These two Japanese titans have been going at it for years and with every new car, the rivalry gets deeper and deeper. This time it is all about their best selling models from the mid-size sedan category – the Accord and Camry. After a lot of hype about the SUV and small SUV segment, the two biggest Japanese companies still think that there are lots more people that will try and get their hands on one of their best-selling sedans.
The both 2018 models are gorgeous and they come heavily updated and that means the price has gone up slightly as well. Do not worry there is a lot of good things that will mitigate the price increase such as the promise additional power and fuel economy, new safety and convenience features which were not previously offered with either, and more. To offer you a slightly easier way of deciding if you are thinking about buying either one of these, we decided to put them head to head and give you the general comparison. Here it goes…
As they say, Safety first:
As far as safety is considered, both of these cars come with a lot of tech gizmos. Some of them are standard like electronic safety equipment, including adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and lane departure warning with lane keep assist, while some are option like Honda’s Road Departure Warning and Mitigation system as well as some higher trim options like blind spot warning and cross-traffic alert along with traffic sign recognition (in Honda). Both cars include a standard backup camera which will, if you do not know, be required on all new vehicles starting from May 2018. There is something a bit more interesting in the Camry though and it is the fact that all trims include 10 airbags and a one-year subscription to Toyota Safety Connect, with emergency crash notification, roadside assistance, remote locking and unlocking, and a stolen vehicle locator. Honda tried to copy that and there is a similar capability for the accord but its name is HondaLink.
Size
Both of these redesigned vehicles are very close to the models they replace, at least in size. The overall size they both have, as it was reported is around 192.1 inches, with a slight increase in wheelbase over at Honda, where the new Accord now has 2 inches more than its predecessor – 111.4 inches and the biggest benefit of that is visible in the rear part of the car. The Camry isn’t far behind with its 111.2-inch wheelbase. The width is another story to tell. Accord is a little wider than the Camry with its 73.2 inches VS Camry’s 72.4. Both vehicles have been lowered though in order to increase the aerodynamic efficiency and reduce fuel consumptions. The lower body of the cars though doesn’t mean that they lost space inside, just the opposite. The space inside is firm with Camry’s 38.3 and 38.0 inches of headroom front and rear, respectively, compared with the Accord’s 39.5 inches (for 1.5 L models; it’s 37.5 inches in 2.0 L trims) and 37.3 inches (37.2 inches in 2.0 L). Legroom hasn’t suffered as well – in Camry, you will be graced with 42.1/38.0 inches front and rear, while the Accord offers 42.3/40.4 inches.
Engines
When it comes to powertrains Honda is the one that made a lot of changes. They decided to call it quits with their old normally aspirated four and six cylinder units and put their faith in two new smaller turbocharged straight fours that should boost the power and fuel economy. The weaker of these two is the 1.5 L four cylinder with 192 HP that can be attached to either the continuously variable automatic transmission or a six-speed manual. The stronger option is 2.0 L four cylinder produces 252 HP and can be mated to a new 10 speed automatic or a six-speed manual. Honda also prepared a hybrid offer for this vehicle and it is the 2.0 L gasoline-electric hybrid unit attached to a CVT.
Toyota on the other side also claims that they managed to increase the fuel efficiency with two new Camry powertrains – the 2.5 L 206 HP four cylinder unit with VVT and God knows what other spells that help it get an EPA rating of 34 MPG combined. The other option is a lot more powerful and it is the 3.5 L V6 that uses new direct-injected and VVT to deliver increased efficiency and as far as 301 HP. What is strange is the fact that Toyota offers both of these engines with only one transmission option – a new eight-speed automatic. Do not think that this Samurai doesn’t have a hybrid ace up its sleeve. Toyota’s Camry also offers a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain that offers 176 HP from the 2.5 L four cylinder and an electric motor paired with a CVT.
The electronics
This is something that Japanese are famous for so do not think that anything will go missing here. Both of the vehicles offer new HUD for 2018 along with wireless phone charging and Wi-Fi on the go, but they both also have updated information displays ahead of the driver and redesigned 8-inch center screens which are now a lot simpler and less distracting to use. In the new Camry, you will find standard Entune 3.0, with streaming audio apps, Bluetooth, voice controls and a three-year subscription to the Scout GPS Link navigation app, while the Honda tried to counter that with company’s Display Audio which pretty much includes similar functionality. All of these electric bits and pieces have been wrapped in a lot more upscale interiors in both vehicles, and now you have soft-touch surfaces and higher-grade materials everywhere.
