Between 1985 and 2008 I had three petrol Honda Accords and covered over 500,000 trouble-free miles. Excellent. In 2008, aged 70, I decided to downsize to a Civic ES I-VTEC S-A 1800cc but after only three years and 50,000 miles my wife and I long to change. We don't like the unpredictability of the automatic gearbox at low speeds or from start, forward or reverse, we never know when it is going shoot forwards (or backwards), nor do we like the hard ride for back seat passengers. Should we change manufacturer or wait for the new 2012 Civic? We now drive narrow Cornish lanes and steep hills and twice a month do a 400-mile round trip on A30/M5. Automatic is essential. We like larger engines for safety but drive economically.