The spare fits in the well under the trunk floor - the mounting bolt is already there, and a mini spare is standard equipment in Canada. In the US, the well is filled by a large styrofoam form with two small storage cubby holes, the jack, lug wrench, a 12 volt air compressor and a can of sealant. I recollect that this is the system used already for many years on the Acura NSX.

I lurked around Prius 2G, priusonline, etc. for quite a while, and knew about this site. I was strongly considering a Prius, but the trunk was too small (even though it nominally has more cubic ft. than the Accord.)

I did not want the navigation option - I already have a PocketPC GPS/Navigation system and couldn't justify the additional $2K on top of the already significant delta for the Accord Hybrid over the Accord EX.

Autostop and VCM do not work until the engine has warmed up a bit - we had a couple days below 40 degrees, but the car is in the garage and therefore starts out at about 55 degrees and is warm after a couple hundred feet.

VCM questions - I haven't fully investigated, but VCM kicks in at 20 miles per hour under light acceleration and it is possible to accelate to highway speeds with the VCM indicator on (not recommended in Texas due to strong possibility of being rear-ended by a pickup or SUV) The Assist normally kicks in around transmission shifts and just before entering VCM. We are in the flatland , so cannot comment on hill climbing ability but the Assist does come on in cruise control at highway speeds for slight grades. VCM certainly works at 70 - no data at higher speeds.

Re motor oils, lets just say that I have some experience in the area, having run a research laboratory developing lubricants. I would agree Mobil 1 is a fine product, but since Mobil was a competitor for 30 years, you might understand my reluctance to use their products.

Extex