The Never Ending Debate: 2010 Honda Accord Vs. 2010 Toyota Camry

It seems like it is the same every year. The Honda Accord inches closer and closer to unseating the Toyota Camry atop the best-selling car lists and most years it fails. Why can't the clever minds at Honda figure out a way to sell more copies of its vastly superior and far more interesting Accord? Perhaps you need some convincing as to why an Accord is better than a Camry? You know, besides from the fact that it isn't utterly and totally soul-less.

The Accord Has a Nicer Interior: The level of build quality found in the interior of even the most basic Accord is very much the same as you find in a much more expensive Acura. Honda seems to be of the mindset that every control in every car it makes should move with the same precision and quality. Can anyone really say that the controls in a Camry move with the buttery smoothness of a Lexus? Of course you can't because they don't. The Camry feels built to a price whereas the Accord feels built to last.

The Exterior Styling: Whereas no one would say that the 2010 Accord is a drop dead beauty queen, when compared to the nebulous Camry it appears sensibly and pleasingly proportioned. The Camry looks like a bar of bath soap, at least to my eyes. The Camry's new for 2010 advertising line is "Sensible turns Sensational." Why? Because the headlights look a little different? Message to Toyota: Contrary to what you may have learned on "The Real Housewives of Orange County" it takes more than an eye lift to be sexy.

The Accord Offers Better 4 Cylinder Engines: To be truthful, it seems kind of silly to invest in one of the gas heavy six cylinder engines in either Accord or Camry (no matter how smooth or fun to drive they are) considering both companies built their reputations on 4 cylinder engines. Honda Accord LX models come with a 171 horsepower 4 cylinder while EX models get an upgraded and sewing machine smooth 190 horsepower version.

The Toyota Camry's 2.5 liter 4 cylinder puts out 169 horsepower and while this engine has a fine reliability record it also feels somewhat strained during freeway passing maneuvers. And doesn't that seem like a low horsepower figure especially taking into account the fact that a top line XLE Camry starts at over $25,000 whereas the Accord EX is only a smidge over $23,000?

One more note to Toyota: Why not give the Camry the new, more powerful 4 cylinder from the Venza? That and some actual styling work could turn this sedan from frumpy 1970's Chevy Caprice for the new millennium into a vehicle people actually might want to buy. To be truthful, the 2010 Camry does have a bit of a leg up on the Accord in that it offers a six speed automatic transmissions instead of the Accord's five speed unit. That, and the lower horsepower figure probably helps explain why the Camry gets 33 miles per gallon highway as opposed to the 31 highway rating for the Honda.

The Accord is a Better Value: Although the Camry does have a lower base price if you compare models like for like and feature for feature the Accord gives you a bit more for your dollar. Also important is the fact that the Accord enjoys a higher retained value come resale time than the Camry. Perhaps it was because of all those rental Camry LE sedans from Alamo that flooded the used car market? Sorry, low blow.

Camry: (Starting at $19,395)

Accord: (Starting at $21,055)