Car Battles: 2012 Toyota Camry vs. 2012 Honda Accord

The Toyota Camry and Honda Accord are two of the best-selling midsize vehicles of all time. For 2012, both models return with handsome styling, long-term reliability and competitive pricing.

Trim Levels and Pricing

Accord Sedan: LX, LX-P, SE, EX/EX-V6, EX-L/EX-L V6, EX-L/EX-L V6 w/navigation

Camry: L, LE, SE 4-Cylinder, SE V6, XLE 4-Cylinder, XLE V6, Hybrid LE, Hybrid XLE

Prices for these competitors will be the following:

Base Price MSRP (price includes destination fee)

2012 Honda Accord: $22,150

2012 Toyota Camry: $22,715

With Automatic Transmission

Accord: $22,950

Camry: $22,715

With V6 Engine

Accord: $28,050

Camry: $27,400

As you can see the pricing and trim levels are very similar so the differences are negligible. In this category the Accord pulls out ahead for the simple reason that it is offered as a Sedan, a Coupe and a Crosstour (which is a wagon). This means that all types of drivers can find the accord that fits their life style and needs. However the Camry is offered as a Hybrid which is not available on the Accord, so for this category the Accord barely inches out the Camry, but takes the lead.

So far the Honda Accord is ahead of the game.

Camry: 0

Accord: 1  

  Styling and Interior 

As far as size goes the Honda Accord has bigger dimensions, giving the vehicle a larger interior than the Camry, which is great if rear seat comfort is a priority to you. However at the end of the day the Accord’s larger size hinders maneuverability, making it harder to drive than the Camry.

Toyota’s redesign of the Camry brought its interior quality up substantially to edge out the Honda Accord.  Without the available wood-grain accents, the Accord’s interior looks plain, meanwhile the Camry’s cabin materials have nicely textured surfaces and visually appealing faux metal or wood trim. The 2012 Camry offers 15.4 cubic feet of storage, while the Accord delivers 14.7 cubic feet.

The Accord offers you more leg room, but the Toyota Camry offers an easier car to drive, more storage space and better styled interior design. For this the 2012 Toyota Camry takes the point in this category.

Camry: 1

Accord: 1

Features

If you are in line for one of these vehicles one of the deciding factors will be the features. The 2012 Honda Accord has the following standard features: 16-inch wheels, height-adjustable driver's seat, full power accessories, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, cruise control, a six-speaker stereo, CD player, auxiliary audio input and iPod/USB interface. The Camry's starting package very close but it adds Bluetooth and subtracts power locks.

Both models have some nice available upgrades, but the Camry edges out the Accord by offering some exclusive upgrades such as 18 inch wheels, a 10-speaker stereo, 18-inch and Toyota’s Entune smart phone integration.

While the standard features are virtually a draw, the 2012 Toyota Camry’s upgrades edge out the Honda Accords, putting the Camry in the lead.

Camry: 2

Accord: 1

Performance

Under the hood the 2012 Toyota Camry comes standard with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that pushes out 178 horsepower and 170 lb-ft. of torque. The Honda Accord is equipped with a very similar 2.4-liter engine that pushes 177 horsepower and 161 lb-ft. of torque.

As far as gas mileage, The EPA estimated that the Honda Accord gets 23 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway (27 mpg combined) , while the 2012 Toyota Camry comes out with an estimated 25 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway (28 mpg combined).

Both models have an available V6 engine upgrade. The Camry's 3.5-liter V6 gets 268 horsepower and delivers 21 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway (25 mpg combined). While the 3.5-liter V6 Accord is able to push 271 horsepower and gets up to 20 mpg in the city and 30 mpg on the highway (24 mpg combined).

This is a really tough category to judge. While the Camry’s 2.4-liter engine edges out the Accord in performance and MPG’s, the Accord’s 3.5-liter V6 barely edges out the Camry’s in performance and MPG’s. Sorry to both teams but we must declare this category a Draw.

Draw- Both models get a point

Camry: 3

Accord: 2

Safety Features

Everybody knows that safety is very important, so in order to truly put these cars to the test we have to see how safe they are.

Standard safety features available on the 2012 Honda Accord include antilock disc brakes, traction control, stability control, front side airbags, side curtain airbags and active front head restraints.

The Camry comes out ahead by taking out active front head restraints but adding rear-seat side airbags, two knee airbags, brake assist and an available blind-spot monitoring system.

In crash tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Honda Accord rating of "Good", the best possible safety rating, for frontal-offset and side-impact collisions and a rating of "Acceptable" in roof strength tests. The Camry earned a rating of "Good" in all categories tested.

This one is fairly easy to judge. The 2012 Toyota Camry has more safety features and a better performance in safety tests.

