Which to Buy: Honda Accord vs Toyota Camry

Car shoppers looking for a used mid-size sedan may want to consider the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. These four-door sedans have been in production for quite some time now, and they’ve got well-known reputations as solid vehicles for point A to point B transportation. Let’s take a look at their similarities, and their differences.

Fuel economy

The Honda Accord and Toyota Camry base models both feature a four-cylinder engine and an automatic transmission. The Honda's 2.4-liter engine, which is backed by a continuously variable transmission (CVT), gets 27 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway. This is a bit better than the Camry's 2.5-liter engine, which is backed by a six-speed automatic transmission. The Camry gets 24 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway. Both the Camry and the Accord are also available as hybrids. The Accord hybrid offers 48 mpg (city/highway combined) while the Camry hybrid gets 40 mpg (combined, city/highway).

Interior features

Both vehicles’ base models feature cloth seats. The Camry has an eight-way powered driver’s seat, which includes power lumbar and height adjust. The Accord has manual adjustable seats with height adjust. Both models feature front one-touch power windows, heated door mirror, and remote keyless power door locks.

The Camry features an overhead console with storage; and both models feature cruise control, a rear view camera, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, and cup holders. The Honda features dual illuminating vanity mirrors and climate control. The Toyota's vanity mirrors are not illuminated, and while it does not feature climate control, it does have air conditioning that can be controlled manually.

Both the Accord and the Camry feature rear door child safety locks, child seat anchors, three rear headrests, and two front headrests. The rear headrests are fixed on the Toyota and adjustable on the Honda.

Passenger space

As mid-size sedans go, both are roomy inside. The Accord beats the Camry in front headroom space by a mere .3 inch, but the Camry has 38 inches of rear headroom (.5 inch more than the Accord). If you're of average height but care more about how much space you have across the vehicle, the Honda has a little over an inch more hip room and just over a half-inch more shoulder room in the front seat. The rear is comparable, with less than a half-inch difference in shoulder and hip room.

Entertainment features

Both models feature an AM/FM stereo, auxiliary input, external media control, and a USB connection. The Camry has six speakers to the Accord's four; the Camry also features speed-sensitive volume control.

Other features

Both vehicles have tire pressure monitoring, stability control and traction control, four-wheel ABS brakes, and ventilated front disc rotors. And, both vehicles feature an engine immobilizer.

Airbags in both cars include front and rear head airbags, dual front side-mounted airbags, and a passenger airbag occupant-sensing deactivation system. The Camry also features dual rear side-mounted airbags. Lighting for both models includes headlights that turn off automatically, daytime running lights, and dusk-sensing headlights.

For many, the winning vehicle comes down to style, previous experience with the manufacturer, or a test drive. Recent model years, especially in higher trim levels, have additional features that could make one vehicle more appealing than another. The 2015 Honda Accord was named the mid-size “Best-Buy” by KBB. For those swayed by USA-made products, the Camry was recently named the most American-Made car (more than 75 percent of Camry manufacturing happens here in the United States). CarMax customers love their Accords and Camrys—both are two of the most popularly-searched vehicles on our website.