Defenestrating Thoughts from the Bivouac

That’s right, after talking about it for years, I finally replaced my legendary 1992 Honda Accord on Friday. And I replaced it with… a 2007 Honda Accord! Woohoo! :-)

I’m pretty happy to have a new car with that great new car smell. I decided to spoil myself a little and get lots of unnecessary options (the EX-L trim level) so I have things like heated leather seats, dual climate control, and a moon-roof.

Since I used this great service called Fighting Chance to learn exactly how car dealerships work and how to shop for a car, I managed to get a incredible deal. In fact, no other dealer in the area could beat (and only one could match) the price that Lynnwood Honda gave me.

I choose the Accord after looking at lots of cars. I eliminated Hybrids, because I feel the technology needs one or two more years before it could be as reliable long term as my old Accord had been.The second reason is I think in 10 years, we probably won’t even have Hybrids cars, since we’ll find some sort of transmission-less car that would be better for the environment.

I wanted to stick with Toyotas or Hondas because of quality and reputation. And I didn’t want a smaller compact (like a Civic or Corolla) because in a few years there will be a “baby on board” so I preferred a larger sedan.

I didn’t want the Camry since it has a funny looking back and it is a few thousand more for some reason. I thought a lot about getting a compact SUV (RAV4 or CRV). I did like those cars a lot. But I ultimately decided that we’ll get one of those “Mommy cars” when we replace Crissy’s car in a few years.

I sold my old car private party right before picking up my new one, so I essentially did a car swap. I was a little sad driving back to work in my new car, but the nice guys who do the valet service at work cheered me up with their ooo-ing and ahh-ing. And when I came to pick up my car, I found it parked with traffic cones around it, so no one could park too close and dent it. :-)

So I’m happy with my new car. I know it’s reliable, has more than enough power for me (166 hp), safe (six airbags, anti-lock brakes, etc.), it looks good, and the price was right.