Our Accord was totaled and now I gotta buy a new car.

[TheGreatAbyss]

Maybe I just wasn't used to it, but when i rented a CX-5 I found the "Mazda Knob" more distracting then a touchscreen as you had to watch what you were selecting.

 

[jasonwx]

Maybe I just wasn't used to it, but when i rented a CX-5 I found the "Mazda Knob" more distracting then a touchscreen as you had to watch what you were selecting.

i felt the same when i first used it...imo it is now the best info system out there...very intuitive and you never have to take your eye off the road

 

[Milo Maltbie]

i felt the same when i first used it...imo it is now the best info system out there...very intuitive and you never have to take your eye off the road

I think it's awful but it's still better than a touch screen. My 2000 Miata has the best system. It's all knobs and buttons and I never need to take my eyes off the road more than to just glance at it. In the Mazda3 it's 2 or 3 steps just shut off the outside air when I see a skunk in the road. Also there's no phone connection in my Miata so no one can call me.

mm

 

[Milo Maltbie]

I recommend a 2022 Accord Touring with the 2.0T and 10at. Ktune and throw on some Crossclimate 2's.
Stage 2 tune is netting around 310hp and 360 ft/lbs of torque.

The wrecked car was an Accord EX 2L with the 10s AT. You can't get them anymore. The transmission was the worst thing about that car. First gear was so low that you couldn't launch the car without spinning the wheels unless the road was perfectly clean and dry. It was actually faster to start in second gear, but you had to be in sport mode which is beyond the skill set of The Woman Of My Dreams, and not optimum for snow driving either.
Also there's no way I'm voiding the warranty with a tune for her car when it's already too powerful for her in the first place. I wanted her to get the 1.5 L Accord but she doesn't like to push the pedal too far.

mm

 

[Brownski]

On a related topic, my AWD hybrid Sienna finally came in so I’m driving to PA to pick it up tomorrow. Should my TR go here or in the ICE V EV thread or in the cool cars thread?

Or should I start a new thread?

 

[Adirondack Johnny]

The wrecked car was an Accord EX 2L with the 10s AT. You can't get them anymore. The transmission was the worst thing about that car. First gear was so low that you couldn't launch the car without spinning the wheels unless the road was perfectly clean and dry. It was actually faster to start in second gear, but you had to be in sport mode which is beyond the skill set of The Woman Of My Dreams, and not optimum for snow driving either.
Also there's no way I'm voiding the warranty with a tune for her car when it's already too powerful for her in the first place. I wanted her to get the 1.5 L Accord but she doesn't like to push the pedal too far.

mm

A 2.0 turbo? I guess I misunderstood the demographic here. I'm more of a smiles per gallon kinda guy. The 10at is a half a second quicker to 60 than the manual. Torque is fun. Hope it all works out for you.

 

[JTG]

Torque is fun.

I guess. Frustrating more so, no? Driving my son’s Mazda3, small car with 310 ft lbs of torque, it was like a caged animal yearning to be unleashed. You could FEEL the car wanting to go, but the navigating traffic to pick up pizza kind of driving doesn’t provide much real opportunity to do so. That small sample drive was less than satisfying!

 

[JTG]

Should I have used a smilie Johnny? The Mazda3 has good horsepower and a lot of torque for a small car, but there are a heck of a lot faster cars out there. Point I was trying to make is that most everyday driving, in traffic, doesn’t necessarily let drivers use all the power at their disposal.

 

[Adirondack Johnny]

Should I have used a smilie Johnny? The Mazda3 has good horsepower and a lot of torque for a small car, but there are a heck of a lot faster cars out there. Point I was trying to make is that most everyday driving, in traffic, doesn’t necessarily let drivers use all the power at their disposal.

Bro, we're trying to ball on a budget here. I smirk every time that boost kicks in...woooooosh!

 

[riverc0il]

The new car has to be a sedan with leather seats. Apparently nothing else matters except the color.
If a buy a new Accord, it's a top of the line hybrid. That's $40K+, and a hybrid doesn't make any sense to me for the way we use the car. Also, it comes with 19 inch wheels. You can't find the one with 17 inch wheels, and this car has to be parked on the street at least a few times a month , which was how it got wrecked in the first place.
A Subaru Legacy is a few K cheaper, but 18 inch wheels and a total touch screen dash.

Why doesn't a hybrid make sense? Accord Hybrid covers the biggest fault of most hybrids it has great highway mileage in addition to great city mileage. I drive a Civic. Honda is stupid reliable and low maintenence. Honda's current interior/exterior design is great. They got rid of the stupid screen based HVAC (my '17 has that shit) and put buttons back in their cars.

Legacy's HVAC is kinda half buttons half not. You can at least adjust some stuff without the screen. Though, heated seats are in a screen ('24 Crosstrek still has switches for the seats, which keeps it on my personal short list). Subaru is years behind other manufacturers in modernizing.

How much space do you need? Audi A3 has AWD, good fuel economy, decent power, and under $40k. But space is only so-so (then again, all vehicles are a size bigger than they used to be 10 years ago). That is the car I would get if I wanted a non-hybrid sedan.

If you don't mind the risk of expensive German repairs, Jetta is also a nice choice. I still miss my SportWagen TDI... I really appreciate VW aesthetics. Jetta maxes out around $30k without options, leather with 17" wheels. Not sure about the latest version, but past Jettas have been spacious with massive trunks.

Kia K5 is interesting if on a budget.

Your leather requirement is antagonistic to your smaller wheel size preference. Those upgrades are often combined in upper trim levels.