First up is the 2018 Honda Accord.
The base 2018 Accord LX starts at $23,570, while the top-of-the-line Touring model starts at $33,800. Our mid-grade, San Marino Red Sport model starts at $25,780, but fees and the optional 2.0-liter engine pushed the as-tested price up to $31,200.
In total, the Accord is available in six different trim levels with three engines and three transmissions from which a buyer can select.
Aesthetically, the new Accord is not quite pretty. At least not in the traditional sense. However, it is edgy and eye-catching. I do find it sort of good looking in an off-beat sort of way.
Even though the Accord's hammerhead shark-esque front grille reminds us a bit too much of the dark days of Acura's controversial silver beak,...
In contrast to the edgy exterior, the Accord's interior doesn't exactly push the boundaries of styling norms. But there is beauty in its simplicity.
The 10th generation Accord's cabin is truly a return to form for Honda. It's beautifully engineered and very well laid out. Everything is where it should be and easily within reach.
The Accords of past are renown for their exquisite cabin ergonomics. However, the company missed with the last two generations. The eighth gen had a couple dozen too many buttons on the front dash while the ninth generation's dual screen setup was far from successful.
But, Honda has really nailed it with the 10th generation cabin that offers a healthy balance of buttons versus touchscreen.
The center stack features an eight-inch touchscreen which houses the car's infotainment system. Honda's infotainment system has been heavily revamped for the 2018 Accord.
The system is quick to respond, crisply rendered, and is packed with feature content.
The presence of buttons and knobs make on-the-fly operation far less tedious. However, the user interface, while improved, isn't perfect. For instance, I found channel selection using the touchscreen to be a bit cumbersome.
In spite of a few small hiccups here and there, Honda has managed to pull off an impressive infotainment system. It's easily the best system of its kind we have ever encountered in a Japanese car and is competitive with the latest from Ford, GM, and VW Group.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration are standard.
Our test car also came with a host of safety tech such as blind spot awareness, rear cross traffic alert, and Honda Sensing which includes adaptive cruise control, collision mitigating braking, lane keep assist, as well as road departure mitigation.
The Accord is also available with an optional six-inch color head-up display.
The Accords longer wheelbase lends the cabin an extra 2.4 cubic feet of interior space. It certainly shows up in terms of legroom. However, the steeply raked roofline means headroom for taller passengers is a bit tight.
Under the hood lurks four-cylinders and a turbocharger.
The Accord comes standard with a 192 horsepower, 1.5-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a continuously variable transmission. Our test car came with the top-of-the-line 252 horsepower, 2.0-liter turbo four that replaces the V6. There is also a 212 horsepower hybrid option.
In addition, there is a 10-speed automatic and six-speed manual transmission option.
What's it like to drive?
The Accord proved to be a joy to drive, especially for a family sedan.
The turbo-four is an absolute marvel. It's torquey, powerful, silky smooth, and revs like there's no tomorrow. The six-speed manual isn't Honda's best effort. The clutch action felt vague while the shifter rubbery.
Even though the six-speed isn't our favorite, it works well with the engine. Being able to rip off shifts while the engine sings at 6,000 RPMs is virtually impossible in any of its rivals.
Our Honda handled confidently while also exhibiting a bit of understeer around corners to keep you from pushing too hard. At high speeds, our test felt stable and confident in its surroundings.
Overall, we found the Honda Accord to be an eager and capable performer.
Next up is the 2018 Toyota Camry.
The base Camry starts at $23,495 while the XSE V6 opens at $34,950. With options, our 2018 Toyota Camry XSE V6 test car left the showroom at $38,730.
Like the Accord, the Camry can also be had in a variety of flavors. In total, it comes in 10 trim levels with three engines and two transmissions from which to choose.
In sport trim, the new Camry looks aggressive. In white and black, our test car looked like a giant Storm Trooper helmet from Star Wars. The angular front grille and chiseled spoilers...
... Are offset by the sweeping curves and flowing fastback roof line. The Accord may be edgier, but the Camry is certainly more aesthetically pleasing in the traditional sense.
The red leather proved to be eye-catching, but polarizing. The interior material and build quality are truly Lexus-worthy. The seats proved to be easily adjustable, well-bolstered, and comfortable even on long journeys.
