Comparing Accord to Camry

Not to start a religious war but just wanted some feedback from people
more experienced than me. I own a 2000 Accord that has no ABS. I
bought it in FL and didn't feel the need for one. Needless to say,
now that I am in MA, I regret that decision. A lot.

Recently I came across this ad for a used Toyota Camry 2002 LE with
ABS selling for about 13k (private party). Now, granted the history
of that car maybe suspect and my car's is known to me, but barring
that aspect, is there anything else that I should keep in mind?

I can see all the goodies, like it has a premium JBL 8 speakers (as
mentioned in the ad) sound, CD *and* cassette, 2002 vs 2000 model, and
of course, ABS. But what about power and handling and stuff like
that? How do people here compare a Camry LE to an Accord LX? (I
always thought the Hondas had a little more snob value. So both me
and my wife don't like the idea of downgrading our ride in that
sense.)

Also, if the car was bought from the dealer with 5000 miles on it (it
was a "loaner" at the dealership) is that necessarily a very bad
thing? Or should it just discount the book value by a grand or so?

TIA.

 

I think a loaner is probably a safer bet than a used car that the dealer
acquired on trade-in.

For one thing, the dealer's service department probably adhered pretty rigidly
to maintaining the loaner, if only to ensure the warranty was kept sound.
(Granted, there's not much to be done on a car so young.) You can ask for the
service records on the car and they may have them and be willing to turn them
over.

www.edmunds.com will give you what seems a good approximate of the book value of
a used car, based on year, mileage, general condition, who's selling it (dealer
or private party), etc. Seems very helpful in situations like this...

Good luck.

 

My take on Accord vs Camry is simply that they are both great cars. A little
more "American" ride to the Camry and quieter. We own one of each and I
would be hard pressed to pick one over the other for quality.

One has ABS and the other not and I do not mind either braking action.

The Honda was purchased as a demonstrator with 15000 km on it and has been
trouble free for almost 12 years with only replaceable items being done and
regular oil changes. The 99 Camry purchased from a reputable dealer with
45000km has not had a failure and just the replacement items done on it as
required. We have had that one for two and a half years now and plan to have
it a good while. No doubt in the next two years the Accord will be replaced.
The choice is much wider even today as all auto makers have increased their
quality thanks to Honda and Toyato's market leadership. Even the South
Korean autos are getting good reviews now and several of our kids have had
great sucess with Hyundais.

It will be a long time before I can be swayed back to the big three however
as I feel they still owe me bigtime for the junk I drove in the 70's and
80's.
I had a 92 Chrysler 5th Avenue that cost dearly to maintain. Poor
electronics and transmissions.

Happy Motoring
Mike

 

I've owned a 1995 Camry and now a 2003 Accord. The Camry was by far
the best car I've ever owned in nearly every respect. My daughter now
has it. Now eight years old with 130K it drives pretty much like it
did the day I bought it. I've had almost no problems other than the
usual brakes, tires, etc. Stainless steel exhaust is still perfect (I
did have to replace the flexible connector in the front at about 7
years). Comfortable, quiet, good mileage, reasonable pickukp, cruises
all day at 80+ getting 30+ miles per gallon. What's not to like.

I would have quickly purchased a new Camry, but I don't happen to like
the body style or interior. Just my taste. Nothing wrong with it. My
wife liked it, but it was to be my car. So I bought the Honda which I
also like. I'm assuming it too will hold up.

Here's what I sense is different so far ...

Camry is quieter and rides more smoothly / softly; Honda is stiffer
and noisier, but handles a bit better -- or at least feels more sure.
You can't even hear the engine running on the Camry.

To me the Honda looks and feels more sporty than the newer Camry.

I love ABS. Honda comes standard. Sounds like the Camry you're
considering has it as well.

Amenities you have to decide for yourself.

FYI, I purchased my Camry from Hertz. It had 22K and was 6 months old
at the time. I saved about $4K off the same year new. Since at the
time I drove relatively low miles, it was a good deal for me. I
reviewed the maintenance records and the car has obviously been very
reliable. A 2002 Camry with about 25K miles was ~$15K last spring, but
it is now a two year old model. I would think from a private party you
should be able to get it for less than that. But many factors have to
be considered.

I would have any used car thoroughly inspected by a reputable dealer
or service center.

Good luck.

 

Well, how do you feel about starting to pay again every month? I lived in
the snow belt of NY state, and no question, ABS is wonderful. Can you do
without ABS, absolutely.

If your current car is running great, keep that extra $$$ in your pocket and
enjoy your Honda. If you feel the need, go buy snow tires. Say you get
VERY expensive snow tires, it'll cost $600. Still that is about a month and
a half car payment on your new-to-you Camry.

Keep the Accord and just be careful, as I know you already are.

Keith
'99 Accord EX-L V6

 

I agree with the other statements, pretty much a toss-up generally
between Camry and Accord, probably two of the best transportation
modules ever built.

Are they both 4 cylinder, both 6 cylinder, both automatics?

Camry a little cushier. Accord a little sportier.

I don't follow this, a private party is selling a 2002 car *they*
bought from the dealer? That wouldn't matter to you now, not really.

The idea of keeping your Accord and investing in snow tires is
probably good advice. Unless you were ready to trade your 2000 now in
any case.

J.

 

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen for the responses so far.

Interesting point there by Keith J saying snow tires and driving
carefully would serve me well in the lack of ABS. I never thought of
that. Lack of ABS is the only reason I want to *replace* my car (most
other annoyances can be fixed). Of course I didn't want to pay the
dealership extra $$$$ for trade-in so my wife mentioned searching
classifieds for a private party sale.

But I would happily keep my Honda if I were to get ABS in it. If snow
tires are near as safe, then by all means, I would start researching
today. (Of course there are some more amenities in the Camry so I was
thinking if I get the car for about $12,500 and sell mine for about
$9,000, then that is about 3.5 grand for ABS, sound system and a newer
model car. I have an appointment for this Saturday and I will decide
based on what it looks and feels like.)

So, snow tires would help me brake and even drive better in winter?
They may not be close to ABS and 4WD but would they have a significant
impact? I think they are definitely worth it because this is my only
vehicle and my wife drives it too. And I am always worried when she
is out driving in this winter with my 3 year old.

Best regards and stay warm.

 

I agree with the winter tire thing.
Living in New Brunswick with some nasty winter storms, I refuse to drive a
vehicle in the winter with anything but winter tires. Even brand new
"all-season" tires aren't comparable to good quality winter tires...

 

Bryan,

One last thing, if I remember correctly V6 Camrys run on premium gas, V6
Accords take normal. On the long run it will add up.
Oh yeah, I never liked the Camry's dashboard, the Honda's larger dials and
thinner pointers are a bit more pleasing, but it's subjective. But you'll
be looking at them for a while!

Pete

 

I like ABS and wouldn't buy a car without it. Having said that, I
drove in the snow many years without it. Until a few years ago, nearly
all the cars on the road did not have ABS. ABS is not magic; it
doesn't take the place of good winter driving skills. It is a
wonderful invention, but like four wheel / all wheel drive, I think
people sometimes count on it too much.

If you like the Camry and its amenities including ABS, it may be worth
the few thousand to trade up. I would certainly not do this just to
get ABS.

As others have mentioned, I think the ownership pattern is strange and
would make me a bit suspicious. Most 2002 models are one owner cars.

Good luck.