[Fat Charlie]

Paying more just because it's a Honda... That's why I bought it new. A year or two old used was only about $3k less than brand new. When I sell mine, well, it weighs so little it won't even be worth much as scrap!

Can't for the life of me remember why, but I was glad to get a 2nd gen over a 1st and thrilled to grab one of the last new 2nd gens available, to avoid getting stuck with a 3rd. It was over 5 years ago, and I don't remember or care about the differences between them now. I just still love my 2nd gen.

Manuals... I've always seen the low gearing as being for perceived sportiness or peppiness, not BSFC. My best top gear mpg happens at 45 mph, hardly something a factory would target. But as much as I complain about the aero and low gearing, when I'm driving on the highway for time it still gets around 36 mpg. I'm talking about keeping it below 90 when the road allows, and only hypermiling (as such) when in traffic.