im a little biased, but i like the 4th gen accords better than any civic, and they are also the lightest. if youre looking at both being stock, the civic will be faster, but i also care about overall comfort. and as mentioned the accord is a family oriented car, making it a more enjoyable and spacious ride. im more into the fast car rather than the quick car.
and of course, the potential of an accord. how about dropping in a built h22, good hp and killer torque. i prefer a little of everything. if i wanted just a quick car, id drop a b18 in a stripped hatch. but my car's gonna be fast enough for me, and ill still have my a/c