With the launch of the 2020 Honda Accord, the Japanese executive sedan “big three” has now seen either a substantial re-fresh or a full-blown model change. Eschewing a large displacement normally-aspirated engine, the Accord has now adopted turbocharged power, following the same path laid down, at least locally, by the Mazda6. Naturally, a spec brawl beckons.
Priced at P 2,288,000, the all-new, tenth-generation Accord is now the most expensive in this trio, with the Mazda6 2.5 Turbo coming in as the next most expensive (P 2,250,000), and surprisingly, the Camry now becoming the most affordable (P 2,007,000) of the lot.
Despite some complaints about the Camry’s carryover powertrain, the 2.5-liter 4-cylinder manages to withstand the test of time, almost matching the Accord’s new fangled 1.5-liter VTEC Turbo in power (184 horsepower vs 190 horsepower). It does gain an advantage in torque with its 231 Nm to the Accord’s 260 Nm. The biggest winner here though is the Mazda6’s 2.5-liter turbocharged engine which gives 38 percent more torque and 17 percent more horsepower.
The Mazda6’s strength continues with its impressive array of standard creature comfort features with its larger 19-inch rims, 11-speaker Bose sound system, ventilated front seats (with memory), and sunroof. It’s also the only executive sedan in this group to offer a 360-degree camera on top of the front and rear proximity sensors which are offered on both the Camry and Accord.
While the Accord does lose in way of luxury features, it makes a major comeback in terms of interior dimensions. With the exception of front hip and rear head room, it trounces these two. Furthermore, it’s got the largest trunk capacity.
In terms of safety features, Honda’s done well to embrace safety by making its Honda SENSING as standard equipment. This bundles things such as Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low Speed Follow (LSF), Lane Keeping Assist (LKAS), Road Departure Mitigation (RDM), and Auto High Beam. That said, the Mazda6 offers lane keep assist and automatic high beam control on top of blind spot indicators with cross traffic alert and a 360-degree camera—features that aren’t found in the Accord.
Which one makes for the most convincing case? Perhaps a head-to-head is needed to settle this debate.
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