Wow, thanks for your responses

Elite, as I'm single and usually have only one passenger with me at a time, I'm leaning towards the coupe. My budget is between $20,000 to $25,000 CAD (before taxes). I wouldn't mind getting the 2002 model, but would not want to pass up the opportunity for the 2003 in case it is "better". The pictures on the 'net look great, but there's nothing like seeing it up close. I'll probably get the 4 cylinder model.

SteV6r, thanks for the link. Now I have yet another place to research in

Spyfunkr, lol.

JonHsiung, as I mentioned earlier, I wouldn't mind buying the 2002 Accord SE, but the dealership I went to offered me only $750 off the ticket price of $26,650 CAD, which I thought was rather stingy if they were trying to clear their stock. I also read about rebates & incentives at http://www.carbuyingtips.com so I thought I should get a much better price than I was offered. This is one of the reasons why I am considering getting the 2003 model ...

Thanks for the moonroof info - I live in Vancouver, BC - meaning we get an awful lot of rain most of the year. As I don't have a carport (arghhh), I worry about leakage.

02RSXTYPES, how do I find out what the invoice price is (in Canada)? I looked at the Kelley Blue Book site http://www.kbb.com/, used a Seattle, WA zip code and the invoice price on the car I'm looking at was about $19451.18 USD, or about $29176.77 CAD (using 1.5 as my conversion rate). I'm thinking this is either WAY off ... or maybe what the dealer offered wasn't a bad deal. It's difficult to tell...

Answers to your questions:

1. 2 doors (although I'm told that since they're longer and heavier than those of a sedan, they will eventually sag?)

2. Performance and handling are important.

3. Safety is the biggest concern. I'd put safety above horsepower. I test-drove the Jetta 1.8T (my boss recommended it) and while it was an interesting ride, I had visibility problems. I'm definitely sticking with the Honda family!

4. Budget - $20,000 - $25,000 CAD before taxes (which is about 14% up here).

5. Comfort would be nice. I don't drive long distances. With my Civic, I averaged about 6800 miles/year. I would definitely want a/c, a radio, cassette and cd player, a moonroof isn't something I'd especially look for (although it is part of the *package* unless I get the most basic model Accord which has barely anything) and I'm open to other goodies which will help with resale value (in 12 years time, lol). Are there some goodies you think I should definitely go for?

Btw, where is the "news & rumors" forum?

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I hope I've provided enough info to give you a better idea of what I'm looking for. Again, your help is very much appreciated!