Hi Jason:

___I have not seen the commercials myself as I do not watch that much TV but I have read of many that have seen the commercials and most view it (them?) positively.

___Enough of that … I am not a fan of the AH (Accord Hybrid) for any reason other then it has some new technology I really haven’t seen before in a high volume mass-produced automobile. That is the VCM (variable cylinder management), AM (active mounts), and ANC (active noise cancellation). VCM that works vs. GM’s mess from years gone by is what I should really say.

___Honda Accord sales are on pace to fall ~ 5 to 7% for the 04 MY vs. 03 and are suspected to fall another 5% in the 05 MY. I have the feeling Honda is going to use the AH to lure prospective purchasers in so that they (Honda) might sell std. Accord’s by the boatload instead. Makes sense imho. Most dealers are only going to be allotted 1 AH for the first few months so you can imagine the capital Honda is receiving with the AH as its flagship.

___My rants aginst the ULEV-II rated AH include just an increase of 5 city/3 highway over and above the available 4-cylinder PZEV based EX-L w/ NAVI according to the EPA. With the AH, you lose fold down seats, sunroof, and have to pay on the order of $8 - $10,000 more for it over an above the I4 based EX-L w/ NAVI that is far cleaner (PZEV format only) and may receive higher FE in the real world. See Honda Accord Hybrid for my real world test drive FE of an 04 – I4 Honda Accord EX-L w/ NAVI …

___The 05 AH w/ NAVI is suspected to cost in the neighborhood of $32K MSRP vs. a new 04 I4 - EX-L w/ NAVI which can be picked up for ~ $22,500 or the 05 for ~ $23,800. Is that 2 seconds to 60 worth that kind of premium given the loss of amenities and higher emissions?

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net