I bought my 1996 Accord in late 98. It has been, quite frankly, the best car I have ever owned.

Maintenance is minimal. Though I have yet to push my Accord to the maufacturer's allowed 7500 miles per oil change, I have not had to spend any money on this car. It now has 92,000 miles. (I drive a lot.)

It is extremely comfortable. The interior is clean, intelligently designed, and attractive. The controls just seem to naturally fall into my hands. The cloth upholstery is durable- I'm a big guy, and the driver's seat shows no wear. Everything is functioning well, and shows almost no signs of stopping. A beefier stereo would be nice, but I understand that is the case on the EX. (I have an LX)

It rides very well. The base quality of the ride is not as velvety smooth as say, a big Buick, but the overall dampening of harsh bumps is actually better than my father's Park Avenue Ultra. This car handles far better than any of its "competition". By comparison, the American Models: Ford Taurus, Chrysler Cirrus, and Buick Regal, are all floaty. (They also all seem slower with the exception of the Blisteringly fast Buick Regal GS.) The Japanese competition of the Mazda 626 and the Toyota Camry was less clear. The Camry rode better, but handled worse, and the Mazda just isn't half the car the Honda is.

My only gripe about this car: highway noise is higher than most of it's competition. However, new Michelins reduced that significantly for me.

On the whole, I would recommend my 1996 Accord to anyone who wants a good car. I intend to drive it until the wheels fall off!