Honda Accord V6 vs Toyota Camry 2.4

While the Accord's styling has fallen behind the Camry's, the Honda's cabin is still up there with the Toyota. The Accord offers a very good driving position, adjustable steering wheel (which also has controls for the music system and the cruise control), power adjustments for the driver's seat, a 6-CD changer and dual-zone aircon. Fit and finish and the quality of materials used is beyond reproach...

The Camry's interiors look and feel properly contemporary, like the rest of the car. The dual-level instrument console found many admirers amongst us. The adjustable steering wheel has buttons for controlling the music system and the AC. Both front seats are power adjustable and there are separate AC vents for rear seat passengers.

On to the Honda then. And yes, I absolutely love that V6! While the Camry's engine is also smooth and powerful, the Honda's V6 lives on a different plane. It's an SOHC, 2997cc unit that features variable valve timing, and makes 223PS@6300rpm and 276Nm@5000rpm. Floor the throttle and the V6 sprints from zero to 60km/h in 4.7 seconds, and from zero to 100km/h takes 9.39 seconds. The Accord is, of course, significantly quicker than the Camry and you don't really need to strap on our V-box test equipment to figure that out. Right away, the Accord's V6 feels hornier and angrier than the Camry's inline-four and responds more decisively and quickly. Again, while barely audible when idling, the V6 makes the most delightful rasping, snarling noises when pushed hard and all other traffic on the road is left gasping in the wake of the Accord. It'll put a mad grin on your face, guaranteed. We also preferred the Accord's five-speed automatic to the Camry's, with the former exhibiting less of a tendency to be lazy on downshifts. The automatics on both the cars here do not have the option of clutchless manual shifting (like the system found on, say, Mercedes-Benz C-class cars), but I must admit I never felt the need to shift manually on either the Accord or the Camry. The automatics aren't totally perfect for spirited driving up and down mountain roads, but you just can't beat them in city traffic, which is where most of us usually spend most of our time driving. Measured top speed in the Accord V6 is 213km/h, which is a bit faster than the Camry's 202km/h top whack. While top speeds may not be hugely relevant for most people (how many places are there in our country, where you can do more than 200km/h anyway...), the more pertinent thing is the Accord isn't too far behind the Camry in fuel efficiency stakes. We got 7.2kmpl (city) and 12kmpl (highway) with the Accord V6, while those figures are 7.6kmpl and 13.4kmpl for the Camry. And don't forget, the Accord does feel significantly more powerful and responsive at all times and is quicker and faster than the vastly more expensive Camry.

Ride it out :
Finding the 'right' balance between outright handling prowess and sheer ride comfort would, I suppose, be one of the biggest challenges for automotive engineers everywhere. But Toyota have, more or less, cracked it with the Camry. With its long wheelbase and fairly softly tuned suspension, the Camry is a wonderfully comfortable place to be. Occupants are cosseted in the Camry's leather-lined luxury and while you can (barely) feel the bumps and potholes that litter our roads, the car isolates you from the worst of it. Ground clearance is on the lower side though, and even with just two passengers in the back seat, the Camry scrapes its undercarriage on some of our insanely high-ride speed-breakers. The cabin is, as you would expect, even more spacious than the last-generation Camry. The car really is a genuine five-seater and each of those lucky five can expect to travel in complete comfort.

THE ACCORD FEELS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE POWERFUL AND RESPONSIVE AT ALL TIMES, IS MORE DRIVER-FOCUSED, AND IS ALSO QUICKER AND FASTER THAN THE VASTLY MORE EXPENSIVE CAMRY...

The Camry is fitted with 16-inch alloys and low-profile 215/60 Yokohama rubber, which isn't really the best set up for broken roads, but does make for a lot of grip when you really need it. Steering is none too communicative, but it's certainly less vague than the previous generation car's setup. And the suspension, McPherson struts at front, dual-link struts at the rear, feels a bit soft to begin with, but doesn't give up if you insist on gaudy displays of driving enthusiasm. Of course, there's traction control and ABS to keep things in check if you do go overboard and start running out of talent. Overall, it isn't a car that was meant to be driven hard and fast - wafting along in a straight line is more like it - but at the same time, the Camry will also take all the hard accelerating, braking and cornering that you can throw at it. Without wilting, without complaining.Which brings us to the Accord V6. Like I said earlier, it straight away feels more taut, responsive and driver-centric than the Camry. It's a bit understeery, it's a bit softly set up and its 205/60 Bridgestone Turanza tyres are not nearly enough for the car's capabilities, but still, the Accord is brilliant to drive. Like the Camry, there's traction control and ABS here, but you need those less often when pushing things a bit. The steering has more feel and is more accurate than the Camry's steering and the whole car somehow seems better suited to being hustled along quickly. At the same time, we also preferred its ride quality to that of the Camry's. Whether it is ride quality, handling characteristics or ergonomics, the Accord just seems to be a better resolved package overall and there's no getting away from that.

Source: Car India June 2006.