[sdilley14]

Well, I finally unloaded the 02 Jeep Liberty and got a new car.





2006 Honda Accord EX, 2.4l, moonroof, power seats, spoiler, alloy wheels, blah blah blah, lol. It only has 28k miles. So far I REALLY like it. The driving experience going from the Liberty to the Accord is night and day. It is such a softer and smoother ride, handling is much better, seats are more comfortable, stock stereo is nice, gauges and controls are sharp looking and well laid out, and going from 15mpg to 30mpg is certainly a welcome change.

I got a pretty nice deal on it. I got them down to $14k even. They gave me $6500 for my 2002 Jeep Liberty with 65k miles...which isn't too bad considering the KBB value was around $7500 and it needed new tires, new windshield, new brakes, new battery, and it had a number of small dings and scratches on the body and the fuel injector was starting to give me some issues. The Accord only had one previous owner and a perfectly clean Carfax report.

So yeah, so far so good!

All in all I'm really happy with the deal so far!

[Big Mac]

Congrats, sdilley. I'm starting to think about a new car myself. I've been looking at the models I'm interested in at truecar.com. Where'd you buy it from?

[Waragainstsleep]

My guess would be A1 Imports.

[Ω]

Paging Ca$h to the lounge. Ca$h to the lounge.

[ghporter]

The Accord is a very nice car. You'll find that the ride isn't so much "soft" as "not like having rocks for a suspension." Remember, the Accord is the top level Honda model, so there should be nice amenities, including seats that make you feel comfortable instead of tired. (The Liberty is a nice ride, butit's not supposed to be as comfy as an Accord, and comfy - and more fuel efficient - is what the Accordis all about.)

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Great car, congrats. My best bud leased a 2007 Accord and while no one will ever be knocked out by the styling of those machines, they're a fantastic ride. I took a long hard look at the Accord myself, but may end up going with a smaller hatch if we do decide to get a car after all. And great job finding a 2006 model with under 28k.

[SSharon]

I upgraded from a 92 Camry to an 04 Accord a few months ago and I've been happy.
Does the 06 have an ipod connection built in? I added an aftermarket solution and I've been happy with it.

There are definitely some things that I miss about the Camry, but no car is perfect.

[sdilley14]

Thanks guys!

I found it using autotrader.com. I searched in a 200 mile radius and found this one at a certified VW/Toyota dealer 175 miles away...so I took the day off work and made the drive, 3.5 hours each way, to go buy it. Without autotrader.com I certainly would not have found it. If I were to buy that same exact car at any of the dealerships in my local area, I would have paid at least $16k, probably closer to $16,500.

And yes, the comparison of the Liberty's suspension to rocks is very fair! Don't get me wrong, I did like the Jeep, especially driving around in the WI winters...but it was a rough ride that sometimes just felt like work driving.

The fit and finish of the Accord is really nice and tight. Sure, it's not a knockout style wise, but I've always personally been a fan of this body style. The Accord coupe looks a little sharper, but the sedan is just more practical for me. I just can't get over how much more pleasant it is to drive after driving the Liberty for 4 years! And at 28k miles, with my driving habits (average about 11k miles a year), I should be able to drive this for a VERY long time and still sell it off with some good value when the time comes.

[sdilley14]

Originally Posted by SSharon 

I upgraded from a 92 Camry to an 04 Accord a few months ago and I've been happy.
Does the 06 have an ipod connection built in? I added an aftermarket solution and I've been happy with it.

There are definitely some things that I miss about the Camry, but no car is perfect.

Unfortunately, no. That was one of the few downfalls of the Accord...no iPod connection. It does however have an aux output, so you can connect an iPod to the OEM head unit, but it has a proprietary connection and the adapter for it (there are a few different aftermarket adapters) is about $100-$125. :/

[The Final Dakar]

Originally Posted by sdilley14 

Unfortunately, no. That was one of the few downfalls of the Accord...no iPod connection

Heh, I was shopping for cars this summer and that was a dealbreaker for me, as insane as that sounds. After 6 years with a moody CD player, I had had enough.

[Waragainstsleep]

Originally Posted by sdilley14 

Unfortunately, no. That was one of the few downfalls of the Accord...no iPod connection. It does however have an aux output, so you can connect an iPod to the OEM head unit, but it has a proprietary connection and the adapter for it (there are a few different aftermarket adapters) is about $100-$125. :/

Surely for $125 you could buy an aftermarket head unit with an iPod connection. I got a Sony one on eBay brand new (clearance stock) for £50 a while back.

[SSharon]

Originally Posted by Waragainstsleep 

Surely for $125 you could buy an aftermarket head unit with an iPod connection. I got a Sony one on eBay brand new (clearance stock) for £50 a while back.

At least with my 04 the head unit controls not just audio, but climate controls as well. This basically rules out standard fitting head units.

I got the ISHD571 from iPod Integration for your car and More by Pac-Audio - Connecting you to the future and it looks like it fits your 06 too. I got it for around $100 on Amazon and installed it myself. Let me know if you have any questions about it.

[imitchellg5]

Very nice! The 7th gen Accord is a great car. It sounds like you got a really good deal on it too.

[olePigeon]

Nice car. I almost bought a Ford Focus, but they wouldn't sell me one without Microsoft Sync.

[dav]

congrats on the new, used car.
i just managed to pay off my car this month.

[andi*pandi]

Congrats!

I've been searching cars.com in a 30 mile radius, but 150 miles is dedication! You found a great deal.

[Big Mac]

Originally Posted by olePigeon 

Nice car. I almost bought a Ford Focus, but they wouldn't sell me one without Microsoft Sync.

Seriously? You don't have to use it if you don't want to, right?

