Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see May lease deals!
Options
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
Numbers tell only part of the story when discussing handling. While the Camry SE got slightly higher handling numbers, Car and Driver found its handling uninspiring. The Accord, on the other hand, got several paragraphs praising its accurate steering with excellent feedback and its responsive handling.
Similarly, in testing the Camry LE and Accord LX, Motor Trend got slightly higher numbers with the Camry, but they greatly preferred the Accord's handling. On the Camry, they said:
"However, frustratingly long brake-pedal stroke, less-than-communicative steering, and floppy body motions in high-g stopping or avoidance maneuvers give one pause--which is surprising because the Camry LE didn't do badly in our at-the-limit performance testing. It isn't that the Camry can't do what it's told to do, it just feels out of its element when asked to work up a sweat. Lacking the verve that comes with precise control, the Camry LE doesn't engage the driver who looks forward to a challenging piece of road."
Their comments on the Accord:
"The Accord is fast on its feet, agile and responsive dashing around town, and stable and predictable on the highway.... The car feels premium without giving away any communication with the road. Although the Accord's ultimate braking and handling numbers aren't reflective of the positive everyday driving experience, we cite the hard compound and low-rolling-resistance mileage orientation on the standard-fitment Michelin MXV4 tires as the culprit."
http://motortrend.com/roadtests/sedan/112_0304_fam/index.html
These testers have the necessary skills to push a car to its limits, regardless of how confident the car feels when it gets there, skills that your average driver lacks. So you have to look beyond the numbers to get the whole story. When you factor in the subjective side of handling, which speaks to the feeling of precision and control, the Accord has the edge over the Camry.
This is no doubt true but most people, in most driving situations, won't notice the handling difference. They will notice the ride difference. Still a very personal decision.
As for the ride, sure, you'll notice, but don't assume that the Camry's softer ride is a slam dunk in the ride category. There are plenty of people out there who prefer the greater feel of stability and control provided by a firmer ride.
but i think i have to stick to my budget, c$31000, so, i can only choose Camry SE or Accord LX. I can't afford VSC or Traction control... because if I add some options to Camry, I can also add good ones to Accord... while only Camry XLE v6 has VCS option and Traction control.
Can anyone else give me more suggestion about this two model: 2005 Camry SE or 2005 Accord LX.
I have to make the offer this weekend because I just made the deal to sell my car.
Thanks once again !
confusing...
thanks!
My husband always found the Accord a bit too firm, and preferred the Camry's cushiness, which was more like that of his Lexus.
I guess there are just "cush" people and "firm" people. I liked both cars about equally, but I never felt that the Accord's handling blew the Camry away.
All of this is subjective and each of us will have our own take on it. From my perspective, the Accord's advantage in handling and steering are quite evident. And not that they supersede anyone's personal opinion, but clearly the experts at the auto mags agree.
Many of the predecessor has problem down the road esp the 4th gen (1997-2001), even the "toyota dealer" said it "stinks" + "doesnt last for too long" + "doesnt find much on the road", just wondering will it apply to the 5th gen?
I also heard about price is very "sticky" in Ontario (i live there too you cannot get much of a discount/under MSRP! I also dont know why it is "overpopular" with "TOYOTA RELIABILITY", maybe people did not have "bad" experience with "Toyota" like Camry (but i do)! Nowadays, i am not sure how will good is the 5th gen of Camry (down the road)? If I am you, i would go for accord!
Quite true. That was just my take.
Expert and owner opinions aside, there's no substitute for a thorough test drive. That will settle it for most people.
I found that the Camry LE's suspension setup was a bit too soft for my taste, especially for cornering. It was great on the bumpy city roads in downtown Toronto, however. I also found the looks too bland, as everyone would agree.
I've test driven the Altima, Accord and Camry SE. However, I chose the Camry over the others. Why?
ALTIMA: I found that the materials used in the Altima's interior couldn't match those even in my 97 Camry. So it didn't make sense for me to trade my Camry in for the Altima. That doesn't mean that the Altima isn't a good car. It has a more sporty look than the Camry, firmer suspension which I liked, and a powerful 4 cylinder engine.
ACCORD: I swore that I would trade in my Camry for an Accord at the time when I still owned my 97 Camry. The 2003 Accord was definitely a great car. It's suspension is soft enough to be comfy, but firm enough to be sporty. The engine was relatively powerful and the interior materials bettered those in the 97 Camry. So why didn't I go for the Accord? ITS LOOKS! I liked its front, it's side, but the TAILIGHTS just threw me off! I couldn't stand those awkwardly shaped tailights that ran across its trunklid. If it wasn't for that, I would've chosen the Accord, DEFINITELY.
