I would take the Accord for the reasons below.

1. Better gas mileage.

2. The Accord will drive better up the mountain passes, even if you have the 4 cylinder.

3. Front wheel drive vs. rear wheel drive and no 4x4. Front wheel drive is much better in the snow, which you may see at high altitudes at the end of October.

We have a 6 cyl. Accord Coupe and an Xterra. We drive our Accord on long trips with minimal baggage. You just can't beat the Honda's comfort and gas mileage with the Xterra.

But, if you have a lot of gear, take the Xterra. I hate driving the Accord if it's bum is dragging on the asphalt! We're headed to Moab this weekend and will fill the Xterra's back with gear. We took the Honda last year and didn't enjoy our trip as much as we've enjoyed our camping trips this year with the Xterra.

From my experience, the Xterra is more sensitive to higher altitudes than the Accord is. Most of this is probably due to the fact that the Accord has more horsepower and 1500lbs less weight than the Xterra. Still, you probably won't notice the difference as much with a manual transmission as with an automatic.