[imitchellg5]

Originally Posted by olePigeon 

Nice car. I almost bought a Ford Focus, but they wouldn't sell me one without Microsoft Sync.

What's so bad about Sync?

[angelmb]

the Accord is the top level Honda model (…)

There is no Honda Legend in America ?

Edit: Found it. It is the Acura RL. Badge engineering sucks.

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

What's so bad about Sync?

I don't want to have to worry about needing antivirus software for my car. I also don't like the idea of Microsoft being in charge of the majority of functions in the car. While SYNC doesn't directly control functions such as the breaks, locks, and even engine ignition, it is networked to those devices. Proof of concept viruses have been demonstrated to take advantage of SYNC and directly access those parts of the car. The virus could do simple things like unlock the doors, but also more disturbing things such as disable anti-lock breaks and stop the engine.

As of this year (and I'm certain because of the aforementioned proof of concept virus), SYNC Firewall was introduced. What a novel concept: don't let the god damn entertainment system control the engine and breaks. Except we all know that software firewalls are all but useless, especially when in addition to adding SYNC Firewall, they've added wireless capabilities to the stupid onboard computer.

Now all I have to do is wait for someone to set up a specially crafted wireless access point and infect every 2011 Ford vehicle.

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by angelmb 

There is no Honda Legend in America ?

Edit: Found it. It is the Acura RL. Badge engineering sucks.

That's what I was going to point out. The high-end Hondas are Acura. Honda in general is good, though.

[imitchellg5]

Originally Posted by olePigeon 

I don't want to have to worry about needing antivirus software for my car. I also don't like the idea of Microsoft being in charge of the majority of functions in the car. While SYNC doesn't directly control functions such as the breaks, locks, and even engine ignition, it is networked to those devices. Proof of concept viruses have been demonstrated to take advantage of SYNC and directly access those parts of the car. The virus could do simple things like unlock the doors, but also more disturbing things such as disable anti-lock breaks and stop the engine.

As of this year (and I'm certain because of the aforementioned proof of concept virus), SYNC Firewall was introduced. What a novel concept: don't let the god damn entertainment system control the engine and breaks. Except we all know that software firewalls are all but useless, especially when in addition to adding SYNC Firewall, they've added wireless capabilities to the stupid onboard computer.

Now all I have to do is wait for someone to set up a specially crafted wireless access point and infect every 2011 Ford vehicle.

It's no different than any other Linux-based satnav system, which these days, is pretty much every single one. And since MyFordTouch came out, Sync is sandboxed.

[ort888]

When a "normal" person sees a 2006 Honda Accord driving down the road, the first thing they think is, "What kind of jerk off owns that car. Probably a trust fund baby with tiny genitals, or some idiot with more money then sense." It's like putting on a 3 foot high jewel encrusted sombrero. It just screams, LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME! I HAVE STATUS! AND MONEY! LOOK AT ME! Whether you think that's the message you send with the car or not, that's the message almost everyone receives.

[The Final Dakar]

/slowclap

[ShortcutToMoncton]

2006 Accord = 1%

[sdilley14]

Originally Posted by ort888 

When a "normal" person sees a 2006 Honda Accord driving down the road, the first thing they think is, "What kind of jerk off owns that car. Probably a trust fund baby with tiny genitals, or some idiot with more money then sense." It's like putting on a 3 foot high jewel encrusted sombrero. It just screams, LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME! I HAVE STATUS! AND MONEY! LOOK AT ME! Whether you think that's the message you send with the car or not, that's the message almost everyone receives.

Ehh???

[sdilley14]

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton 

2006 Accord = 1%

Couldn't agree more.

[imitchellg5]

Originally Posted by sdilley14 

Ehh???

He's copy and pasting from Shaddim's thread complaining about insurance premiums for his Lamborghini.

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

It's no different than any other Linux-based satnav system, which these days, is pretty much every single one.

When was the last time you saw a Linux virus?

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

And since MyFordTouch came out, Sync is sandboxed.

Every week there's a story about how someone defeated the sandbox feature of Explorer, or Windows, or whatever other product. I don't want it. I guess the simple solution for me is to just not buy a Ford.

[sdilley14]

Originally Posted by andi*pandi 

Congrats!

I've been searching cars.com in a 30 mile radius, but 150 miles is dedication! You found a great deal.

Dedication indeed! It was worth it to me to travel a couple hundred miles to save $2500-$3500 though. The ride back home was definitely more enjoyable than the ride there!

[sdilley14]

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

Very nice! The 7th gen Accord is a great car. It sounds like you got a really good deal on it too.

I did some pretty extensive research and found overwhelmingly positive reviews on the 7th gen Accord. I personally think they look a bit nicer than the current gen, especially in the rear end. The new coupes look pretty damn sharp though.

[Big Mac]

Originally Posted by olePigeon 

When was the last time you saw a Linux virus?

There are, they're just less common for many of the same reasons Mac OS X malware is uncommon.

Every week there's a story about how someone defeated the sandbox feature of Explorer, or Windows, or whatever other product. I don't want it. I guess the simple solution for me is to just not buy a Ford.

That's specious reasoning given that you're equating known vulnerabilities in mass, end user software to theoretical exploits of the same type in embedded software. Many ATMs seem to run Windows based on what I've seen, but you don't hear about rampant ATM viruses, do you? I think there's a big difference in the security profiles of Windows PCs and Windows running on embedded systems like Sync.

All things being equal, if Ford could have used a different software provider to power Sync I would have preferred it. But on the basis of the theoretical, highly speculative claims you make against it, I wouldn't use that as a reason to preclude Ford from my vehicle search. I've actually been a happy Ford owner for more than a decade and strongly will be considering one for my next purchase, although other makes have also been catching my eye recently.

[Jawbone54]

Congrats!

Treat her right, and that car will last forever.