Camry: 4

Accord: 2

Conclusion

This has to be the toughest Car Battle to date. Every category was very close, making it very hard to pick a winner, however in the end the 2012 Toyota Camry was able to edge out the 2012 Honda Accord, making the Toyota Camry the official winner of this edition of “Car Battles”.

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2012 Toyota Tundra vs 2012 Ford F-150

For this edition of Car Battles we decided to take a cue from our snowy weekend and pit the 2012 Ford F-150 against the 2012 Toyota Tundra. Who will win this battle of the monsters? Let’s find out!

Safety

This category is of utmost importance as it one of the main selling points of bigger vehicles.

Both the Tundra and the F‑150 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height-adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding and available four-wheel drive. (Source: Jerry’s Toyota)

The Toyota Tundra offers height adjustable front and rear seat shoulder belts, to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. Having a better fit can prevent injuries and it also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Ford F‑150 has only front height-adjustable seat belts, putting the Toyota Tundra ahead in the game early on.

The Tundra also offers parking sensors to help warn the driver about obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle such as other vehicles, pedestrians, etc. The F‑150 doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration  (NHTSA) does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. The results for this test indicate that the Toyota Tundra is safer than the Ford F‑150 by rating it 4 Overall stars versus the Fords 3.

The NHTSA also does side impact tests on new vehicles. This test sees to it to have vehicles crash into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Tundra is safer than the Ford F‑150. While both vehicles received 5 stars overall, the Tundra received 5 stars in the pole test versus the Fords 4.

Score: Tundra 1- F-150 0

Warranty

We know truck buyers like to have their fun, and for this a top warranty is key. To be completely honest we shouldn’t even include this category when matching up Toyota vehicles vs non Toyota’s as Toyota offers the best vehicle warranty in the market bar none.

With the Tundra’s warranty, Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance for 2 years and 25000 miles. They will also pay for oil changes, tire rotation, lubrication and any other scheduled maintenance. Ford doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the F‑150.

Score: Tundra 2 – F-150 0

Engine

  

As tested in Consumer Reports the Toyota Tundra 5.7 is faster than the Ford F‑150 5.0 DOHC V8. It goes 0 to 60 in 6.7 seconds vs the Ford’s 7.8 and it performed a quarter mile in 15.3 seconds versus the F-150’s 16.2. We can’t help but admit that we are suckers for speed so this category also goes to the Tundra.

Score: Tundra 3 – F-150 0

Brakes and Stopping

It’s funny that dealing with a east coast winter storm and having trouble coming to a complete stop is what gave me the idea to pit these two monsters against each other. The Tundra has a standard brake assist system to detect emergency braking situations (by how hard and how quickly the brake pedal is pressed) and then automatically apply maximum braking immediately in order to help prevent a collision. The F‑150 doesn’t offer a brake assist feature.

This break assist makes the Tundra stops much shorter than the F‑150. The Tundra stops from 70 to 0 MPH in 197 feet versus the Ford’s 218.

This one is starting to become a bloodbath folks…

Score: Tundra 4- F-150 0 

Towing

The Ford finally starts throwing some come back punches of its on in this category.  The F-150 has a standard towing capacity of 5,500 compared to the Tundra’s 4,900. It also has a maximum towing capacity of 8,300 lbscompared to the Tundra’s 4,900 lbs.

Score: Tundra 4- F-150 1

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Tundra has larger standard tires than the F‑150. The Tundra has 255/70R18 tires vs. 235/70R17.

The Tundra’s standard tires have a lower 70 profile series which provide better handling (height to width ratio) and provides a stiffer sidewall than the F‑150 4x4’s standard 75 series tires.(Source Jerry’s Toyota)

Score: Tundra 5- F-150 1

Ergonomics

Consumer Reports rated the Tundra’s headlight performance “Very Good,” versus the F‑150’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

Also, to better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the Tundra Limited is standard equipped with dual-element sun visors that blocks sun glare simultaneously from two different directions. The F‑150 doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

The Tundra has standard power remote mirrors. The F‑150 XL Regular/SuperCab doesn’t offer either a remote driver side or passenger side mirror. The driver will have to roll down the windows and reach across the car to adjust the mirrors. This is one that surprised us all, as in the age we live in we expected power mirrors to come equipped in the F-150.

The Tundra’s standard outside mirrors also come equipped with heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility.

The 2012 Tundra comes equipped with standard dual zone air conditioning which allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different air temperatures to allow both driver and passengers to be comfortable. The F‑150 XL/SXT/XLT doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

One last feauture that kinda irritated us about the F-150 is that it doesn’t offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Tundra Double Cab/CrewMax has standard rear a/c vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable.

