Used Sedan Comparison

Used Toyota Camry vs. Honda Accord: Which Sedan Should You Buy?

We sell both, we stock both, and nobody here earns a dollar more if you pick one over the other. So here is the comparison without a thumb on the scale.

Shop Used Sedans Call 205-634-8083

The Short Version

Buy the used Camry if you want all-wheel drive, the strongest resale value, or a V6. Buy the used Accord if you want a bigger back seat, a bigger trunk, and the car that is more enjoyable to drive.

On reliability there is no meaningful winner. Both are at the top of the segment, and the difference between two individual cars with different service records is far larger than the difference between the badges.

Head to Head at a Glance

Both cars carry a win badge wherever they genuinely win. That is not diplomacy, it is that these two are close enough that a one-sided table would be a lie.

What You Care About	Toyota Camry	Honda Accord
Rear legroom	About 38.0 inches	About 40.4 inches Win
Trunk space	About 15.1 cubic feet	About 16.7 cubic feet Win
All-wheel drive	Available on four-cylinder from 2020 Win	Not offered
Six-cylinder option	3.5-liter V6, around 301 hp Win	None. A 2.0-liter turbo four replaced it, around 252 hp
Hybrid fuel economy	Camry Hybrid LE around 52 mpg combined Win	Accord Hybrid around 47 to 48 mpg combined
Gas fuel economy	2.5-liter around 32 mpg combined	1.5-liter turbo around 33 mpg combined Win
Driver assistance	Toyota Safety Sense standard from 2018	Honda Sensing standard from 2018
Resale value	Consistently the stronger of the two Win	Strong, and usually cheaper to buy as a result
How it drives	Composed and easy. Improved a lot in 2018	The more engaging car by a clear margin Win
Reliability record	Top of the segment	Top of the segment

Figures are published manufacturer specifications for the 2018 and newer generations and vary by trim and model year. Fuel economy is the EPA combined rating for front-wheel-drive versions, published at fueleconomy.gov. Check the specific car, since a V6 Camry and a hybrid Camry share almost nothing but a badge.

Used Toyota Camry SE exterior at Driver's Way in Birmingham, AL

Interior cabin and dashboard of a used Toyota Camry at Driver's Way

The Camry

Three Things the Accord Simply Cannot Do

All-wheel drive. Toyota added it to the four-cylinder Camry for 2020 and Honda has no answer in this generation. For most of Birmingham this is a nice-to-have rather than a need, but if your street climbs off Shades Mountain or you come in from Chelsea on a wet morning, it is the whole argument.

A V6. The 3.5-liter makes around 301 horsepower and pulls in a way no turbo four quite mimics. Honda's answer was a 2.0-liter turbo making about 252, which is quicker than you expect and was gone after 2020. If you want the six, only one of these cars has one.

The hybrid math. Camry Hybrid LE sits near 52 mpg combined against roughly 47 to 48 for the Accord Hybrid. Over a real commute that is a meaningful gap, and it is why we point high-mileage drivers at the Camry Hybrid first.

Buy the Camry If

All-wheel drive matters to you, for the driveway or for peace of mind
You want the strongest resale value in the segment
You are buying a hybrid and fuel economy is the deciding number
You want a V6, which is now a genuinely rare thing to be able to buy

The Accord

More Car Inside, and Better to Drive

The back seat is the headline. Around 40.4 inches of rear legroom against roughly 38.0 in the Camry is not a rounding error, it is the difference between an adult being comfortable behind a tall driver and an adult being polite about it. Fit a rear-facing car seat in both and you will feel it immediately.

The trunk follows. About 16.7 cubic feet against 15.1. Two large suitcases and a stroller is an easy afternoon in the Accord and a puzzle in the Camry. For a family car that lives at soccer fields and airports, that is a real advantage.

And it is the better drive. The Camry got much more interesting in 2018 and the Accord is still ahead, with sharper steering and a chassis that feels like somebody enjoyed setting it up. Because the Accord gives back slightly less at resale, a comparable one usually sits on the lot at a lower price, which makes it the value pick as well.

Buy the Accord If

You regularly carry adults or car seats in the second row
You want the bigger trunk without moving up to an SUV
You actually enjoy driving and want that to survive the sensible purchase
You want the lower price today and are keeping the car a long time

Used Honda Accord Sport exterior at Driver's Way in Birmingham, AL

Interior door panel and controls of a used Honda Accord at Driver's Way

Full Spec Comparison, 2018 and Newer

Both cars were redesigned for 2018, which is why that year is the natural starting point for a used comparison. Everything below varies by trim, so confirm against the window sticker of the specific car.

