Honda Vs. Toyota: Which Brand is Better?

The best-selling Japanese cars in the US market are those made by Toyota and Honda. These two legendary and largest Japanese automakers are constantly competing with each other. But to decide which brand is best, a potential buyer should evaluate the priorities, compare the price of purchase and service, analyze reviews, and consider many other factors. To simplify the choice, the used car mavens from Indy Auto Man offer a comprehensive Toyota vs. Honda comparison.

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Reliability

Perhaps the most important factor indicating whether it is worth buying a particular car is reliability. To find out which of the two Japanese automakers, Toyota or Honda, is the most reliable, one may look at the automaker’s reliability ratings compiled annually by the American independent publication Consumer Reports. So, Toyota luxury brand Lexus dominates the 2022 Consumer Reports reliability rating of automakers, with the most reliable Luxus GX and its 100 of 100 scores. There are another three Toyota entities on this list: Prius Prime (93), Prius (91), and Highlander (88). The Toyota brand itself took the third position, while Honda was the sixth. Its most reliable Civic gained only 70 scores.  

Toyota has a clear advantage in this category. For more details, read the Toyota vs. Honda reliability comparison. 

Quality

Honda and Toyota are known for the high quality of their cars. The average resource of engines is 160-180 thousand miles before the first problems. Most of the gearboxes go the same amount, even if they are conditionally unreliable CVTs. Both brands care a lot about their image and constantly upgrade their cars to stay on top.

Interestingly, both companies have premium brands and technologies which are gradually moving into standard cars. For Toyota, it is the Lexus brand, and for Honda – Acura. That is, when buying one of these cars, you get premium technologies from two or three years ago, which have already been tried and tested on more technologically advanced and expensive cars. This is not bad, given the difference in price between premium and regular cars.

Performance

Performance is as important as reliability. If we compare the power of Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic engines, which these cars are equipped with as standard, it will turn out that the Honda Civic has a motor that has 19 hp more than the Toyota Corolla. In addition, the design of the Honda Civic is more sporty than that of the Toyota Corolla. 

Therefore, in this category, Honda leads by a small margin. 

Maintenance Cost and Operation

In terms of maintenance costs and quality of operation, Toyota and Honda cars have little difference. They are similar in everything from technology to design. But still, servicing a Honda will cost a little more since there are not so many official dealers in Indianapolis. They are monopolists, and some technologies will not be serviced or repaired at third-party service stations.

Therefore, buying a Toyota looks like a more practical solution. There are many dealerships here, and the technologies are well-known to third-party service centers. The cost of spare parts from Toyota, although not low, does not compare with the huge price tags for original Honda parts.

Read This Also: Tips for Buying a Used Nissan Altima

Safety

Those who love speed should pay special attention to safety when choosing a car, as it is no less significant than performance. According to the tests conducted by the American National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Honda Accord, Honda Civic, and Honda Insight received the highest safety rating, which no other Toyota car can boast. 

Choice of Models

The choice of Toyota models is an order of magnitude greater than that of Honda. Toyota produces cars of all classes, including minivans, pickups, and even commercial vehicles, while Honda does not have such a variety of models.

But to choose which brand to buy, one should compare Toyota vs. Honda models of the same class, for example, Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. In general, the Honda Civic has more smart features, is more comfortable, and is more modern than the Corolla in almost every way. The Civic can be considered a premium class in the segment of affordable compact sedans. The Toyota Corolla may seem a bit outdated in this comparison. However, a test drive is a must to select the winner. Those who want to compare Toyota and Honda models face to face in Indianapolis are always welcome to Indy Auto Man.

Next, read this: Should You Still Buy A Sedan In 2021?

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