My Accord is a brand new X-reg 2000 model. I collected it with delivery mileage and have covered a shade under 2000 miles in the month that I've had it. So much for my plans for keeping it low mileage!

Reliability and qualityOn the whole I'd agree with what you say about the car's high quality, although I've got a rattle coming from the driver's door which the dealer can't seem to fix, and the interior dash illumination blew after two weeks, which the dealer has now repaired.

ImageA low-key image is what I like - I didn't want the image of, say, a BMW (snob's motor) or a Ford (Dagenham dustbin). I've had the badges removed by the dealer too.

PerformanceAs you say, it has reasonable performance. It's definitely a whole lot quicker than my previous Vauxhall Omega. The low-down power is fine for cruising or taking it steady in town, but if you want real power, you've got to get the engine spinning at over 4000 rpm. This is most obvious if you need to make a quick move, say to overtake a slow truck on an A-road - your foot has to be right to the carpet.I agree that the gap between third and top gear in the automatic transmission is a pain. It's best avoided by planning ahead or, as I do, just spinning the engine up.On the plus side, at the top end of the rev range, the engine emits a nice refined growl, albeit muted by all the soundproofing.

Safety and securityThe brakes don't inspire me with masses of confidence. There's a lot of travel in the pedal and it doesn't feel as sharp or reassuring as either my Omega's or even my Rover 800's. The brakes do work, but I'm waiting to see if they get any better, or if I just get used to them.

Running costsI haven't checked the figures yet, but I find it worrying that a full tank of super unleaded at almost £50 yielded only around 250 miles - and that was with me taking it steady and doing my best to stay below 4000 rpm. I'm trying again with the climate control set to 'air-con off', although I wouldn't expect it to be using air-con in this cold weather.

ComfortThe sat-nav does its job - it's simple and it works. My gripe is with the dealer as the CD-player provided with the car is dated 1998 and does not have some of the functionality described in the owners' manual.

Fun to driveYou advise buyers to avoid the 'SSS' automatic, but I have no choice but to drive an auto, as I have a disability in my arm after a road traffic accident a couple of years ago. I have found this to be by far the quickest and most responsive auto I've ever driven. The change up is quick and generally well timed (with the exception of that big gap from third to fourth) and the engine is allowed to rev cleanly to the red line with very little clutch slipping.And of course, if you drive in London, you don't really need a manual as you'll be lucky to use any gear other than first or second during the almost day-long rush-hour.

StereoThe standard stereo was OK, but not fantastic. It went straight into the bin to be replaced by a decent Sony system. I hadn't planned on keeping the standard system anyway.