In late fall of 2018, I bought what I thought was going to be my final vehicle: A brand new 2018 GMC Sierra 1500. I got the extended cab in quicksilver, with the legendary 5.3L V8 and a 4x4 drivetrain. This truck was a statement that said I was successful in my career as an Electrician. It was union built right in my hometown city of Oshawa by friends and neighbours on an assembly line which I and my crew had put in the power distribution system for, so there was a lot of my pride in this truck. I reasonably assumed, based on the large number of mid- to late-90’s V8 GMC trucks that were still on the road today, that I would get at least 20 years out of this truck, which should have lasted me into my retirement, and possibly beyond. To make sure that this would be the case, I had it sprayed by Krown every year, and made sure to stay on top of the maintenance. Then, in the spring of 2025, the unthinkable happened: At around 107,000 kilometers, the engine destroyed itself.

Picking up my new truck in late November 2018 Sally and me picking up my new GMC Sierra in late November 2018

It turned out that this engine had a critical design flaw with the fuel management system. One of the lifters seized and destroyed a cylinder, and the only solution was a new longblock. The ordeal I went through to resolve this problem is a story in itself, which I may write about on another day. But to make a long story short, the dealership wanted $20,000 to replace the entire engine which was just months outside of the extended warranty, so I got GM customer care involved who eventually offered to pay for half of it after I escalated the issue and proved to them my strict adherance to a maintenance schedule, so I ended up getting a brand new engine for around $10,000. But this process took time. Fortunately I had a friend I could rely on to get a ride back and forth to work with during some of this time, so I used this time to think and process everything that was going on and considered what my options were moving forward.

The first sign of trouble My oil level was fine, but this was the first sign of trouble

The first thing that I noticed was the dealership was trying to push me into financing a new truck for seven years, and told me how great the fuel economy and ride was on these new trucks. I replied that my truck, which also got great fuel economy and had a great ride, didn’t even make it to 7 years without a catastrophic engine failure. While I could financially afford a new truck, I didn’t want to see a big chunk of my savings and income going towards a new truck every 6-7 years; that wasn’t part of the plan, as I enjoy the peace of mind of being debt free. Then I did research online and found out that this is a common problem with this truck. I became very frustrated and felt like I was being pushed into a direction in which I didn’t want to go, so I did what I always do whenever I feel this way; I meditated on a solution. My anchor point was the time I spent as a young adult out on my own for the first time, without the influence of television, media, school, or other people. It was just me and my mind trying to figure out this thing called life; when I figured out what was really important to me. It was my 40 days in the desert, and set me on the path that I continue on to this day.

A picture of a 1989 Honda Accord A random picture I found online of an ‘89 Accord that resembles the first one I rode in

I went back the first time I rode in a car that really resonated with me. It was late 1989, and I was starting a new job so I could afford to get a place of my own. A colleague was driving me and two others into Toronto in his brand new Honda Accord. I just met the guy, so I rode in the back seat. I had driven and rode in many other makes and models of cars, but I didn’t know anything about the Honda Accord up until then. I was impressed at how comfortable, roomy, smooth, and quiet the car was. When I asked the driver why he chose this car, he gladly informed me about his reasons; the balance between power and efficiency and reliability, the build quality, the expectation of longevity, the driving feel and connectedness to the road, the spaciousness and luxury. He seemed genuinely happy about his car and his reasons for choosing it over so many other options seemed well thought out, and I found myself in alignment with his reasoning. Less than a year later, I bought my own Honda Accord; a very rusty blue 1981 LX for $100. I fixed it up using a wire brush, a fiberglass body repair kit, and sandpaper with a can of blue touch-up paint to patch up the holes in the body. In spite of its rough condition and high mileage, it drove and handled very smooth and competently. The 1.6L engine didn’t make much more than 76 horsepower, so it wasn’t a fast car, but it wasn’t slow either. It was average for a car of it’s time; just a little quicker getting to 60 than an Olds Cutlass Supreme, just slightly slower than a Volkswagen Jetta, and about the same as a Buick Century Limited. But this didn’t make the car boring; it made the car perfect.

A picture of a 1981 Honda Accord A random picture I found online of an ‘81 Accord that resembles the first one I owned

I remembered that driving my Honda Accord was the most relaxing and invigorating driving experience I had. It was fun to wind up the engine to redline between gears once in a while, to push it in the corners a little faster than I should’ve, and it didn’t mind a bit, though I didn’t need to drive like that; I was just as content to drive it at the speed limit and just enjoy a gentle cruise down a backroad or a highway and enjoy the driving dynamics and road feel. It reminded me that I wasn’t competing with others in traffic; that I became part of the flow of traffic. Some people were faster, some were slower. I didn’t get mad at someone who cut me off; instead, I felt sorry for them that they felt the need to drive that way. It connected me to the road without punishing me. It provided generous room for me and any passengers to stretch out, and plenty of trunk room, with a luxury car ride, but with the handling and economy characteristics of a compact car. It looked great, while not drawing undue attention at the same time. It was both easy to work on and reliable. It had presence on the road while being able to park in tight spots. On paper, it compromised on everything; behind the wheel, it compromised on nothing. Simple yet sophisticated. Modern yet timeless. forgetable yet legendary. Yin and yang. The perfect balance that allowed me to become part of the car; to become part of the flow.

Alas, the truth be told, I couldn’t really afford a car on my minimum wage job; I was a very young man living in a city that had some of my country’s highest insurance rates, and my insurance was crushingly high. I simply could not afford to keep this, or any other car, on the road and pay my rent at my age, so I made myself a promise: I would live without a car for a while, go back to College, improve my skills, and when I got a job that paid a decent wage or salary and could enjoy lower insurance rates, I would buy myself another Honda Accord. A new one without rust that I could take care of.

A picture of me buying my 2024 Honda Accord My son and I picking up my 2024 Honda Accord from the Honda dealership

Of course that didn’t happen, up until now. Life happened. I finished College, got married, started a career, bought a house, and all but forgot all about the Honda Accord. Once I plugged back into the world of endless entertainment and advertising, it was easy to forget things that mattered to me and buy into the ideas other people were selling. Like the idea of buying a pickup truck because I had made it as a financially successful Journeyman. Except in my own reality, the car that really said I was successful in achieving my goals has always been the Honda Accord. That was my standard of success; not someone else’s, not one that was advertised to me. So I bought a 2024 Honda Accord that had 300 kilometers from my local Honda dealer for a really good price and sold the truck. It’s just a little faster to 60 than a comparable Hyundai Sonata, Subaru Legacy, or a Nissan Altima, and just a tad slower to 60 than a Toyota Camry, so it blends well into the flow of modern traffic. It’s a top pick for Kelly Blue Book, Consumer’s Reports, and a top safety pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. It is the perfect balance by my own metrics, so it’s my top pick as well.

A picture of my 2024 Honda Accord The only car I need