These Two Iconic Cars Duke It Out
All of the business publications are saying the same old thing: Sedans are a thing of the past and crossovers are the new black. Even Ford announced that it would no longer produce cars and instead focus on crossovers, trucks, and SUVs in America, but I think they're all grossly exaggerating for two reasons. One; the Toyota Camry was Toyota's best selling vehicle last year despite producing some of the world's best SUVs and trucks. Two; sedans still offer some things that crossovers don't, like better performance, better handling, better efficiency, and better looks, and the two behemoths of the segment – the Camry and the Accord – prove that. The only question remains: Which one is better?
To find out, let's take a closer look.
Upon first glance at the exterior, it's clear that the Accord has gone through more of a transformation than the Camry, and it warrants a second look. The Camry, while not bad looking, doesn't evoke that same double take but you know instantly that it's a Camry. There's just nothing that catches the eye – good or bad – about it, and for some reason, that's exactly what some people are looking for. I guess that's how Olive Garden stays in business. But for the more aesthetically concerned, the Honda nudges ahead.
That's true for the interior, too, and these vehicles possess starkly different personalities on the inside. The Camry, while conservative on the outside is somewhat avant-garde on the inside, with some trims sporting different color leather trim. It's oddly shaped infotainment center does what you want it to, except add to the feng shui of the space, and the Camry's seats offer little support despite being able to adjust the lumbar. The Accord, on the other hand, feels much more premium – almost German even – as its design, use of materials like brushed metal trim, and overall feel punches way above its weight. The only drawback is that the Accord features cloth seats in its middle-of-the-road trim, but they're preferred over the Camry, and in leather, it's no comparison. In my opinion, the Accord is a much nicer place to be.
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Then there's the tech. Both are stuffed full of it, and both offer Apple CarPlay and Andriod Auto. As far as safety goes, both offer sophisticated collision warning systems, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, and backup cameras. In fact, unlike any Accord, the Camry offers a 360-degree camera in its highest trim but the Accord makes up for it by offering ventilated seats also in its EX-L trim.
Now let's talk about the good stuff: handling and performance. The Accord comes standard with the direct-injected 1.5L turbo-four producing 192 horsepower and 192 ft-lb of torque and the Camry sports a dual-injected 2.5L inline-four producing 203 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. If you're reading this, though, you're probably in Colorado and we all know what altitude does to non-turbo cars so it's no question that the Accord would win a drag race. At sea-level, they're dead even.
When it comes to handling, the Accord is limited by its tires, but clearly responds better to driver input. There's also less body roll, and the steering – although, it feels heavier – is more precise than the Camry, adding to the Accord's truly sophisticated feel. Now all this isn't to say that the Camry isn't a good car, or even a great car, it's just that the Accord is an excellent car.
Our recommendation for snagging one? Skip the theatre of the big city dealers and head up to Tyrell Honda in Cheyenne.
What are your thoughts? Do you own either? If so, let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
