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2004_Honda_BMW's '04 Accord EX-L back to top

The contributor wishing to call himself 2004_Honda_BMW has a cheeky sense of humor. Take a real close look at those badges...

He's got the last laugh in any case: At repair time, he'll pay a lot less than he would to fix a real BMW!

More info from our correspondent:

"I have been an avid reader (and occasional poster) to rec.autos.driving since 1993.

"My current car is this 2004 Honda Accord EX-L 4-cyl 5-sp auto. As a daily driver, it's my second Honda Accord in two years. My first Honda, a white 2003 Honda Accord LX sedan, was highly modified with most of the trim pieces necessary to convert it to an EX model (except the sunroof and the radio unit). I sold the 2003 LX one year later, then with 14K pampered miles, to upgrade to a new 2004 EX-L solely because of the additional passive restraints (side curtain and seat airbags) not offered in the 2003 LX. Though I sold the 2003 privately for the same price that I had originally paid for the car one year earlier, the Honda dealer made the 2004 Accord purchase even sweeter by then offering to place the 2003 on the new-car paperwork as a trade-in on the 2004!

"For both cars, I have taken meticulous care of the exterior and interior (inside and out), including hand car washes only (automatic ones are DEADLY as far as I am concerned), and polish and wax applied every two months. I service the car according to half of the severe interval specified in the owners manual for peace-of-mind (oil changes every 2.5K rather than 5K miles and tire rotations every 5K miles). The Accord is serviced by the same mechanic every time at my local Honda dealership, but is professionally detailed every few months at the local BMW dealership. My mileage has been meticulously recorded (with odo readings and number of gallons at every fillup), as my average has been 29 mpg (combo city and highway) to a maximum of 36.04 mpg during the warm season for this 4-cylinder (without A/C).

"I am also a motivational speaker who enjoys visiting K-12 schools to share the positive perspectives and the realities of growing up with cerebral palsy. The purpose of these assemblies is to help make students more aware of the capabilities of others, rather than their disabilities, and thus minimize bullying and teasing in schools. There is no better feeling in the world than to make students smile and feel good about themselves! I should know, because I have been delivering assemblies since I was ten years old. To bring this feeling of positivity on the road, I have personally customized my new Honda with a different set of emblems because I noticed that too many drivers around me actually frown when they are driving. I share this transformation with my young audiences, who all run over each other to apparently gush over this car in the parking lot after school. Inside, the speakers have been replaced to improve the sound quality of the radio for my listening pleasure, with 6"
Kenwoods in the front, and 6x9" 3-way Kickers in the rear.

"I think my Accord looks better than the Bangled 7-series! If it makes you smile, as it does a lot of middle and high-school students, then I've certainly reached my goal."