2017 Toyota Camry vs. 2017 Honda Accord: Head to Head

Camry vs. Accord: Which Is the Better Midsize Sedan?

You can’t go anywhere on the American road without encountering a Toyota Camry or a Honda Accord. Most likely both, and several times. These are some of the best-selling vehicles in automotive history, with lineages that go back decades, and generations of loyal customers.

Both the Accord and Camry have the same ambition: sensible, versatile commuting. Both are five-passenger, front-wheel drive sedans with efficient four-cylinder engines. Both offer optional hybrid and V6 powertrains, and the latter makes both unique. While most manufacturers in the midsize class have abandoned the V6, both the Accord and Camry are available with V6 engines that make for a significant upgrade of about 90 horsepower over the base models.

Both the Camry and Accord rank highly and have very similar scores, so the choice will inevitably come down to personal priorities. Click through to find out how these two titans compare. 

• Read the 2017 Honda Accord Full Review
• See 2017 Honda Accord Photos
• See Midsize Cars Rankings

Pricing

Winner: 2017 Toyota Camry (Details Below)

The Honda Accord can beat the base price of a Toyota Camry, but only by doing away with some equipment that most buyers will find worthwhile.

The bottom-line price for a Honda Accord is $22,355. That’s less than $1,000 cheaper than the base price for a Camry, but it doesn’t include an automatic transmission or a power driver’s seat. A lot of midsize sedan drivers today no longer know how to drive a stick shift, or don’t want to deal with one in traffic every day. And a power seat can make a big difference in finding a comfortable driving position (especially in the Accord). With those features, the Accord would cost just over $25,000, or nearly $2,000 more than a Camry equipped with an automatic transmission and power driver’s seat.

• Read the 2017 Toyota Camry Full Review
• See 2017 Toyota Camry Photos
• See Midsize Cars Rankings

Safety

Winner: 2017 Honda Accord (Details Below)

Both cars offer some of the latest driver safety aids, such as automatic emergency braking, dynamic cruise control, and backup cameras. Honda offers its LaneWatch passenger-side camera on the Accord, but it does so as a replacement for blind-spot monitoring, which works on both sides of the car.

Toyota offers lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert on the Camry. You have to buy a Camry XSE or XLE with the Technology Package, but at least you can get the full suite of the latest driver assistance technologies. The Accord offers lane keep assist, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and front and rear parking sensors as part of the Honda Sensing system, which you can get on all trim levels for only an additional $1,000.

In regards to safety ratings, the Accord and Camry earned identical scores from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and both received the Top Safety Pick+ designation, the IIHS’ highest honor. They both also received a five-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). However, the Accord outperforms the Camry in the NHTSA Rollover test. The Camry earns four of five stars, whereas the Accord earns a perfect five. It’s a close call, but the Accord edges out the Camry in terms of safety. 

• Read the 2017 Honda Accord Full Review
• See 2017 Honda Accord Photos
• See Midsize Cars Rankings

Interior Comfort

Winner: 2017 Toyota Camry (Details Below)

Technically, the Honda Accord has a little more interior room than the Camry, although reviewers were so impressed with the Camry’s space that they said you might never have a need for a larger car.

Reviewers noted that the Accord’s interior uses more upscale materials on the dashboard, making it feel richer than the large panels of flat plastic in the Camry. That effect is heightened on top trim levels, where Accord buyers can get such luxuries as heated rear seats.

The seats remain comfortable over long trips in both cars and provide plenty of support in corners, though some drivers may have a harder time finding a comfortable position in Accords with manual seat adjusters.

The Camry's emphasis on a smooth ride, its spacious back seats, and its standard power driver's seat give it a slight edge over the Accord, despite the Accord's more upscale design.

• Read the 2017 Toyota Camry Full Review
• See 2017 Toyota Camry Photos
• See Midsize Cars Rankings

Interior Technology

Winner: 2017 Toyota Camry (Details Below)

There are tradeoffs with the technology in both cars. Reviewers loved the dual screens in high-end Honda Accords, which let you see the navigation map and directions in the top screen, while maintaining access to music selections in the lower screen. But they found the lower screen’s menu distracting and harder to use on the road than the physical buttons and knobs in the Camry.