Score: Tundra 6- F150 1

Well folks, while it looked like Ford was about to pull a Rocky style come back in the fight, it was Toyota who pulled the knockout. This was a completely shocking result to us and we expected the F-150 to be the dominant pick up in the market, but Toyota proved us wrong!

That’s it for this edition of Car Battles! For any suggestions of vehicle comparisons you would like to see send us a comment or post on our facebook or twitters!

Jerry’ s Auto Group specializes in customer service and a superb vehicle selection. For more information check us out at 8001 Belair Rd Baltimore, MD 21236 or 1940 East Joppa Rd Baltimore, MD 21236.  You can also check us out on the web at jerrysitsaboutyou.com. 

Car Battles: Toyota Yaris vs Subaru Impreza

On this edition of Car Battles we decided to try something a little different by matching up the Toyota Yaris against the Subaru Impreza. The categories are down to the bare basics this time to see which vehicle truly match up where it matters most to their consumers.

2012 Toyota Yaris

 Vs.

2012 Subaru Impreza

Safety

One of the most important features in the minds of Yaris and Impreza and consumers is safety.

In this category neither vehicle disappointed, as both the Toyota Yaris and the Subaru Impreza are equipped with standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, head airbags, and front seatbelt pretensioners.

Both vehicles also come with traction control, antilock brakes and electronic stability systems to prevent skidding.

This category saw both vehicles be evenly match so we give them a draw.

Score: Yaris 1 – Impreza 1

Warranty

As mentioned in our previous blogs Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on all Toyotas for 2 years and 25000 miles. They will pay for oil changes, tire rotation, lubrication and any other scheduled maintenance. Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Impreza.

Toyota’s “Toyota Care” Package makes it very dominant in this category. So far “Toyota Care” is unmatched and it’s definitely something for car buyers to consider as it will save you a lot of money.

Score: Yaris 2 – Impreza 1

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Yaris gets better fuel mileage than the Impreza. Yaris manuals come in at 30 city/ 38 hwy MPGs compared to the Impreza’s 25 city/34 hwy.

The Auto models for the Yaris get 30 city/35 hwy MPG;s versus the Impreza’s 27 city/36 hwy.

This category goes to the Yaris folks 

Score: Yaris 3- Impreza 1

Suspension and Handling

The Yaris begins to pull away in this round. It is equipped with vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering. This is designed for low-effort parking, better control when driving at highway speeds and during those hard turns at corners, and a better feel of the road. The Impreza loses out in this category as it doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

Score: Yaris 4- Impreza 1 

Chassis

The Toyota Yaris is 600 to 700 pounds lighter than the Subaru Impreza which makes it more efficient, and gives it better handling and acceleration.

Score: Yaris 5 – Impreza 1

Verdict

So there you have it folks, The Toyota Yaris pulled out the win over the Subaru Impreza in an impressive manner.  The Subaru Impreza looked promising early on, but the Yaris pulled out and took it all the way. The Yaris was the definite underdog coming into this one but its impressive safety features, its better gas mileage and better handling make the Toyota Yaris a better buy. 

Thats it for this edition of Car Battles, keep checking back for more editions!

Jerry’ s Auto Group specializes in customer service and a superb vehicle selection. For more information check us out at 8001 Belair Rd Baltimore, MD 21236 or 1940 East Joppa Rd Baltimore, MD 21236.  You can also check us out on the web at jerrysitsaboutyou.com. 

Car Battles: 2012 Toyota Rav4 vs. 2012 Hyundai Tucson

On this edition of Car Battles we matched up the Toyota Rav4 with the Hyundai Tucson. Need we say more? Let’s take a look.

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2012 Hyundai Tucson                  vs                               2012 Toyota Rav4

Appearance:

The first impression on both vehicles is great. They both offer a sleek, sporty design that is easy on the eyes. Neither vehicle pulled ahead in this category so we have to give it a draw.

Safety:

For this category the match up starts very evenly as both the Rav4 and the Tucson come equipped with standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, as well as front side-impact and head airbags, front seatbelt pre-tensioners, front-wheel drive, height-adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding and available all-wheel drive.

Now here is where the Rav4 comes out ahead:

Studies by the Canadian government show that driving with lights on during the day helps reduce accidents by 11% as drivers become more conspicuous. For this the Toyota Rav4 comes equipped with Daytime Running Lights to help keep it more visible under all conditions. The Tucson doesn’t offer Daytime Running Lights.

Warranty

As mentioned in our previous blogs Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on all Toyotas for 2 years and 25000 miles. They will pay for oil changes, tire rotation, lubrication and any other scheduled maintenance. Hyundai doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Tucson.

