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<p>This is the one thing I absolutely despise about Consumer Reports. We’ve been subscribers for over 20 years, but if we want to access the on-line edition, we have to pay extra. I would much rather pay just to access the on-line edition and not get the magazine anymore - we keep all back issues around, but they take up room, and it would save some more trees if we didn’t get the print edition.</p>
<p>Add another vote for the CR-V. H researched the dickens out of safe cars for D when she got her license, and this fit the bill. She drove about 30 min each way to HS, about half that distance on Rt. 95 in Fairfield County, CT. Have only done routine maintenance, and mileage is decent. Didn’t let her take car to college, so I drove it for about 18 months until S started driving himself to his school – also about 30 minutes each way, including over a particularly nasty “mountain” near Hartford, CT (where we moved to after D graduated.) I was/am sorry to go back to driving my larger, gas hungry SUV – but H says we need something this size to haul the boat/trailer.</p>
<p>S1 had a '98 Accord for his first car. He drove like many teenage boys, a little too fast, hit the brakes a little too hard, took turns a little too quick once resulting in running off the road going slightly airborne and down into a ditch. He was OK and drove the Accord out of the ditch and to the carwash before coming home to report his mishap. That Accord was one tough car. The only real maintanance we ever had to do was replace the starter at about 85K. We eventually traded it in to get a different car for H and me (S took over H’s truck). We were pleased with the good resale value of the Accord as well.</p>
<p>My mom drives a 1999 CR-V, which she really likes. When my sister and I were both home and both driving she purchased a VW bug, which she liked, but maintenance ended up being a nightmare for that car. Major repairs on a regular basis, so she traded it in once we were both out of the house and I needed a car for school. We bought a Honda Fit, which is a great car, I was in an accident that did major damage to the car, but absolutely no damage to me, once fixed the car is absolutely fantastic once again. My family would highly recommend Hondas.</p>
<p>Very interesting about 2002 transmissions! My Odyssey was one of those transmission problems reported to Consumer Reports. The oil pump went out, too, so I needed a new engine. The only good thing I have to say is that Honda covered all of it, even though it was just slightly out of the warranty period. We are now strictly a Toyota family. DH drives a Lexus and DS17 has a Camry.</p>
<p>My son owns a used 1997 Honda Accord that we bought used in 2000. The car now has 112,000 miles on it, and it runs like new. My mechanic that we have used for 20+ years has always said a well cared for Honda will last forever. My husband just commented the other day that he sees tons of 97 Accords on the road.</p>
<p>We do have the oil changed ever 3,000-5,000 miles on all our cars, and we make sure the routine service is taken care of on time. I think this is the key for any car; keeping the cars maintained. I keep wishing something bad will happen to my SUV as it is a gas guzzler with 180,000 miles on it, but my mechanic keeps it purring!! Every time I take it in for a repair, I ask if it is dead yet, and he keeps fixing it. While I would love to replace my car, I love not having a car note!</p>
<p>Love, love, LOVE my 01 Accord. It still has relatively low mileage (75k) and runs very well. Here’s the maintenance I’ve had done:</p>
<p>Routine oil changes, new tires, new brake pads, new front brake discs (because I didn’t replace the pads at the right time), new back bumper (got backed into…), new front window motors (I have NO IDEA why my front window motors went out!). </p>
<p>Never had any major trouble or engine trouble. My transmission sticks slightly going from 1st to 2nd depending on how I accelerate, but multiple repair places have assured me my transmission is just fine.</p>
<p>In the beginning of February I rearended a Jeep that slammed on its breaks. I wasn’t going very fast (less than 10mph), but boy did it do some damage. My car was repaired though and currently runs perfectly again. While it definitely sucks to wreck your car, my Honda did its job by protecting me!</p>
<p>I drove an 04 Corolla for awhile before it was totaled by a Suburban later that same year. I got T-boned by a huge SUV going 40mph and walked away from that accident with nothing more than a bump on my head and a bruised knee from the steering column. I’m confident that car saved my life and will plug it as a great teenager car any chance I get!</p>
<p>Both got great gas mileage, but I am partial to the looks and size of the Accord. Personally, I’d steer away from the TSX–they’re slightly sporty and last time I checked Acura is considered “luxury,” and I’ve seen way too many overzealous teenage boys take advantage of a luxury sports car and end up hurt or with many speeding tickets. Plus, when he’s a big successful fill in the blank a few years down the road, he can reward himself with a cool luxury sports car (should he want to) as an upgrade.</p>
<p>I am sure you are looking for a newer car than anything currently in our driveway but my husband just loves his 1993 Acura Integra which has 209,000 miles on it and drives like the day we bought it new. (Our younger son is now in college but still remembers riding home from the dealership in Dad’s new car even though he was only 3 at the time.) We change the oil religiously every 3750 miles and have done all required/recommended maintenance (timing chains, one clutch replacement etc.). It is starting to show wheel arch rust but otherwise has been a wonderful car. I drive a 1997 Nissan Pathfinder which now has 208,000 miles on it. Just replaced the timing belt and we are going for 300,000 miles now. Runs beautiful. My son was given a 1990 Honda Accord for free by a family friend and drove it all the way through his senior year in high school. Had 240,000 miles on it and still had its original clutch when we donated it to charity. Needed new front brakes and we decided not to put the money into it since it was a fourth car and had a lot of “Honda rust” on it. Drove great! We are big fans of Hondas/Acuras and I would love to have a Honda to drive to work to save gas costs.</p>
