2021 Honda Accord vs. 2021 Toyota Camry

2021 Toyota Camry XLE ・ Photo by Toyota

Comparing the 2021 Honda Accord and the 2021 Toyota Camry is a battle between classic titans of the American car market. For decades these two models took their place high on the list of the top 10 best-sellers. And even now, despite the fact that trucks, crossovers, and SUVs have enjoyed increasing popularity, they remain among the top selling vehicles in the country. Both are midsize five-passenger sedans, which used to be called “family cars.” Now many families are opting for crossovers instead, but there is still a great deal to like about the ride comfort and handling of a well-engineered sedan. And their lockable trunk provides out-of-sight cargo-carrying ability that the typical crossover lacks. For those who want great looks and a fun-to-drive vibe that many crossovers don't have, the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry are great options.

Exterior Design

If you haven’t paid attention to midsize four-door sedans in the past few years, one thing that might surprise you is how large they are. Both the Accord and Camry are nearly 195 inches long and they ride on wheelbases that are within millimeters of each other at around 111 inches. Combined with their front-drive unibody platforms and transverse engines, this means both cars have cavernous interiors. Both offer plenty of space for five passengers with two up front in buckets seats and three in a rear bench seat. Both vehicles offer attractive exterior styling that makes some bows to sportiness. In fact, both the Accord and the Camry have recently introduced trims that emphasize performance. In terms of overall size, the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry are almost identical. 

: Tie

Photo by Honda

Interior Style

Back in the day, both the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry had interiors that were more functional than attractive. But these days, design teams for both vehicles have abandoned using hospital waiting rooms as their inspiration and have equipped the sedans with attractive interiors. Now you can take interior comfort about as far as you want — heated and ventilated seats, leather upholstery, wood inlays — these cars have versions that go that direction. Of course, not every buyer will opt for the more expensive trims levels. Even with more basic levels of equipment, both Accord and Camry offer good-looking and very functional interiors. You might describe the Honda’s interior as more straightforward than the Toyota’s, which is a bit more expressive. Occupants will find both extremely comfortable and accommodating.

: Toyota Camry

Photo by Toyota

Infotainment & Technology

In the past, both Toyota and Honda have drawn criticism for their infotainment systems, but those issues are largely in the past. The 2021 Toyota Camry’s standard infotainment system has a 7-inch touchscreen with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Amazon Alexa compatibility. Higher grades are fitted with a 9-inch touchscreen. The top-of-the-line infotainment system has the 9-inch screen, integral navigation, and nine JBL speakers including a subwoofer and amplifier.  The Accord offers an 8-inch touchscreen display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto across the entire lineup. Sport and Sport Special Edition trims have a 180-watt audio system with eight speakers. Top-of-the-line audio in the Accord is a 450-watt system with 10 speakers including a subwoofer. Despite their improvements, though, other midsize sedans have easier-to-use systems the either the Camry or Accord. A clear advantage for the Accord is standard wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay starting with the EX-L trim and up.

: Honda Accord

Photo by Honda

Powertrains

To this point, it almost sounds as if we are describing one car, not two; however, the vehicles deviate when it comes to powertrains. The Camry takes the more traditional route with a naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engine and a V6 as the upgrade. The Accord features two turbocharged 4-cylinder engines. Both the Camry and Accord offer hybrid powertrains as well. Four Accord trims are powered by a 1.5-liter 192-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. The uplevel trims have a 2.0-liter 252-horsepower 4-cylinder. It is backed by a conventional 10-speed automatic transmission; the 1.5-liter has a continuously variable automatic transmission. A 2.5-liter naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engine is used across a wide variety of Camry trims, offering anywhere from 203 horsepower to 206 horsepower depending upon the application. A 301-horsepower 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6 is offered in uplevel trims. Both engines use an 8-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel-drive is available with the 4-cylinder engine. As we mentioned, both Camry and Accord have hybrid-powered models as well.