The Camry's rear cabin features slightly less legroom than Accord while boasting slightly better headroom.
The Camry boasts a slightly smaller 15.1 cubic foot trunk. However, it should be noted that the Camry has a larger 16-gallon fuel tank as opposed to the Accord's 14.8-gallon unit.
The center stack features an 8-inch touchscreen running the latest version of Toyota's Entune infotainment system. Entune has not been one of our favorite systems in the past.
The image quality is subpar while the Bluetooth phone pairing produced poor sound quality. The overall experience of the system feels dated — reminding us of a relic leftover from a previous decade. However, its menus are logically placed and it proved to be highly reliable during our week with the Camry.
The Camry's other tech features did impress. Our top-spec tester came loaded with a pre-collision warning system, pedestrian detection, intelligent radar cruise control, lane departure warning with steering assist, QI wireless charging, and a JBL sound system.
The Camry is also available with a 10-inch color head-up display and a seven-inch TFT information display located in the gauge cluster.
It not only provides an overhead view of the car, it also offers up a 360-degree panoramic sweep of the car's surroundings.
Powering our test car is a silky-smooth 301 horsepower, 3.5-liter, naturally aspirated V6.
It's one of the last of its kind in the segment with most rivals going to turbocharged four-cylinder engines. Power flows to the front wheels through an eight-speed automatic.
The Camry can also be had with a 203 horsepower, 2.5-liter naturally aspirated inline-four-cylinder engine, and a 208 hp four-cylinder hybrid drive unit.
So what's it like to drive?
The ultra-refined 3.5-liter V6 is Toyota at its finest. Just as the Accord's turbo four is Honda at the height of its powers. Toyota's big V6 delivers gobs of power without hesitation and will easily chirp its front wheel under aggressive acceleration.
The dual exhaust will even emit a pleasing bestial growl. Something I never thought I'd say about a Camry.
According to Motor Trend, the V6 Camry will hit 60 mph from a standstill in just 5.8 seconds.
It's just 0.1 seconds slower to 60 mph than the 10-speed automatic equipped Accord 2.0 that the publication tested.
Both cars posted nearly identical 14.3 second quarter mile runs and reported identical fuel economy figures.
Around corners, the Camry also surprised with its grip and rigid chassis.
When not in speed demon mode, the Camry returns to its normal state as a comfortable, well-mannered family hauler. Its cabin is a quiet, refined, and all-around pleasant place to be.
And the winner is... The 2018 Honda Accord!
This was a really close one, but the Honda Accord takes it by a hair.
Both are strong contenders with virtually identical levels of refinement, ride quality, comfort, interior ergonomics, cabin space, and even fuel economy.
Interior fit and finish as well as build quality are tied as well.
The Camry's silky smooth V6 and trick camera system impressed us greatly. And while beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, we certainly found the Toyota to be the more aesthetically pleasing of the pair.
For us, the Accord won big in two major departs— driving dynamics and infotainment.
Even though the Accord's 2.0-liter, turbo four and the Camry's 3.5-liter V6 return similar performance stats, they go about their business in very different manners.
And the Accord is the more exciting of the two. It was certainly the case with our six-speed manual equipped test car.
The 2.0 liter, 252 horsepower turbo four is a pint-sized powerhouse. It's as gutsy as they come and it loves to be pushed.
The higher the revs, sweeter the tune it sings.
The Accord simply felt more comfortable and eager to please at high speeds. The Camry is certainly capable of delivering when the driving got spirited, but it never truly felt at home.
And then there's the Accord's new touchscreen infotainment system. For the first time, a Japanese automaker has stepped up to the plate with a system capable of going toe-to-toe with its rivals from Germany and the US.
This is a major let-down for the Camry and other Toyota products we have tested in recent years. In an age when infotainment is growing in prominence, a great user-friendly system in a must-have these days. And Toyota's system just isn't good enough.
Which brings us to our verdict.
"It's fun, yet sensible. It's a high-tech car, yet approachable. It's lighter and smaller, yet roomier," I said in my review of the Accord. "It's a great car. This is really Honda at its finest."
And for that, it's our winner.
