Used Honda Accord or Used Toyota Camry: What’s the Better Buy

If you’re looking at used cars, it’s unavoidable that the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry will stand out on your list.

These two cars are legendary on the used market for their reliability and comfortable, everyday performance. But which one is the better buy? Let’s take a look at some comparisons between model years.

2018 Toyota Camry vs. 2018 Honda Accord

Both models were redesigned for 2018 and you can generally find these used cars in the low to mid $20,000 range with many of the same options as newer models. To start, both cars achieve high scores in reliability, comfort, convenience, and performance. According to Car Complaints, the Toyota Camry from this model year has hardly any complaints vs. the Accord from this year. However, most of the complaints about the Accord are quite minor and concern various dash noises. Ultimately, it’s the buyer’s choice on which of these cars is more appealing as you can’t really go wrong either way.

2013 Toyota Camry vs. 2013 Honda Accord

Again, using stats from Car Complaints, the 2013 Honda Accord logs far more complaints than the Camry for this model year. Many of the complaints are about faulty starters. The Camry complaints from this model year are regarding a moldy smell from the vents. Consumer Reports rates both models highly for reliability and comfort. Consumer Reports also recommends specific trims for both cars. The Honda Accord EX and the Camry XSE are the best buys.

2008 Toyota Camry vs. 2008 Honda Accord

If your budget leads you all the way back to 2008, you can probably get away with spending as little as $5,000 for either car from this model year. It’s important to remember you’ll be looking at vehicles with upwards of 100,000 miles. But the good news is that both used cars are still pretty reliable. However, the Camry still logs fewer issues than the Accord in many areas.

Advantages and Similarities

The main knock against the Camry in various model years is that it’s boring to drive and has an overall boring design. The Honda Accord is generally more appealing in this area to buyers who want something more attractive and fun. Although they’re only available as used cars, the Honda Accord can also be had in a coupe layout.

Both cars still routinely post high scores for reliability even though a deep dive shows more issues for the Accord, it’s still accepted that this is typically a very reliable car. Both cars have also delivered similar fuel economy and similar performance numbers over the years.

Which Should You Choose?

When it comes to the newer used models, you can’t go wrong with either car, but the Honda Accord is a bit more fun to drive and more interesting to look at. If aesthetics are important to you, the Honda Accord might be the better value. However, if you go back to used cars that are ten years old or more, then the Camry offers better reliability for the price you’ll end up paying.