Camry: So I went to trade in my 97 Camry for a 03 Camry SE V6 without leather. I prefered its looks over the Altima or the Accord. Some would find the looks, even the SE, more conservative than the other two. But I don't think so. It looks aggressive in an elegant way, in my opinion. I found that the price of my Camry SE V6 was lower than the Altima or Accord V6. The Altima and Accord's V6 had to be fully loaded at the time I was shopping for a new car. So if I wanted a V6 I had to go with some options I didn't want but that could save me a bundle if I opt out on. My Camry SE V6 only has front driver and passenger airbags, no leather seats, no VSC, no CD Changer. I really wanted the leather seats, but I didn't want to get the package. So, just need to live with the lint attracting upholstery which does have a high grade feel to it. It does have everything else I want in a car though. Moonroof, foglights, spoiler, good-looking dash, 4 wheel discs, heated rearview mirrors and more.
MY ADVICE: Don't listen to others. Camry and Accord are both good cars. Do what your heart tells you. Choose the car that can satisfy YOUR needs and not the needs of someone else.
I agree with you
But, i would think that the 4th gen camry is very crappy... also think that the 5th gen will not too much better. Yes, the suspension is extremely soft on regular LE model (both gen), the interior is full of cheap toy plastic, just like the predecessor (easily to see scratch mark) when i sit inside a 2005 model, it feeling almost the same, is just a little bigger and have a 2nd row middle-head-rest.
ALso, dont know why you think/make you like camry so much... maybe you did not find as much fault as I did!
Noise: quit noisy outside, but the inside is okay... try to drive parallel with another camry (NOT V6), OPEN the window and listen, the noise level is comparable with a windstar, but they got good sound insulation inside which make many people think is a quite car
Alignment: Hands can never not leave off the steering, it cannot travel in a straight-line, with 3 different sets of tires + proper pressure, 2 different dealer repairing...
Poor traction: easy to slip, when acceleration and braking, (even with new tire/snowtire), when a trailer is beside you on hwy, it drags you towards it... only travelling about 100km/hr
Oversoft steering, oversoft suspension, etc...
And alot of consumer report/ comparison test put Accord ahead of Camry! just think about why it happens!
There was some harshness when brand new, but the Accord is very comfortable now. I keep tires inflated a bit over pressures recommended and the car still rides well......Richard
My Camry was assembled in Japan back when I bought it in 2002 (It's actually a 2003 model). Don't know if that would make a difference when it comes to finishing. Minor rattles aside, it is a well built car. I'm actually very pleased with its top-notch plastic. Almost all the plastic that I come into contact with while driving has a soft touch to it. Even the semi-gloss plastic on the pillars look nice (it almost looks like fabric!)
I agree that a lot of car mags rank the Accord higher than the Camry. I would too, if it weren't for its looks. My opinion still stands, however, that the tailights are not so appealing. Frankly, they are too ugly for my taste.
My conclusion is that the Camrys that you looked at were not from Canada (where I bought mine from) or that you just simply hate the Camry! It's not surprising because I know a lot of people hate the Camry, I respect their opinions despite the fact that I own one! Afterall, everybody has different tastes.
Just buy what you want/need! Different people have different thoughts!
One note: Honda deserves tons of credit for making side airbags and curtains standard on the Accord this year. Hopefully other automakers will follow suit.
~alpha
Warm up the I4 engine and open the hood, listen and compare top brands like accord, altima, camry, etc and see which is the quietest of all!
