, I got 35mpg. Incredible.

Reply to
Elmo P. Shagnasty

Reply to
Awake1077

A great reason to pick the manual. Make things fun when ever you can.

I'm curious why you don't consider the V6 from the get go. It is 20% / $3000 more but if you are financing the car it should be less "out of pocket" money (and probably less total money) than "do-it-yourself".

Oh yes, and do look at carsdirect.com for pricing before you talk to a dealer. Dealers do deal, but only if you've done your homework. I got them to match the web price at about $3K less than MSRP (nearly $6K less than one dealer quoted). ;-)

Reply to
Brian Stell

Certainly the pleasures of driving a manual transmission vehicle are lost on the majority of the US population, but so what? It is true that the conventional market resale value of manual transmission cars is low, but whether or not that matters depends upon the intentions of the new car buyer. If you are a buy-it-new, the run it forever person this is not a consideration at all. Also, ebay is a great way to sell a manual transmission car as it is a way to reach the passionate minority which likes to shift for itself.

I have put hundreds of thousands of miles on manual and automatic transmission cars, and personally prefer to shift for myself anytime.

There is also the fact that modern Honda automatic transmissions are trouble prone. The odds of getting 200,000 or more miles out of a stick shift are much higher than are the odds of doing so with an automatic.

Fuel economy and performance are also superior with manual transmission.

I disagree.

I guess that makes you one of the crowd.

John

Reply to
John Horner

I always thought that driving stick improves you motor skills and response time in day to day life. Maybe if somebody did a study, seniors who drive stick for long periods of time would be more ambulatory and have better reflexes? Heh, maybe a little!

Reply to
MAT

At least our right arm and left foot (in North America), anyway. Get outta my way, sonny, or I'll kick you with my left foot next time! ;-)

Mike

Reply to
Michael Pardee

Thanks to everyone for their responses.

I GOT IT !

I found my stick Honda, at a good price, brand new. It's the 4-cylinder (one of two stick Hondas on the lot, at 2 large dealerships in the area).

For me, it had to be a stick, or no car.

The dealership I decided on, had only 2 stick Accords (like the other dealership). So, I got the color I wanted (and not the black one, though I don't mind black, for say a motorcycle, or something).

I am so charmed with my new Accord, I can't sit still. I'm following break-in to a T, and not just for the 600 miles as advised.

THE BEST PART IS: After I got it, I found others at work that have one, or a previoous year's. NOTHING but praise on their longevity. One person said they got 230,000 miles (If true, WOW ! )

Reply to
George

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