We've owned our '02 Accord I4/5 speed EX coupe since new. (It has 50k miles on it now) I bought this car - actually leased it, based on my prior experiences with other Acura and Honda products, as an owner and as a salesperson for Hondas for a couple of years. Only problem I ever had w/ any Honda was an absolutely shitty 5 speed manual in an '87 Legend coupe (that had been beaten to crap by the prior idiotic owner I bought it from) - Acura used the Accord 5 speed & clutches in early Legends, and they were not up to the increased output of the V6.

We've had two pre-owned 2nd gen Tegs- one turned turtle at 145k miles w/ my son at the wheel. No problems w/ that other than a totally destroyed body shell. 2nd Teg which was a replacement for the dead one now has almost 190k miles on it, and it's been a trouble-free car w/ basic maintainence except for a never diagnosed issue w/ a diff that exploded and holed itself at about 180k teenage-driven miles. ($500 to replace it - that's all that was spent on other than routine mainatainence - not bad in my opinion)

Never while at Honda did I see a Honda product towed in unless it had been wrecked. Saw plenty of Kias (we also sold them - talk about pure crappola) and even some traded in Fords and Toyotas come in on a hook. And most Chrysler products are some of the most troublesome cars ever made.

Audis are great cars as long as one has a warranty - have owned and sold them, too. Someone mentioned a fwd A4 w/ 1.8T engine. Runs great, except that the 1.8Ts are all failing in the field, and there's now a recall - I think - for all 1.8Ts - believe it's a coolant related problem. A VW Passat is a better value as it is basically an Audi in a slightly less refined package (provided it doesn't have the anemic 2.0 non-turbo VW motor) - same V6 and turbo 4, same trans, and basically same chassis w/ longer wheelbase. Quattro is a hard to turn down trouble-free option, and wouldn't own an Audi w/out it. . .Rare option on a VW.

Anyway, we have decided to purchase our '02 Accord now that the lease is up for several reasons (mostly my wife's; besides, it's her car):
* It has never broken down.
* Only non-warranty repairs are a set of windshield wipers (Bosch are super/all others tried are crap, incl. originals)
* A few warranty items were taken care of without a fuss (by different dealers, as we had moved away from city where orig. leased)
- SRS lite came on for unknown reason - ten minutes to 'repair'
- arm rest on driver's door was worn thru and stained - replaced in minutes as a goodwill item
- front bumper repainted when a detail shop at a Ford dealer I worked for used a hi-pressure washer to clean off bugs and blew the paint right off! Repaint was done at Honda's expense without even a discussion - just brought it in and they handed us a rental car until it was completed, and it still matches perfectly three years later .

No problems w/ the clock, sunroof, clutch, brakes, rear swaybar endlinks, trans, leaks, A/C, or anything else. It is a bit noiser at idle now, but may need a valve clearance adjustment.

NO OTHER REPAIRS, and only had to replace the typical wimpy orig. equip. Bridgstone Turenzas at about 30k something miles - they always sucked, and replaced them with Bridgestone RE950 Potenzas - as great a tire as the originals were awful. Still have orig. brake pads and the rotors aren't warped. Only do routine oil changes every 5k miles or so, and only use Honda filters and fluids, except for Castrol or Valvoline oil. Runs fine on namebrand 87 octane, and gets over 30mpg on trips/high 20s in other driving. Paint still looks new, even though wasn't garaged for first two years. Was waxed when new, and when the wife cleans it - not that often - it still looks just like it did when brand new. (silver color, too) Slight wear showing on driver's side seat bolster.

We are now doing the intake/header/catback/lowering/swaybar/Brembo/tint/wheels etc. 'thing' because the wife wants a cool looking & crisper responding car. Is it fast - no, but it's fast enough. It handles fine and w/ new swaybars, springs/struts, & upgraded brakes it will be great for a fwd car. Besides she can't stand the looks of any of the currently available Hondas or the RSX, for that matter.

The Accord was never marketed to the same audience as an Si Civic, a Prelude, or a R type Integra. It's a sporty, well made, family vehicle that offers a better all around package than a Camry, an Altima, and any domestic competitor. And talk about unreliable -what about the sludge problem in all Toyota engines - esp. the 4 and 6 cyl. Camry and Corollas. My sister had to replace the engine in her '01 Corolla at 65k miles, and had to threaten the Toyota & the dealer w/a law suit; took two months to get it handled. Toyotas are an over-rated darling of Consumer Reports Mag. They are exciting as most rental cars, and did you ever notice how they all smell like taxi cabs after 50 miles? lol

Frankly, I can't think of any other car that would be a better all around vehicle to put a son or a daughter into in the price range of the 6th gen Accords. Pay a bit more and get an '01 or 02 certified used car from Honda w/ a Honda warranty if one is hesitant to purchase used from a private party or a non-Honda used car lot.