Camry VS Accord
Capacities
it has more legroom in the rear (960mm vs 935mm)
it has more rear hiproom (1 374mm versus 1 359mm)
it has more front shoulderroom (1 461mm versus 1 445mm)
it has more rear shoulderroom (1 440mm versus 1 425mm)
there is more interior cargo volume (473L versus 396L)
it has a greater interior maximum cargo volume (473L versus 396L)
the exterior height is greater (1 490mm versus 1 449mm)
it has a larger fuel tank (70 L versus 65 L)
Convenience
it has more speakers (6 versus 4)
it has steering wheel controls for the radio
it has a power trunk/hatch/door release
it has more 12V DC power outlet(s) (3 versus 2)
it has an auto locking feature
it has the PRNDL in the instrument panel
it has variable intermittent front wipers
Driveability
it has a smaller turning radius (5.3m versus 5.9m)
it has a rear anti-roll bar
Exterior
features a power left hand door mirror
it includes a heated driver mirror
features a power remote right hand door mirror
it includes a heated passenger mirror
it has body-coloured door handles
it has fully automatic headlamps
Interior
it has front reading lights
it has ignition switch lights
it has a mini overhead console
it has overhead console storage
it has a rear cupholder
it utilizes a carpet trim on the trunk lid
it has carpet cargo mats
Powertrain
its engine has more torque (163 lb.-ft. @ 4 000 rpm vs 161 lb.-ft. @ 4 500 rpm)
it includes a battery with run down protection
it has an automatic transmission
its transmission includes lock-up
its transmission includes electronic control
it has a transmission oil cooler
Seating
it has lumbar support for the driver seat
it has more rear head restraints (3 versus 2)
it has a centre rear armrest
Warranty
it has a greater accessories warranty period (unlimited distance versus 60 000 km)
Wheels & Tires
it has wider tires (205mm versus 195mm)
it has a full-size spare tire
The Mazda 6i handled and braked the best, but it's drive train was crude--slow on initial acceleration and clunky automatic trans that hunted for the proper gear on hills, etc.
The Accord had the Camry's mechanical smoothness and power with much of the tight riding qualities of the Mazda, so had the best features of both cars IMO.
The Accord's interior is very classy--looks like a "near luxury" car.
I think the average age of Camry drivers is 58 and the Accord average age is 53--a bit more youthful. I really don't care about that, but I don't want a car that's too geezerish--I'm 66 and enough of a geezer without driving something to prove it ;-)
My Accord is now 14 months old and I like it better every time I drive it.........Richard
I read somewhere the average age of Camry buyers is 51 and the average age of Accord buyer is 44. I wonder why my info is different than yours.
Maybe we were a little wiser than our peers :-)
Sounds like you're a candidate for leasing (unless you're driving >15K miles/year).
Corollas don't have as much power or features as the Accords, but the ride and the feels are very similar....
VSC, however, is another story. Good luck finding a Corolla or a 4 cylinder Camry with that incredibly valuable safety feature.
~alpha
Yes, it's more costly than the Corolla, but it's one size up and I favored the Accord over the Camry because of the Accord's tighter ride and classier interior styling.
For a small car, the Toyota Corolla is more appealing to me than the Honda Civic; however, the new class leader in that segment appears to be the Mazda 3 that's said to be REALLY good for a compact. I wanted to move up to a mid-sized car and the Accord is ideal for my purposes...Richard
Corollas don't have as much power or features as the Accords, but the ride and the feels are very similar..."
This is actually a better money-saving tip for someone considering a Camry SE. Both the Corolla and the Camry SE will give you a firmer riding car that still steers and handles like a Camry.
If you want a car with an Accord-style firm ride that also handles like an Accord, the Corolla, as fine a car as it is, isn't that car.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
Share your vehicle reviews
And the 3.3L Camry will trump the Accord in passing manuevers...
~alpha
Not by everyone's measure... CR shows the ES330 with the 3.3L V6 as turning 45-65 at 5.5 seconds, while the Accord V6 turns 4.2 seconds.
And there's less than 100 lbs. difference in curb weight between the Camry and the ES, so I believe it's a pretty accurate comparison.
http://www.gates.com/downloads/download_common.cfm?file=GatesTBR.- pdf&folder=brochure
Toyota's engines OTH are all non-interference. Nothing happens to the engine when the timing belt breaks.
The timing belt in the 93 Camry was replaced at about 120K as a preventive maintenance. The one in my '89 Camry LE broke at about 140K. The engine just stopped firing. I coasted the car and parked it on the street then called a tow truck. $150 belt job later, it ran just like before.
I was considering the Accord for its standard side and curtain airbags, but the interference engine is a big issue.
Anyone has any more info?
~alpha
PS- It seems to me that CR's 0-60 numbers are most closely aligned with Car and Driver's Street Start. However... Car and Driver can run the Solara SLE Convertible to 60 in 7.7.. the Street Start, and yet... the lighter ES330 is tested by CR at 7.9....
PPS- Im really waiting for the following C/D comparo:
Honda Accord EX V6
Nissan Altima 3.5SE
Toyota Camry SE V6
Mitsubishi Galant GTS
Mazda 6s
Pontiac G6 GT
All equipped similarly, leather, moonroof, applicable safety features (traction, stability, side curtains, etc.) Thus equipped, all range from $27,200 to $28,500.
Accord EXV6
Camry XLEV6
LaCrosse CXS
Altima 3.5SL
Galant LS
Pontiac G6 GT
Mazda6 S