(732) 800-2332 Ask the MECHANIC: What’s takeh a better buy, Toyota or Honda? (CONTINUED)
Okay, let’s get into the cars. We’ll be comparing the Accord to the Camry, but there is something important to keep in mind first. In general, the smaller a car is, the cheaper and more reliable it tends to be. As size goes up, reliability tends to go down. When you need a minivan, you have no choice. But with sedans, all five-seaters offer the same basic functionality. When people ask me, “Should I get an Accord or a Camry?”, what they are really asking is “Which sedan should I get?”
While there is no direct comparison to the Avalon, I’ll mention it briefly here at this point. It’s probably the one I recommend the least out of all the cars we’ve mentioned so far. While they drive beautifully and are very comfortable, they are very hard on their suspensions and have weak transmissions. Additionally, they have a V6 engine that’s much harder to work on than the four-cylinder in the smaller sedans, and it’s more prone to repairs. By the time the car gets older than 10 years, they really seem to fall apart from what I see.
With that out of the way, let’s talk about the classic boring basic Camry lol! These were almost indestructible until model year 2002 when our wonderful government decided they needed to be more gas efficient, and introduced low tension piston rings to let the engine move more smoothly. But often the oil leaks through these piston rings, and this leads to more oil consumption and potentially having to fill up your car every 2 months, which is a dirty job (ask my wife if oil stains come out in the wash) and is nerve-wracking knowing your engine is on the way out. Many people never have this issue but it is one of the common problems with the Camry. They also experience wear and tear on the suspension (struts, control arms, axles), though less than Siennas. Alternators and starters tend to go too, but in a 4-cylinder engine they’re much easier to replace. Some Camrys will have an issue with the A/C compressor/flow sensor as well, which will cause the A/C to stop working. All that being said, they are still very reliable cars, and fairly simple to repair. They have a robust computer network and rarely have faults related to that .The transmission is very reliable as well. And while the engines burn oil, they don’t seem to have other common engine issues.
From 2002 to 2017, Honda used an inverted ball joint that was very prone to suddenly breaking on the road. So while the overall suspension of the Accord seems more robust than the Camry, this almost cancels out the benefit of the stronger suspension—because if it fails, you lose control of the wheel while driving, which is both scary and dangerous. The Accord also has a more sporty ride, which feels stiffer, with a more reactive steering wheel. The alternators and starters break, and the starters are more expensive to replace. The struts are another weak point – they wear out, though not as much as the Camrys. Pre 2013 models, (before Honda introduced electric power steering,) tend to have power steering noises and leaks.
The next comparison would be Civic vs Corolla. I don’t see enough Civics to form a solid opinion or notice a pattern. As for the Corolla, the things that go are the axles, alternators, and transmission lines. They do have rear drum brakes which last much longer than standard breaks, potentially saving money on repairs.
It’s worth mentioning a few other vehicles that people don’t realize are still in this same five seater category. The Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit are a bit smaller than the Corolla/Civic and are great reliable cars. The Toyota Prius, a hybrid, has proven to be very reliable and great on gas. The Toyota Rav-4 and the Honda CR-V are essentially luxury five seaters but more reliable than the Avalon for those who prioritize comfort. They are currently one of the best selling cars in the world, tying with the Corolla. Fun fact – these 3 sell double what the Camry sells.
While I do fully recommend Toyota, it’s a great car with great reliability, I want to question the Toyota worship mentality in our community, Toyota cars don’t need to be ubiquitous like gray living rooms and doonas for our babies. There are other options that are so much cheaper and fairly reliable. Or you can go with something less reliable but cheap enough to almost get two for the price of one. Even Toyota isn’t as saintly as we make it out to be. Any brand-new car can pop a tire if you run over a nail. And the battery will go after a couple years on the best of cars.
