Welcome to the boards . I'm sorta new here too as I just purchased my 04 Accord EX-L 5MT less than 2 weeks ago.
Your situation sounds a bit like mine (to a bit more extreme). I too had a dream rocketship that I couldn't, or just didn't want to afford. It was a 2005 Subaru Legacy GT Limited sedan (MSRP $30,000 new). I took a bit more of a loss selling in 2006 to buy a cheaper car. I ended up with an incredible deal on an 06 used Miata, which I sold 3 months later for more than I paid. Since then, I drove around in my old nissan beater and realized that a top notch car isn't everything. They all still get you from point A to B. After gas/insurance/loan payment, I'll say the new to me accord costs maybe slightly more than half of what I had into my Subaru.
Enjoy your new ride, and the savings that comes with it.
. I'm sorta new here too as I just purchased my 04 
