2021 Toyota Camry vs 2021 Honda Accord

Both the 2021 Toyota Camry and 2021 Honda Accord have been designed with two engine options. While family-friendly sedans aren’t typically associated with blazing-fast track speeds or powerful towing capacity, every driver wants to have a good time behind the wheel. Both the 2021 Camry and Accord have been hailed as being delightfully agile, with nimble handling and efficient brakes. While they won’t set the record for 0-60 acceleration, they’ll certainly help you merge safely onto a busy freeway.

Zip Around in the Camry 

The 2021 Toyota Camry brings along the zippiest of options. The standard engine here is a 2.5L inline-4, which provides an enjoyable 203 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque on most models. The XSE, which is the sport-tuned trim, gets a boost to 206 horsepower and 186 lb-ft of torque. This engine is also available with all-wheel drive for LE, SE, XLE, and XSE models.

Fuel economy for this engine depends on the trim chosen, but you can estimate an average of 28 miles per gallon city and 39 miles per gallon highway for front-wheel drive models. If you opt for the all-wheel drive, you can expect to see around 25 miles per gallon in the city and 34 miles per gallon on the highway. 

The top TRD trim is offered with a standard V6 engine, and a V6 version of both the XLE and XSE trims will be offered, as well. The V6 in question is a 3.5L that provides 301 horsepower and 267 lb-ft of torque. This engine is significantly peppier with that big boost in horsepower, but only slightly less fuel-efficient. Drivers with this engine can expect to see 22 miles per gallon in the city and 33 miles per gallon on the highway with front-wheel drive. There is no all-wheel drive option for this engine. 

Weave Through the Streets in the Accord

The standard engine for the 2021 Honda Accord is a 1.5L turbocharged inline-4, which makes an appearance on the L, Sport, Sport SE, and EX-L trims. This engine produces a respectable 192 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque, with the desirable Honda fuel economy we’ve come to appreciate. The 1.5L engine provides 30 miles per gallon city and 38 miles per gallon highway, making it a good economic investment.

A much zippier 2.0L turbocharged inline-4 is available on the EX-L and Sport models and comes standard on the Touring trim. This engine provides 252 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. The fuel economy does take a hit with the increased power, with drivers getting 22 miles per gallon city and 32 miles per gallon highway. 

It’s understood in the automobile industry that many sedans are career family vehicles. As a result, both Toyota and Honda are equipped with robust driver assistance and safety packages. After all, both companies are dedicated to keeping you and your family safe on the road, no matter which of their vehicles you are driving. 

Toyota's Safety Standard

The Toyota Camry comes with the new standard Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 suite of features designed to help drivers in a large variety of situations. This standard package includes a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning with automatic steering assistance, automatic high beams, lane tracing detection, road sign recognition assistance, and dynamic radar cruise control. The 2021 Camry also includes Toyota’s Star Safety System, which has four wheel anti-lock brakes, traction control, electronic brake force distribution with brake assist, smart stop technology, and enhanced vehicle stability control.

Honda's Safety Standard

The 2021 Honda Accord comes equipped with the Honda Sensing Suite. This bundle of driver assistance and safety features comes standard on all Accords. It includes a forward collision mitigation braking system, road departure mitigation with lane keep assist that provides steering assistance or braking as needed to keep the Accord centered in its detected lane, adaptive cruise control, and traffic sign recognition. Outside of the Honda Sensing Suite, the 2021 Accord features a multi-angle rearview camera with dynamic guidelines, vehicle stability assist with traction control, anti-lock brakes, and electronic brake distribution.

The Toyota Trim Line: Starting Simply

As with many daily-driver vehicles, the 2021 Toyota Camry and Honda Accord place equal importance on the “fun” as they do the “functionality.” In previous years, the base model Camry was the L trim. This trim is no longer offered as of 2021, which means the LE now steps up as the base trim. The LE includes a six-speaker audio system with a 7-inch infotainment touch screen and compatibility with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Amazon Alexa, and Bluetooth streaming, along with power windows and keyless entry.

Moving Up to the SE

Stepping up, the SE trim gains a sportier appearance, courtesy of 18-inch black wheels, a black mesh insert grille, and sporty rocker panels. The theme continues with sport-tuned suspension and SofTex sport front seats. The Nightshade Edition of the SE is a 2021 offering that includes black mirror caps, door handles, window trim, and badging for a truly sleek road look.

The XLE and the XSE

The XLE and XSE come in both standard engine and V6 editions. The standard XLE includes an upgraded 9-inch touchscreen audio system, leather-trimmed heated front seats, smart key with push-button start, blind spot assistance and rear cross traffic alert, and wireless smartphone charging. The XLE V6 has a 9-inch touchscreen but adds a 9 speaker JBL sound system. The XLE V6 also includes a panoramic glass roof/moonroof combination, 10-inch color Head-Up Display, and 3 driving modes: Eco, Normal, and Sport.

The XSE with the standard inline-4 engine includes the sportier features of the SE, adding quad chrome exhaust tips, along with the comfort and convenience features of the XLE. The XSE V6 echoes the luxury features of the XLE V6, including the glass roof, premium sound system, and three driving modes. It also adds the sporty features and chrome for a truly cool appearance that belies the Camry’s reputation as a “family-mobile.”

The Top TRD

The TRD takes its name and personality from the Toyota racing vehicle. While it’s equipped with the 3.5L V6 engine, it also comes equipped with features that go beyond sporty and straight to cool. That includes 19-inch matte black wheels, a gloss-black front splitter, aero skirts, rear diffuser, pedestal rear spoiler, cat-back dual exhaust with stainless steel tips, track-tuned front and rear coil springs, stabilizer bars, track-style shock absorbers, 12.9-inch front brakes, and SofTex sport seats. Red accents are everywhere, from pinstriping to the brake calipers, to the logo and seatbelts.

The Honda Trim Line: Building from the Base

The base LX trim starts things out sedately, with an 8-inch touchscreen audio system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, along with Bluetooth audio and phone access and USB audio interface. The Sport trim lives up to its name, with larger 19-inch wheels, leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather shift knob, sports pedals, rear spoiler, and chrome exhaust finishers.

Moving Up to the Sport Special Edition and EX-L

The Sport Special Edition takes that notion up a notch, adding heat to the power adjustable seats, smart entry with Walk Away automatic locking system and remote engine start, heated mirrors, and an amped-up 8 speaker audio system. The EX-L adds a few key touches, such as blind spot and rear cross traffic monitoring, power moonroof, 10 speaker audio system, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. The EX-L trim will also gain you wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto integration. 

Top the Line with the Touring

The top trim of the 2021 Honda Accord is the Touring. The Touring adds a host of features, including low-speed braking control, satellite navigation, rain-sensing windshield wipers, front and rear parking sensors, and side mirrors that tilt downwards when the car is in reverse. You'll also find some inner upgrades like heated rear seats, ventilated front seats, a wireless phone charger, and a Wi-Fi hotspot.