Toyota’s “Toyota Care” Package makes it very dominant in this category. So far “Toyota Care” is unmatched and it’s definitely something for car buyers to consider as it will save them a lot of money.

  

Engine

Have a need for speed?

In that case the Rav4 is for you as its standard 2.5 DOHC 4 cylinder engine produces more horsepower (179 vs. 165) and more torque (172 vs. 146) than the Tucson GL’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4 cylinder engine. It also beats out the Tucson GLS Limited in horsepower (179 vs. 176) and torque (172 vs. 168)

Transmission

One thing that proved to be a pet peeve of ours is that the Toyota Rav4 comes standard with an automatic transmission, which is great for driver comfort, meanwhile an automatic transmission costs extra on the Tucson. Bad Hyundai! Bad!

Brakes and Stopping

Motor Trends brake test found that the Rav4 stops shorter from 60 to 0 MPH than the Tucson (123 vs. 124)

Tires and Wheels

If you live in an area where there is snow or any kind of slippery situations you will know about the importance of having good tires. The Rav4 Sport’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Tucson (235/55R18 vs. 225/60R17), giving the Rav4 better traction.

So you’re driving down the highway and all of the sudden you pop your tire. This can be one of the most frustrating moments for any driver as changing a flat near traffic is not only inconvenient but it’s dangerous too. For this reason the Rav4 comes equipped with run-flat tires available that can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Tucson doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

  

Suspension

  

Love off roading? I know we do. For greater off-road capability the Rav4, hands down, is the vehicle to go with. It has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Tucson (7.5 vs. 6.7 inches), which allows it to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

While both vehicles offer a sporty and stylish design, the Rav4 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .33 Cd. which is significantly lower than the Tucson (.37 Cd.) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and allows for better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

For these types of vehicles we look for a sporty feel with a spacious interior. The Rav4 has 37.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Tucson (139.2 vs. 101.9). It also has 1.4 inches more front headroom, .6 inches more rear headroom and .2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Tucson.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Rav4’s middle row seats recline. The Tucson’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

Cargo capacity goes hand in hand with passenger space. The Rav4’s cargo area provides more volume than the Tucson.

	Rav4	Tucson
Third Seat Folded	37.2 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	36.4 cubic feet	25.7 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	73 cubic feet	55.8 cubic feet

Towing

This is another category that goes to the Rav4. The 2012 Rav4 offers almost twice the maximum towing capacity of the Hyundai Tucson (3500 vs. 2000).

  

Ergonomics

One cool feature that Toyota that has been a trend on Toyota vehicles is the remote vehicle starting system, used so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. The 2012 Toyota Rav4 comes equipped with this feature as well, which allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The Tucson doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

  

Along the same line, Toyota offers a Smart Key System, standard on the Rav4 Limited, which allows the driver to unlock the doors, cargo door and start the engine all without removing a key from their pocket or purse. This is a convenient feature as it eliminates having to take time to search for your keys to get inside the vehicle (especially in the rain!). The Hyundai Tucson doesn’t offer an advanced key system.

To help keep rear passengers entertained (this one is for you parents), the Rav4 Limited offers a set of optional rear seat controls for the radio, which can also play a separate audio source. The Tucson falls a little further behind again as it doesn’t offer rear seat audio controls.

The rear seat radio controls aren’t the only entertainment feature the Tucson falls behind in. The Rav4 Limited has optional Entune, which allows the driver and the passengers to access select programs on their smart phones. Some of these include: reading text messages out loud, playing music from internet radio stations, tagging songs to buy them later, finding fuel prices at nearby service stations and, most importantly, search the internet and other online activities without taking their eyes off the road or their hands from the wheel. The Tucson doesn’t offer factory integrated smart phone program access.

One of the coolest features in the Rav4 Limited is the optional 115-volt a/c outlet in the center console. This neat little addition allows you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters, which can break or get lost. This is fantastic for road trips as passengers can plug in their laptop and appliances for a nice distraction from the boredom of a long drive. The Tucson doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

We have done some serious research on every aspect of both vehicles. So who will win this Car Battle? Drum roll please.

Winner

Verdict

For this edition of Car Battles the ultimate winner is the 2012 Toyota Rav4. The Rav4 proved to be the best all around vehicle. It’s faster, it’s roomier, and it has more towing power, better off roading capabilities and talk about features! Toyota’s Rav4 is a vehicle for all groups and ages and one that promises not to disappoint.

That’s it for this edition of Car Battles. Come by Jerry’s Toyota at 8001 Belair Rd Baltimore, MD 21236 and check out our selection of 2012 Toyota Rav4’s. Or check us out on our website at http://jerrystoyota.com and follow us on twitter at @jerrystoyota and on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/jerrystoyota.