1. Buy a set of steel rims and mount real snow tires on them. At the first snow of the year, take your car out to an empty parking lot and learn how it handles in the snow. All-season tires may also work well, but if you're not used to driving in it, winter tires are a good investment.

2. Wax the car with real Carnauba-based wax. I recommend a paste-based wax. Mother's and Meguair's are the best brands. Stay away from gimicky brands like Zymol, Turtle Wax, Eagle One & NuFinish. Do this at the beginning and end of the winter season. Be sure to use a clay-bar prior to waxing at the end of the winter season to get the contaminants out of your paint.

3. Most DOTs use salt as their primary weapon against ice as well as other paint-unfriendly chemicals. After a snow-storm, wait for the roads to dry and then wash your car. Remember to get the undercarriage, where rust will have a tendency to form first. Remember salt is corrosive...

4. Another factor is the dramatic changes in temperature that your car has never experienced before. I recommend flushing and filling your radiator. Also, it's especially important to use a protectant like Armor-All on all of your rubber and plastic surfaces (interior and exterior). Check your belts and hoses more often, and be sure to use a lower-weight oil in the winter months (5w-30 is recommended for the 6th-gen Accord, that should be OK year-round).

5. Dry-gas. You may have never needed to use a stabilizer like this in your car before. But, if you're dealing with sub-zero temperatures, be sure to dump a bottle of this in your tank periodically throughout the winter months. If you fill your tank at half-a-tank everytime, it will stay in your car's fuel system and keep your car starting quickly even in the coldest temps.

This may sound a little extreme to some of you, but Michigan winters are pretty tough, more so than Pennsylvania winters (what I'm used to dealing with). Following these steps has kept all of my cars running and looking great - well into the 6-figure mileage ranges.