It's my understanding that cornering ability is improved by stiffness in the sidewalls (which adds noise) but stopping ability is actually improved by a softer material (which runs quieter) - but that also makes the tires wear a lot faster, and thus, not very desirable to many. I'd gladly sacrifice tire life for a quieter ride. Also, since I live in CA, and I don't drive to Tahoe skiing, I don't need a tread that can handle snow. I could run with the stock tires until they are worn, then look into replacements at that time. I'm surprised to see the '07 Accord EX has 17" wheels, too - that makes it look better but further stiffens the ride.
What I'm looking for is something to drive 100 miles a day, 90% of the time on freeways at 70-80mph in a straight line. I want ultra-high reliability, a great sound system, and a quiet cabin so I can talk hands-free if needed on my cell. I've had accords and acuras since '83, and don't want to change. My current car - 93 Acura Legend LS, owned from new - has served me wonderfully and if I could buy another one, I would. Acura split that original Legend line into the RL and TL (in the US; I know the RL continues to be badged "Legend" elsewhere). The RL now is too complex for me, and too pricey. The TL is what I've been looking at most, but if you don't spring for the Nav option, you get an ugly 'void' in the dash where the nav would go, which to me is a travesty. The Accord non-nav does a much better job of dash arrangement in my opinion.
I hadn't driven an Accord for 14 years and was not considering one, but I happened to be across from a dealer the other day and gave one a quick look. I sat in it, and I felt like I was sitting in my current Legend! The seat, the controls ... I felt at home! So I took it for a drive, and was very impressed overall. In the past 14 years, the Accord is now close to the point where my Legend was then (in terms of comfort, etc - obviously safety, engine power, etc has changed a lot). The only things missing are seat memory (which is VERY useful!!) and passenger power adjustment. My legend is, I believe, quite a bit heavier, and runs on 15" wheels, so handles bumps 'differently'.
I tried an '04 RL but it was too soft; I've tried the new Camry, but it's a little soft and ... the interior is a sea of bright fake wood, shiny dash components, etc (and dealers aren't dealing on the SE, which offers black interior and better handling). I've tried a couple of previous generation BMW 5's (540 and 530) but I could not get comfortable (nor could I get used to red dash lights!) (new 5 series must be the ugliest car on the road, so would not look at those!). The Lexus ES330 is probably what I really need, but I can't get used to it's exterior appearance - headlight and tail-light designs are hideous. Even the Accord front-end leaves a lot to be desired (current generation only), but I could get over that. The TL is by far the best looking of all cars out there at the moment ... if I can bring myself to go well over $30k on the price, that's what I'll get. But the Accord is a steal at ~$26k with Nav.
Or maybe I'll just keep my Legend rolling! I just dropped $3k on it for a new Head Gasket, water pump, rack/pinion, timing belt - it was this rash of issues that got me looking for a new ride in the first place. Now they are all fixed, maybe she'll run another hundred k or so! But I've got that new car bug now ... :)
Rambling, I know - spending close to $30k on something that doesn't appreciate in value is hard for me!
FYI, in case anyone is puzzled by what I'm saying about the TL's non-nav dash, here's a pic I grabbed after a test drive. In the center of the dash, where the Nav goes, you see two dark plastic strips. They have a small amount of info behind them - radio info, climate stuff, etc - but appear largely as two black 'filler' strips to me ... very tacky.
