2021 Honda Accord Hybrid vs. 2021 Toyota Camry Hybrid

2021 Honda Accord Hybrid Touring ・ Photo by Brady Holt

While fewer people buy mid-size sedans than they used to, the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry are still market stalwarts. Compared with a similarly priced crossover, they generally have more style, superior driving dynamics, more features, fancier interiors, and better gas mileage.

Then there’s the Accord Hybrid and Camry Hybrid. By adding electric motors to these best-selling sedans, these models cost a little more than their gas-only counterparts but get far better gas mileage. When you get space, comfort, and performance, why turn down a chance at nearly 50 mpg as part of the bargain? But the Accord Hybrid and Camry Hybrid have some different strengths that can be appealing for different buyers. And both are updated for the 2021 model year. Based on our tests of these two hybrid sedans, we’ll go over which of them is best in a set of different areas, and which is our top pick overall.

Fuel Economy

When you buy a hybrid, fuel economy is often at the forefront, so let’s get started here. Both the Accord Hybrid and Camry Hybrid are incredibly thrifty given their size and performance, but the Toyota is more efficient both in EPA testing and in our real-world evaluations.

The base Camry Hybrid LE achieves EPA ratings of 51 mpg in the city and 53 mpg on the highway, in contrast with 48 mpg in the city and 48 mpg on the highway for most Accord Hybrid trim levels. The rest of the Camry Hybrid line, including our SE test vehicle, slips to 44 mpg in the city and 47 mpg on the highway. And our Accord Hybrid Touring test vehicle drops to 44 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway. In our hands, the Camry got 44 mpg in a week of mixed driving, compared with 41 mpg in the Accord. We edged both cars well into the 50s while driving at lower speeds, but the Honda in particular returned similar highway mileage to the gas-only Accord on the open freeway. If you’re looking mostly for freeway road trips, you can stick with the gas-only models.

Toyota Camry Hybrid

Photo by Toyota

Pricing and Features

The 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid starts at $26,570, which undercuts the 2021 Toyota Camry’s base price of $27,270. The base Accord has alloy wheels to the Camry’s steel wheels and plastic wheelcovers, but Toyota provides a standard power driver’s seat on the base LE while Honda reserves it for the next-up EX ($30,520).

As you move up to pricier trim levels, the Camry Hybrid continues to cost a little bit more than the comparable Accord Hybrid. You can get both sedans with a wide range of features, everything from heated and ventilated leather seats, to premium sound systems, to head-up displays. But the Honda tends to cost less.

Honda Accord Hybrid

Photo by Brady Holt

Exterior Design

The Accord and Camry hybrids look nearly identical to their respective gas-only models, but there’s a clear distinction between the two sedans. The Accord is designed to look long and low, with a swept-back roofline, slim headlights, and a slim grille.

The Camry is more upright, yet also more rounded. And you can choose between two design themes: a more luxurious grille and rear bumper, in the LE and XLE trim levels, and a sportier design in the SE and the newly introduced XSE. Both models received light styling updates this year, but you’d have to look carefully to notice. You should know at a glance which design approach works better for you, so we won’t choose the winner for you.

Tie

Photo by Toyota

Interior Design

The 2021 Toyota Camry Hybrid is freshly updated this year. Toyota redesigned the dashboard to accommodate a bigger infotainment touchscreen, and it now sticks up a bit above the dash. Base models still have a modest 7-inch screen, but a big 9-inch screen is newly available. Everything is user-friendly, and the Camry’s dashboard gracefully flows down toward the center console to wrap around the gear selector.

The 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid has a symmetrical dashboard, also with an infotainment screen that sticks out above the top of the dash. Its controls are also mostly user-friendly, but its 8-inch screen is more cluttered than the Camry’s with closely packed icons. The big difference, though, is the interior quality. The Camry is well-assembled and appropriate for the price, with nice materials in commonly touched areas, some elegant details, and then some hard, cheap plastics in other spots. The Accord is a cut above, consistently looking and feeling great. Its buttons and knobs feel expensive, too. And its infotainment system now supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wirelessly, without needing to connect your phone to a USB port.