: Toyota Camry

Photo by Toyota

Driving Impressions

With the variety of engines and configurations available, the driving demeanors of the Accord and Camry are all over the board. Some of the variations are engine-dependent. Then there are the Accord Sport 2.0T and Camry TRD, which are the performance-oriented variants. In general, both Accord and Camry provide good driving experiences with ample power and acceleration. In most trims, the Accord has a firmer suspension feel that is “sportier” than the Camry. The Camry TRD has a significant horsepower advantage over the Accord 2.0T. The TRD is also tuned as a performance car rather than a mundane sedan with an appearance kit. Toyota’s Dynamic Torque Control all-wheel-drive system is available as a standalone option for the 4-cylinder LE, XLE, SE, SE Nightshade, and XSE grades. It not only offers more security in inclement weather but also improves dry-pavement handling.

: Toyota Camry

Photo by Toyota

Safety & Driver Aids

For the 2021 model year, the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry both offer robust arrays of electronic safety equipment and driver’s aids. The Camry is one of the first Toyota models to be equipped with TSS 2.5+. It includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, full-speed adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane departure alert, and lane-keeping assist. It also has automatic high-beam headlights, rear seat reminder, and road sign assist. Beyond TSS 2.5+ the Camry has blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic warning.

The standard Honda Sensing suite of safety aids includes Collision Mitigation Braking System, Road Departure Mitigation System, forward collision warning, and lane departure warning. Additional Honda Sensing features standard across all trims include lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, and automatic high-beam headlights. Rear seat reminder, blind-spot monitor, and rear cross-traffic alert are standard on Sports Special Edition trims and higher. 

: Toyota Camry

Photo by Toyota

Interior and Trunk Space

While midsize sedans are not as versatile as midsize crossovers, they will tote five people and a lot of stuff. The Camry and Accord both offer very pleasant accommodations for driver and front-seat passenger, and three adults can be very comfortable in the wide rear bench seats in both sedans. The Accord offers 105.6 cubic feet of passenger volume and has a 16.7 cubic foot trunk. The Camry has 100.4 cubic feet of passenger space and a 15.1 cubic foot trunk. The Camry has a 60/40 split fold-down rear seat with a center armrest that includes cup holders. All but the lowest-priced Accord trim have a similar arrangement.

: Honda Accord

Photo by Honda

Trim Levels

The Toyota Camry and Honda Accord are high-volume models that offer a variety of trims and options. The Accord lineup has six conventional configurations – LX, Sport, Sports Special Edition, EX-L, Sport 2.0T, and Touring 2.0T. The Accord hybrids are available in four trims: Hybrid, Hybrid EX, Hybrid EX-L, and Hybrid Touring. The conventionally-powered Camry is available in 13 different trim configurations. There are three V-6 grades – XLE, XSE, and TRD; five 4-cylinder FWD grades – LE, XLE, SE, SE Nightshade, and XSE; and five 4-cylinder AWD grades – LE, XLE, SE, SE Nightshade, and XSE. Then there are the four Camry hybrid trims —LE, XLE, SE, and XSE. Obviously, there are plenty of choices, but with all-wheel drive widely available, the Camry has the edge.

: Toyota Camry

Photo by Toyota

Pricing & Value

Both the 2021 Toyota Camry and Honda Accord offer bargain models that deliver good driving dynamics, excellent fuel economy, and nice features for well less than $30,000. From there the prices inch upward across a staggering number of trims. The least expensive Accord trim, the LX, has a suggested starting retail price of $25,985 (with the destination fee). The top-of-the-line Accord Touring has an MSRP of $37,915 (with the destination fee). The top hybrid is about $500 cheaper. The least expensive Camry trim, the LE, has a suggested starting retail price of $26,040 (with the destination charge). The top-of-the-heap Camry XSE V6 has an MSRP of $36,615. The most expensive hybrid has a $33,715 MSRP. As you can see, the pricing is very similar, but in “suggested retail” terms the Camry very often has a value edge. And that edge is particularly pronounced in the hybrid models.

: Toyota Camry

Photo by Toyota

The Winner

The competition between the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry has been fierce for decades and it shows no sign of easing up. If you are looking for a bread-and-butter family sedan in the $30,000 to $35,000 range, you really can’t go wrong with either one. Neither the Accord nor the Camry would be a top choice as a sports-oriented midsize sedan, but both have come a long way in that regard and we expect more efforts along those lines. In picking a winner here, we looked at the depth and breadth of both lineups. Both Accord and Camry are very strong, but with all-wheel drive and V6 models, the Camry offers more appealing options. Because of that, our winner is the Toyota Camry.

: Toyota Camry

Photo by Toyota