Faults:

Other than oil changes and changing the transmission fluid at 30K miles, and along with air intake filter and cabin air filter, I have had to replace the rear brakes, which seem to be grabbing while driving?!?! Apparently this is an issue with this model. Sometimes the new rear brakes will squeal when you come to the first stop or two of the morning. After that you don't hear them... unless they are wet. I took it back to the mechanic, and he ground down the edges of the pads to help reduce this issue. It helped a little.

Also, in cold weather the dash board shrinks, and there is a squeak/rattle in the dash right above the glove compartment. Once the car warms up inside, it goes away. I am sure I can fix this with a little time and some felt, but it hasn't gotten to me that badly yet.

In my mind, rear brakes are cheap to do and I can do them myself, so if this will be the only thing I have to deal with, I consider myself lucky!

General Comments:

We really like the car... I call it the camel, because it goes so long between fill ups; typically 450-500 miles per tank. I usually get around 28 miles per gallon, and do a good deal of city driving.

Originally we bought it as my sales car. I bought it last year, and it was a Memorial day sale "leftover", so I got a pretty good deal on it. We traded in an 08 Mazda 5 that we'd had since new, but had nothing but trouble with since day one. We were out of warranty, and the A/C started acting up, and the car would get very hot with only 32K miles on it. That was the last straw for me for Mazda's. So we dumped it off for the Accord.

As far as comparing the Accord to the competition. It has plenty of room... just as much as our 2007 Camry SE. It does give you more driver feedback than the Camry SE, and the Accord's suspension is actually stiffer than the SE. The seats are also firmer than the Camry, and the engine bay is less basic looking as well, and the trunk is deeper but less wide than the Camry. The Accord sits slightly lower as well.

My wife prefers all the buttons in the center console of the Accord to the Camry's more simplistic control knobs. I prefer the simplistic control knobs. So it's all in what you like. It is also worth noting that the audio system in the Accord sounds much better than the Camry; we both agree on that!

As far as trying to tell you which car is better... it is all personal preference. I feel both our cars will both go 200K+ with minimal unexpected problems. And both have plenty of room to haul a family of 4 around, and trunks large enough to fit all the family stuff, and offer reasonable fuel economy. There are also other cars out there that would be good to look at as well, such as the Ford Fusion and Hyundai Sonata. I recommend anyone who is looking for a car, to go get a Consumer Reports guide and pick out reliable ones they like, then go look at them to see which one fits their needs and pocketbook best. There is more to car ownership than the sticker price!

The Accord's 2.4 liter engine is extremely refined, and smoother than many V-6's, offering ample power while doing the routine everyday driving. It is definitely not a sports car, but will get you and the family where you're going without breaking the bank in fuel and maintenance. I do however feel that some of the interior plastics feel and are built cheaper than the Accords of yesteryear, and wonder if the Japanese auto manufacturers are getting in their comfort zone, since 2 of the 3 American manufacturers in this midsize line-up are still far behind.

The LX is a lower model... yet it comes with everything I need such as A/C, power windows and door locks, remote entry, CD player with auxiliary input, and the other comfort features you have come to expect in a modern automobile.

The only thing I wish I could do with it is tow. For some reason cars in the U.S. aren't allowed to tow, yet the same platform in SUV form with a higher center of gravity can??? This makes no sense to me! In the U.K. a VW Golf is rated at pulling 3100lbs. In the U.S. it is probably 1000lbs. Would I buy another Accord??? Sure, if I didn't need to tow our 1350lb pop up camper.

Faults:

Rear brakes needed replacing, but there was a factory recall due to the calipers being not right coming from the assembly line.

General Comments:

This was by far the most reliable car I have ever owned. This thing was driven like it was stolen by both me and my ex-wife, and it never missed a beat.

Comfortable to drive for long distances. Fun to throw around corners as well.

And the fuel economy was amazing; I could drive from West Monroe, LA to Atlanta, GA on one tank, and still have a little gas left over for a quick run to a local pizza joint.

I hated having to give this car up. But it became impractical the moment I started a family.