2021 Honda Accord Hybrid

Photo by Brady Holt

Interior Space and Comfort

If you like the feel of a luxury sports sedan, you’ll probably like the Accord Hybrid’s low, firm seats. It also boasts more rear legroom and a bigger trunk than the Camry Hybrid: 16.7 cubic feet versus 15.1 cubic feet.

Still, we’re going to give this category to the Camry. Its seats are a more broadly appealing mix of cushy yet supportive, and they’re higher for easier entry and exit without being awkwardly so. Also, despite being so low, the Accord Hybrid lacks an available passenger-side seat-height adjuster, even as an option. For maximum space or a sportier feel, you could choose the Honda. For everyday comfort that should please anyone, we’re going with the Toyota.

2021 Toyota Camry Hybrid

Photo by Toyota

Acceleration

Honda updated the Accord Hybrid’s powertrain this year, and it’s a marvel. Honda mates a 2.0-liter gasoline four-cylinder engine to an electric motor for a combined output of 212 horsepower and 232 lb-ft of torque, and we’ve never found a more seamless hybrid. The gasoline engine switches on and off without announcing itself, and acceleration is smooth, eager, and even rich-sounding.

The Camry Hybrid feels less special. Its powertrain — 208 horsepower out of a 2.5-liter four-cylinder plus an electric motor — is still quite good, combining respectable acceleration with phenomenal fuel economy. But it’s more evident in the Camry than the Accord when the gasoline engine wakes up and gets to work, and the Toyota doesn’t accelerate as quickly as the Honda. This isn’t a slow or noisy car, but it’s not one that urges you to dig in and have a blast. The Accord Hybrid is, and we loved it.

Honda Accord Hybrid

Photo by Honda

Ride and Handling

The Camry has a reputation of being a dull sedan, but the current generation avoids old models’ infamous floaty suspension. It’s still exceptionally smooth, yet it’s also agreeably agile. The steering is responsive and nicely weighted, and you don’t have to slam the brakes before coming to a curve.

But once again, the Accord is just better. If you don’t care about handling at all, you might not prefer the Honda’s firmer ride, but it’s magnificently composed without being overly stiff — even with our test vehicle’s oversized 19-inch alloy wheels. But this is a cohesively balanced sports sedan, while the Camry Hybrid is merely a pretty good family car. The Accord Hybrid dives into corners with precision and eagerness, all while providing agreeable comfort and quietness.

Honda Accord Hybrid

Photo by Honda

Safety

Both the Camry Hybrid and Accord Hybrid offer exceptional safety. Both earned the top score of five stars in every National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash test, and the highest Top Safety Pick+ designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. They’re also packed with standard safety technology: forward automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and more.

The Camry takes the narrow edge over the Accord by coming with optional rear automatic emergency braking, surround-view parking camera, and cyclist-detection capability for the forward automatic braking. Both sedans have optional blind-spot monitoring with a rear cross-traffic alert; it’s standard on all but the base Accord Hybrid, and it’s standard or optional on all Camry Hybrid models.

Toyota Camry Hybrid

Photo by Toyota

Final Thoughts

The 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid is the rare hybrid that isn’t obviously a hybrid — while still delivering extra-thrifty fuel economy. It’s quick, quiet, agile, and beautifully finished. You can drive it just like any other sports sedan, and it will still give you 40 mpg or more, especially if you spend a lot of time in stop-and-go traffic. And it has enough room to bring the whole family along for the ride.

If you’re looking for a maximally efficient family sedan, the 2021 Toyota Camry Hybrid is cushier than the Accord. It’s thriftier, especially on the highway (though neither car is so special on the highway). It has a few more safety features. And it’s also a nice car to drive, whether you’re cruising in a straight line or even tackling a twisty back road. But we’d gladly sacrifice a few ounces of gasoline for the Honda’s truly magnificent driving experience.

Honda Accord Hybrid

Photo by Brady Holt