It's worth noting that lower-level Accords have simpler infotainment systems with real, physical control knobs and buttons, but they don’t provide as wide a range of infotainment options as the touch-screen systems.

High-end Accords offer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so you can navigate without paying extra for the integrated navigation system. Those are features the Camry doesn’t offer. However, the Camry's easier-to-use system gives it the edge.

• Read the 2017 Toyota Camry Full Review
• See 2017 Toyota Camry Photos
• See Midsize Cars Rankings

Cargo Space

Winner: 2017 Honda Accord (Details Below)

Trunk space is comparable between the two sedans. Both are large and roomy, though the Accord has more room overall: 15.8 cubic feet versus 15.4 for the Camry. 

• Read the 2017 Honda Accord Full Review
• See 2017 Honda Accord Photos
• See Midsize Cars Rankings

Performance

Winner: 2017 Honda Accord (Details Below)

Not only does the Accord have a little more power on paper (185 horsepower from its base four-cylinder engine versus 178 from the Camry; 278 horsepower from its optional V6 versus 268 from the Camry), reviewers also said it felt faster.

They called the four-cylinder Camry “adequate on the highway,” while they called the Accord’s power “plentiful,” and said it provides decent acceleration from a stop and respectable power for passing.

Part of that distinction may come from the Accord’s continuously variable transmission (CVT), which maximizes the engine’s power. Reviewers called it the best in the business. The Camry uses a more conventional six-speed automatic.

Both cars are available with optional V6 engines. Reviewers found the Camry’s impressive, but felt the $8,300 step up in price was steep. The Accord’s V6 adds nearly $8,500 to the sticker, and reviewers found its attendant six-speed automatic sluggish. 

Reviewers called the Honda Accord’s balance of ride and handling “perfect,” “laid-back,” “comfortable,” and “responsive.” It’s hard to beat perfection, though they also said that buyers looking for driving excitement would be better off with a more overtly sporty midsize sedan, such as the Mazda6.

In typical fashion for a Toyota, reviewers criticized the Camry for feeling dull – always comfortable and secure, but never engaging.

• Read the 2017 Honda Accord Full Review
• See 2017 Honda Accord Photos
• See Midsize Cars Rankings

Fuel Economy

Winner: 2017 Honda Accord (Details Below)

The Accord’s CVT pays big dividends at the gas pump, returning a class-leading 27 mpg in the city and 36 on the highway from the four-cylinder engine. The Camry returns a decent 24 mpg in the city and 33 on the highway, which puts it in the middle among midsize cars.

The V6-powered Accord also gets better mileage than the Camry with the V6, at least on the highway. Both get 21 mpg in the city, but the Accord V6 musters 33 on the highway, versus just 30 from the Camry. 

• Read the 2017 Honda Accord Full Review
• See 2017 Honda Accord Photos
• See Midsize Cars Rankings

Reliability

Winner: 2017 Toyota Camry (Details Below)

The Camry has the best reliability records of any car on the market. J.D. Power rates it at a perfect five out of five, based on surveys of owners who’ve had the car for three years. J.D. Power gave the 2017 Honda Accord a score of four out of five for predicted reliability, which makes it better than most, but just below the Camry. 

• Read the 2017 Toyota Camry Full Review
• See 2017 Toyota Camry Photos
• See Midsize Cars Rankings

The Winner Is …

2017 Toyota Camry (Details Below)

This is a close-fought race between two of the best midsize sedans on the market. The Camry took the prize in reliability, comfort, and pricing, and those are the practical categories that many midsize sedan buyers care about.

The 2017 Accord came out on top in the performance and safety categories, and is the clear favorite if driving excitement is a priority. It also has a larger trunk and gets great gas mileage.

Although the two vehicles may have tied in this head-to-head, the Camry takes the top stop in our rankings. However, both of these vehicles are excellent choices if you’re on the market for a midsize car. You just have to decide what your priorities are and pick the best one for you.

• Read the 2017 Toyota Camry Full Review
• See 2017 Toyota Camry Photos
• See Midsize Cars Rankings

More Shopping Tools From U.S. News & World Report

To learn more about the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, check out their reviews. Then, see how they stack up to the competition by exploring our midsize car rankings. And when it comes time to buy, use our Best Price Program to get the best deal on your new car purchase.