6 Months, 40K Miles with the 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid

Having had this car for some time now, I would like to make a mid-term review about what I have found out about the vehicle.

1. The car is durable. In the time I have had it, it has held up really well considering the brutal, dusty and rough terrain where it is called to serve daily. I live in Western North Dakota, and there is a lot of construction and upgrading of infrastructure going on. The car has consistently served without fail even in -60F weather.

2. The seats are really great! Wearing oilfield work clothes and getting in and out of the car numerous times a day has not ripped the driver's seat. I have no seat cover like some of my co-workers and my car seat if dusted lightly looks like when it was delivered! I have a big plastic trash bag covering the rear seat and my cold weather jacket that I always have in the car anyways because of the treacherous weather here protects the front passenger seat.

3. The car is electronically limited to 114 MPH. At this speed, the vehicle is still steady and tracks straight and true.

4. I rotated the tires at about 25K miles. When I first got the car, I just enjoyed punching the accelerator at lights and from stop signs. The phenomenal acceleration from the electric motor makes you wanna do that instinctively. I guess it is the same rush Tesla Model S Type users get. This may burn out your tires sooner but oh well!

5. Oil changes are every 3K miles or when I look at the oil and it and feel it looks dirty. After an oil change, subtle rough idle and ticks and even vibrations when the car is idling go away. Most people won't notice this but if you're discerning, you'll pick these up. I do my oil changes at Walmart in Minot and Dickinson, ND. I get excellent service and they change the oil with the Synthetic 0W20 that I pick from their shelves and manually hand to them. The on board computer should be used just for guidance. Change your oil when it gets to about 30-40% of life remaining.

6. It was a roll of the dice when I purchased this vehicle New. I wasn't gonna go to the dealer for most service because it seems like once you get in the door the first time, you soon get on first name basis with service writers! On paper, the technology behind this car looks solid so I've never gone to the dealer for service. When I called the Honda dealer I purchased the vehicle from, an impatient phone operator said earliest I could get in for an oil change was about a month and a half away. Thank You! I could do with a Walmart oil change and it has worked fine so far.

7. I have had the windshield hit by so many ping pong ball sized rocks than I care to count. There was once a fist-sized rock thrown from an oncoming semi that dealt a huge blow to my windshield. My dash is still immaculate and there are no rattles or annoying noises when driving on unpaved roads. I will ultimately have the windshield replaced but I shudder to think of someone taking apart some of the dash to fix the windshield and not replacing the parts like factory. I see more Honda Accord on the streets of Minot and Bismarck but not nearly as many as I saw on a recent trip to North Carolina. In Charlotte NC, almost every fourth car was a Honda of various generations. So I am bidding my time and once I feel some of the Autoglass techs might have had some experience with this vehicle type then I'll go in for my windshield replacement.

8. Optimal speed is 60 MPH or less. That is where you get the phenomenal 50+MPG the car is famous for.

9. Paint and finish is very good. By all means have regular car washes. Cars that are not kept clean have dirt adhering so hard to the paint such that the next time they are washed and waxed, the dirt gets sealed in by the wax and after a couple of wash/waxes destroys the final result of subsequent washes. Personally, I shun brushless car washes as they don't really get all the dirt off your car. They are okay if you are in a hurry and just need the car to be presentable.

10. This car sits really close to the ground. Consider it a sports car and you'll be fine. An obstacle that a lowly Toyota Corolla might clear with lots of room to spare could puncture your oil pan in this car. Avoid pulling your nose close to curbs when parking. You might break the lip on the front bumper.

11. I "exercise " my spare key about once every two weeks. While indoors I press the door Open/Close button and watch to make sure the blinkers flash a confirmation. This is just a precautionary measure to make sure my keys/car don't fall out of sync. The working of the security system in this car are a mystery to me so I do my best to avoid having a freak issue which would make me have to go to my local Dealer.

12.Overall, I am very happy with the car and would buy another without a moments' hesitation.

13. Things I would change:
       * Get a car with seat warmers.
       *Get the Navigation package. Garmins are good but having wires everywhere gets old really quick.
       *Get Honda OEM trunk protector and all-weather carpets on day 1.

Bower SFD728C Digital Flash for Canon E-TTL I/II: Unbelievable Performance

First off, let the price of this lens not fool you. It will work perfectly with your Canon DSLR, and produce very decent shots. It also allows those on a budget looking to shoot better pictures to experiment with bouncing.

It features many of the functions that the more expensive Canon Speedlites have, but at a very affordable price. The swivel head that will cover 270 degrees, and can zoom  from 28mm to 85mm. Other advanced features include an infra-red focus assist beam, red eye reduction, and second curtain synchronization.

I added a Speedlite diffuser to mine to dampen some of the harshness that a naked flash would unleash on subjects and the images are super clear! This is a worthy flash, that will not fail you if you handle it with care. It has a pretty fast recycle time, so you can be sure to capture the perfect shot every time.

Definitely worth buying if you are still using the on-camera flash .