i live in central va and i got a 2000 accord ex. i was in the same dillema as you and i went ahead with the short ram because i didn't feel like risking anything even though most people say its not even a factor. i got mine off of ebay for about 28 bucks shipped. its a bomz racing one so its not a name brand thing or anything like that but it works just great and sounds great. the only thing i needed to get extra was additional hose clamps for the intake. IMO i would just go ahead and get one off of ebay because they are cheap and still have a reusable filter and are good quality, maybe not the best but they work and sound just as good. hope you make up your mind