Specification	Toyota Camry	Honda Accord
Base engine	2.5-liter four-cylinder, around 203 hp	1.5-liter turbo four, around 192 hp
Upgrade engine	3.5-liter V6, around 301 hp	2.0-liter turbo four, around 252 hp, through 2020
Hybrid system	Around 208 hp combined	Around 204 to 212 hp combined by generation
Drivetrain	Front-wheel drive, all-wheel drive on four-cylinder from 2020	Front-wheel drive only
Rear legroom	About 38.0 inches	About 40.4 inches
Trunk volume	About 15.1 cubic feet	About 16.7 cubic feet
Gas EPA combined	Around 32 mpg on the 2.5-liter	Around 33 mpg on the 1.5-liter turbo
Hybrid EPA combined	Around 52 mpg on the Hybrid LE	Around 47 to 48 mpg
Standard safety suite	Toyota Safety Sense from 2018	Honda Sensing from 2018
Adaptive cruise	Standard with the safety suite, includes low-speed follow	Standard with the safety suite, includes low-speed follow

Which Model Years to Target

Both nameplates were redesigned for 2018 and both gained a standard driver-assistance suite in the same year. That makes 2018 the floor for either car, and it makes anything older a different comparison entirely.

Best Value

2018 to 2019, Either Car

First years of the current design, with the full safety suite already standard. Meaningfully cheaper than a 2021 without giving up anything a buyer notices day to day.

Best All-Around

2020 to 2022 Camry

The years all-wheel drive became available, with the rest of the car already sorted. If AWD is on your list at all, this is the range to shop.

Best Drive

2018 to 2020 Accord 2.0T

The quickest and most entertaining non-hybrid version of either car, and it disappeared after 2020. Prices have not caught up with how good it is.

What Birmingham Drivers Say

Reviews from our Hwy 280 store, pulled live from Google.

Drive Them Back to Back on Hwy 280

This comparison is settled in about twenty minutes if you drive both in the same afternoon. We are at 5470 Hwy 280 in Birmingham, with more used sedans at our Pelham store, and we will move a car between the two so you can compare them side by side. If you want more background first, we also cover the best years for a used Camry and the most reliable used cars overall.

Address 5470 Hwy 280, Birmingham, AL 35242
Phone 205-634-8083
Hours Mon to Sat 9am to 7pm, Sun 1pm to 6pm
Also serving Hoover, Pelham, Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook, Inverness, Trussville

Used Camry vs Accord Questions

Is a used Camry or Accord better?

Buy the Camry if you want all-wheel drive, the highest resale value, or a V6. Buy the Accord if you want more rear seat room, a bigger trunk, and the better car to actually drive. We sell both and stock both, so we have no reason to talk you into either one. Most people who drive them back to back pick on feel, and the two feel genuinely different.

Does the Toyota Camry come with all-wheel drive?

Yes, on four-cylinder models from 2020 forward. The Accord has never offered it in this generation. That single difference decides the question for some buyers, particularly anyone whose driveway is on one of the steeper streets off Shades Mountain or who commutes in from Chelsea on a wet January morning. For most Birmingham drivers it is a comfort rather than a necessity.

Which has more back seat room, the Camry or the Accord?

The Accord, and the gap is large enough to notice immediately. Published figures put Accord rear legroom around 40.4 inches against roughly 38.0 for the Camry, and the Accord's trunk is bigger too at about 16.7 cubic feet versus 15.1. If you regularly carry adults in the back or run a rear-facing car seat behind a tall driver, sit in both before deciding.

Which is more reliable, a used Camry or a used Accord?

Both sit at the top of the segment and the difference between them is smaller than the difference between two individual cars with different service histories. The Camry's 2.5-liter four is about as proven as a modern engine gets. The Accord's 1.5-liter turbo is also strong, with one caveat about early 2018 cars in cold climates that Honda addressed with an update and that barely applies in Alabama.

Which gets better gas mileage, the Camry or the Accord?

In gas form they are close, with the Accord's 1.5-liter turbo rated around 33 mpg combined and the Camry's 2.5-liter around 32. In hybrid form the Camry pulls ahead clearly, with the Camry Hybrid LE rated near 52 mpg combined against roughly 47 to 48 for the Accord Hybrid. If you are buying specifically for fuel economy, the Camry Hybrid LE is the answer.

Does the used Accord have a V6?

Not in the 2018 and newer generation. Honda replaced the V6 with a 2.0-liter turbo four making around 252 horsepower, which was offered through 2020 and is the quickest non-hybrid Accord of the era. Toyota kept a 3.5-liter V6 in the Camry making roughly 301 horsepower. If a naturally aspirated six is what you want, the Camry is the only one of the two that has one.

Which holds its value better, a used Camry or a used Accord?

The Camry, usually by a small margin, and that cuts both ways. It means a used Camry costs a little more to buy and gives a little more back when you sell it. If you keep cars for a decade the difference barely registers. If you turn over every three years it is worth factoring in, and it is one reason a comparable used Accord often looks like the better deal on the window.

Can I drive both a used Camry and Accord at Driver's Way?

Yes, and back to back is the only way to settle this. We stock both at our Hwy 280 store in Birmingham and our Pelham store, and if the pair you want to compare are split between the two we will bring one over. Nobody riding along works on commission, so there is no thumb on the scale. Call 205-634-8083 to set it up.

Drive Both. That Settles It.

We stock Camrys and Accords at both locations, every one through a 240-point inspection, with the price on the window and nobody working on commission.

Shop Used Sedans Schedule a Test Drive Call 205-634-8083

Driver's Way Hwy 280 | 5470 Hwy 280, Birmingham, AL 35242
Open Monday to Saturday 9am to 7pm and Sunday 1pm to 6pm