<p>We rented a Prius on a trip last week. It was surprisingly roomy inside and got fantastic milage. My one concern is that the huge display is so much fun to watch (are you charging the battery? using it? using the engine? both?) and to play with that if my sweet hubby owned one I’d worry about his attention being on the touch screen, not the road.</p>
<p>When I testdrove a Prius back in 04, the display was what made me decide against it. Only the premium model with the whole dang screen thing was available, and I was not going to pay for that; I just found it distracting. The dealer suggested I should just turn it off–2000 dollars added to the base price to just turn it off…</p>
<p>We finally decided on a Civic Hybrid in 2006. We adore it–we get virtually the same mileage as the Prius, for a much lower price. It drives great and is very comfortable. We don’t get the instant recognition that the Prius gets, which is character building! :)</p>
<p>We have a Honda Accord 2003. We love it. Back in the day…I owned a Honda Accord 1976, and then a Civic 1981. The 1981 was a bit of a lemon…got a new transmission when it was a year old. We know a number of folks with older Accords and Civics and they are all happy with their cars. My next new car will be a Civic Hybrid (after both kids graduate from college AND I get my new kitchen counters).</p>
<p>The V6 Hondas with 4-speed and 5-speed automatic transmissions made from 1999 to around 2005 were very problematic. Our 2000 Odyssey has been a trouble-prone car that has been VERY expensive to keep on the road. In 118,000 miles we have spent over $6,000 on non-routine repairs. Replacing the catalytic converter and O2 sensors (a common failure for this engine) cost nearly $2,000. The failed air conditioning high-pressure relief valve was $400. Fixing the electric doors has cost $1,500 over the years. The transmission rebuild was $2,800. The clock doesn’t work. The electric mirrors don’t work. The transmission is failing again. The first two sets of brake pads only lasted 20,000 miles each. The parking brake has never worked right since it was new (actually, it works fine on level ground).</p>
<p>Before we bought the Honda we wore out a Ford Aerostar that went about 140,000 miles. I doubt we’ll get another 20,000 miles before the transmission fails again – it’s already slow in downshifting. I wouldn’t take another Honda unless you gave it to me for free.</p>
<p>1999 Civic, 130K, no transmission issues so far, and I’ll drive this car as long as it lets me.</p>
<p>2004 CRV, 80K, no transmission issues so far,gets extensive use because it’s the family car for everyone to take everywhere - love it. Brakes last forever.</p>
<p>2006 Civic, 15K, no transmission issues so far, husband loves it, exceptional mileage.</p>
<p>One of our ds has a 2006 CRV, no transmission issues, loves it. When we have a family reunion, the road looks like a Honda dealership. I am so surprised to read the posts about problems with Hondas. I drove various Chrysler minivans for 10 years, all of which died prolonged, expensive deaths at 100K. I will never buy another non-Honda product.</p>
<p>Another vote for the Fit here…cheap to buy, maintain, drive, etc…and so ROOMY! The seats fold up <em>and</em> down so it’s even more convenient for cargo than the minivan was.</p>
<p>We had an Accord for 11 years, with 111K miles, donated to a women’s shelter when it was still running well. We spent maybe 1K (new clutch, fly wheel, brakes, etc).</p>
<p>We bought a grand cherokee and dumped it at 70K, spent too much in repairs, bought a suburban and dumped that one too at 70K, same deal…Boought an Acura MDX, I have 65K miles, and have only spent money on a new battery, brakes, tires and maintenance! </p>
<p>HONDA/ACURA is the way to go, I expect to keep this one 5 more years!</p>
<p>My family has always had great experiences with Hondas. Honda seems lately to have raised their prices now that everyone thinks they’re so reliable. I recently got a Nissan Altima instead; it was cheaper than the Civic, had more room, and looked better. Im hoping I’ve found the “next Honda”.</p>
<p>We have owned many Hondas over the years (civic, prelude, and accord-all manual transmissions) and love them! I currently drive a 2007 Accord V6 6spd manual. It is fun to drive and looks good too. We also recently purchased a 2008 Honda Ridgeline truck - my husband’s toy. We have never had problems with the transmissions but have heard of problems with Honda’s automatic transmissions for certain years. Incidentally, my husband totaled our first accord (rear ended a tractor trailer) - he walked away without any injuries.</p>
<p>Also great experience with Hondas. I am currently driving a 1998 Odyssey with 207,000+ miles on it; regular maintentance and brakes twice. Our other car is a 1999 CRV with 140,000 miles on it. Again, never a problem outside of regular maintenance. I am currently test driving 2008 CRVs to replace the Odyssey. But we won’t sctually get rid of it…college son will drive it this summer and younger son, who will get his license in the fall, will then use it for school. I also miss my CRX, but that was traded in during first pregnancy!</p>
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<p>That’s the old, small Odyssey, not the larger model introduced in 1999. It is a completely different vehicle that shares nothing but the name.</p>
<p>Yeah. But it’s still a Honda and still going strong. And I would buy another one, if they hadn’t changed the Odyssey. When the new model went to 13 cup-holders, I knew that that car was not for me.</p>