Reliability
Winner: Toyota (Details Below)
In the most recent J.D. Power & Associates Vehicle Dependability Study, Toyota earned an overall score of five out of five for dependability, while Honda received a score of three out of five. Honda didn’t outscore Toyota in any of the categories measured by the study.
Both brands are covered by a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty and a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty.
Safety
Winner: Honda (Details Below)
Most vehicles in the Honda lineup scored at least a 9.3 safety rating, according to our rankings, with the Civic scoring a perfect 10. The HR-V, a notable exception, scored just an 8.7. Most of the 2017 Toyota vehicles in our rankings scored a 9.3. Just one vehicle, the Prius Prime, earned a 10, and the Sequoia earned the lowest score, 7.7.
Performance
Winner: Honda (Details Below)
In general, Honda vehicles score slightly higher than Toyota vehicles on the performance scale. Most critics say that Hondas offer better acceleration and more agile handling than competing Toyotas.
One example is in the minivan category. The class-leading Honda Odyssey has a performance rating of 9.1, while the Toyota Sienna has a performance score of 8.4. The Odyssey’s overall score is about a half a point higher than the Sienna’s, which helps illustrate that an edge in performance, however subtle, can make a big difference.
Interiors
Winner: Honda (Details Below)
Honda vehicles are known for having thoughtfully-designed interiors with upscale materials (for the price). They stand out above Toyota interiors, which tend to be about average. This is most apparent in the compact and midsize car classes, and it’s one of the reasons Honda’s small cars are considered to be of particularly high quality.
Toyota SUV models step it up a bit in terms of interior design and quality, but the competitors from Honda are still right there with them.
Price
Winner: Honda (Details Below)
Just a year ago, Honda probably would have beaten Toyota handily in this category. However, Toyota has absorbed the models from the defunct entry-level Scion brand for the 2017 model year, and thus, Toyota now has a wider variety of affordable cars. Even though Toyota offers more, it turns out that Honda’s are still better.
The Honda Fit starts at just over $16,000, while the Civic lineup (with the choice of a coupe, sedan, and hatchback) all come in starting under $20,000. The Honda HR-V subcompact crossover also hits this price point, and while the upcoming Toyota C-HR is expected to compete with the HR-V on price, it won’t be available until the 2018 model year. The Toyota Yaris and Yaris iA both start under $16,000, and the Corolla and Corolla iM both come in well under $20,000, but these vehicles offer less flexibility than the competing Hondas.
Small Car Rankings
Winner: Honda (Details Below)
Honda has just two models in the small car rankings — the Civic and the Fit, which come in near the top. Toyota has a lot more models in this class — the Prius, Prius Prime, Prius c, Corolla, Yaris, and the Scion replacements, the Yaris iA and Corolla iM. However, all of the Toyotas fall short to Honda’s small car offerings. If you’re looking for a small car, Toyota offers more choice, but Honda’s offerings are better quality.
Midsize Car Rankings
Winner: Honda (Details Below)
Honda also wins in the midsize car rankings, although this is a much closer contest. The entrants in this class are the Honda Accord and Accord Hybrid, and the Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid. This is a competitive category with a lot of high-quality entrants, and it speaks well of both brands that as of this writing, the Accord, Accord Hybrid, and Camry were tied near the top. The Camry Hybrid, however, lags a fraction of a point behind, due to slightly lower scores in critics’ ratings and interior quality (though, oddly enough, critics seemed to prefer the Camry Hybrid’s performance to the regular Camry). We’re giving Honda the victory, but it’s a very close call.
Compact SUV Rankings
Winner: Honda (Details Below)
The Honda CR-V easily tops the compact SUV rankings thanks in part to its good reliability and favorable reviews from critics. The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and RAV4 models sit a few spots down the rankings, though both versions of the RAV4 are generally considered to be solid choices for a compact SUV.
Subcompact SUV Rankings
Winner: Honda (Details Below)
In the subcompact SUV class, Honda again takes the top spot with the HR-V. Toyota does not currently have an entry in this class, but the upcoming 2018 C-HR might cause some shifts in next year’s rankings.
Midsize SUV Rankings
Winner: Toyota (Details Below)
The popular Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid both outrank the Honda Pilot, although all three fare well overall in this very competitive segment. The two Highlander models have higher reliability scores than the Pilot, which gives them the edge. The Toyota 4Runner ranks near the bottom of this family-oriented category, although it’s worth noting that the 4Runner is one of the few truck-based SUVs left in this class, and still has niche appeal to off-road enthusiasts.
Minivan Rankings
Winner: Honda (Details Below)
The Honda Odyssey currently sits at the top of our minivan rankings, thanks to its affordable entry-level price, useful array of family-friendly features, and strong performance. The Toyota Sienna is still a good van, though. The Sienna used to be right on the tail of the Odyssey, but it’s recently been relegated to mid-pack thanks to the arrival of the new Chrysler Pacifica and Pacifica Hybrid.
Hybrid Rankings
Winner: Toyota (Details Below)
Toyota wins the hybrid category in terms of variety and quality. In our hybrid and electric car rankings, we have the Honda Accord Hybrid and Toyota Prius, which are currently tied near the top. The Toyota Avalon Hybrid, Camry Hybrid, Prius Prime, and Prius v are scattered throughout the rankings, while the Toyota Prius c sits near the bottom.
Toyota’s hybrid SUV offerings, the Highlander Hybrid and RAV4 Hybrid, fare well in the rankings and have no competition from Honda.
And the Winner Is …
Honda (Details Below)
Though Toyota makes for strong competition, Honda vehicles outperform Toyota’s in almost every category and by almost every metric. Clearly, Toyota’s cars and SUVs are good, particularly the hybrid models, but Honda’s are more well-rounded, even in categories in which they offers fewer choices.
More Shopping Tools From U.S. News & World Report
If you’re looking to get a great deal on a Toyota or Honda vehicle, head over to our Toyota deals and Honda deals pages. There, we’ve collected all the best deals both manufacturers are currently offering.
If you’re looking to buy, be sure to use the U.S. News Best Price Program, which helps save shoppers an average of $3,279 off their new car purchase.
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Which Japanese Automaker Is Better?
Shoppers looking for an affordable and reliable new vehicle have probably considered Toyota and Honda at some point or another. These Japanese brands offer vehicles that are very competitive with each other — and with the rest of the market — in terms of pricing, safety, reliability, and other objective factors. Both brands also have rather loyal followings. However, as is so often the case when it comes to new cars, statistics don’t tell the whole story. There are subjective factors at work, as well.
What are the differences between Honda and Toyota? At first glance, they’re pretty similar. Toyota and Honda compete in high-volume classes, with a focus on compact and midsize commuter cars and family-friendly SUVs of all sizes. If there’s a distinction between the two brands’ approaches, it’s that Toyota focuses on broad appeal, while Honda maintains an edge in terms of sporty styling and performance. If you’re cross-shopping these two brands in 2017, here’s what you should look for.