My friend once joked that pulling into my driveway was like pulling into a Honda dealership. Between the four drivers that lived there, we had four Hondas — three Accords and one Civic. (We also had a Chrysler Voyager, but it was soon replaced by a Honda Odyssey.) One of the Accords was an ’87, and had just recently begun having problems. It had over 170,000 miles on it. One was a 2001, just bought, and ran like a beauty. The third Accord was mine, a ’96, and at four years old, had just over 92,000 miles on it. For all the problems it had, it could have been driven off the lot yesterday. The most expensive repair I had to have done to it at the time was when it when in for the 90,000 mile check-up; the timing belt and water pump were replaced, as were the rear brakes. It cost about a thousand dollars. Other than a couple of dents and dings (caused by me) the car ran great from then on, until it hit close to 200,000 miles. About that time, the radiator went up, the starter gave out, and one of the window switches died. You won’t find a more reliable car than a Honda. They come with warranties (if you buy them new) but you’ll rarely need them. Hondas consistently run well, which is why Honda had the highest customer retention in 2008, according to AutoSpies.com. The 1996 Honda Accord might not be the sportiest car, but it isn’t exactly a station wagon. The Accord comes equipped with a four-cylinder engine, but if you opt for the EX model, you can upgrade to a V6 for a little extra dough. And if you want to make it sportier, there’s plenty you can do to it — add a spoiler, tint the windows, paint it, etc. If you’re in the market for a used car, the Accord is an especially good buy — with most used cars, it’s hard to know exactly how well the previous owner(s) maintained them, and you can run into some problems very quickly. An Accord is much more reliable than most other cars, so its previous history may not even be an issue. Unless it was used in the Indy 500 regularly, chances are it’s gonna hold up for a while. Driving around today, I still see quite a few ’96 Accords on the road. Honda builds their cars to last, and the Accord is a great testament to that ideal. Category:Home › Home • Will higher gasoline prices mean lower sales for new cars? — part 2 • Will higher gasoline prices mean lower sales for new cars? — part 1 • Should the crew of the Sea Shepherd board whaling ships? • Which makes a better pet: A dog or a cat? — part 13 • Grandparents: Can blogging chronicle your genealogy? • Which makes a better pet: A dog or a cat? — part 12 • Are teachers unions the cause of public school problems today? • Which makes a better pet: A dog or a cat? — part 11