Compare the2021 Lexus ES SeriesVS 2021 Honda Accord

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Lexus ES Series have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Honda Accord doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

The ES Series has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Accord doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The ES 250 AWD has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Accord doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The ES Series offers an optional Panoramic View Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Accord only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the ES Series and the Accord have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Lexus ES Series is safer than the Honda Accord:

	ES Series	Accord
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	120	261
Neck Compression	30 lbs.	74 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Lexus ES Series is safer than the Honda Accord:

	ES Series	Accord
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	85	140
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.8 inches
Hip Force	264 lbs.	431 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	300	386
Spine Acceleration	43 G’s	62 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	13 inches
Hip Force	570 lbs.	756 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

The ES Series comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Accord’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Lexus’ powertrain warranty covers the ES Series 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Honda covers the Accord. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Accord ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The ES Series’ corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Accord’s (6 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are better in initial quality than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus 12th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 18 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 19th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lexus first in reliability, above the industry average. With 64 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 27th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Lexus vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Lexus third in reliability. Honda is ranked fifth.

Engine

The ES Series has more powerful engines than the Accord:

	Horsepower
ES 250 AWD 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder	203 HP
ES 300h 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid	215 HP
ES 350 3.5 DOHC V6	302 HP
Accord 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder	192 HP
Accord 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder	252 HP

As tested in Consumer Reports the ES 350 3.5 DOHC V6 is faster than the Honda Accord 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder:

	ES Series	Accord
Zero to 30 MPH	3 sec	3.1 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	6.9 sec	7.7 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.2 sec	5 sec
Quarter Mile	15.4 sec	16.1 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	97 MPH	91 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the ES 300h CVT gets better fuel mileage than the Accord CVT (43 city/44 hwy vs. 30 city/38 hwy).

Regenerative brakes improve the ES Series Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Accord doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The ES Series’ standard fuel tank has 1.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Accord (15.9 vs. 14.8 gallons).

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the ES Series’ standard brake rotors are larger than those on the Accord:

	ES Series	Accord
Front Rotors	12 inches	11.5 inches

The ES Series stops shorter than the Accord:

	ES Series	Accord
60 to 0 MPH	132 feet	135 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	139 feet	142 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the ES Series’ wheelbase is 1.6 inches longer than on the Accord (113 inches vs. 111.4 inches).

For better maneuverability, the ES Series’ turning circle is .2 feet tighter than the Accord LX/EX-L’s (38 feet vs. 38.2 feet). The ES Series w/18-19” wheels’ turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the Accord 2.0T’s (38.8 feet vs. 39.6 feet).

Passenger Space

The ES Series has .1 inches more front legroom and .5 inches more rear headroom than the Accord.

The front step up height for the ES Series is 1.7 inches lower than the Accord (14.8” vs. 16.5”).

Cargo Capacity

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the ES Series’ power trunk can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Accord doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

Servicing Ease

The ES Series uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Accord uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Lexus service is better than Honda. J.D. Power ranks Lexus second in service department satisfaction. With a 66% lower rating, Honda is ranked 23rd.

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the ES Series and the Accord have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the ES Series is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Accord prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The ES Series’ front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Accord’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The ES Series’ power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Accord’s power window (except driver window), power lock and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the ES Series offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Accord doesn’t offer cornering lights.

A power rear sunshade is optional in the ES Series and manual rear side window sunshades are standard in the ES Series Ultra Luxury to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Accord doesn’t offer a rear or rear side window sunshades.

The ES Series’ standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Honda only offers heated mirrors on the Accord Sport 2.0T/Sport SE/EX-L/Touring.

The ES Series’ standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Accord offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

On extremely cold winter days, the ES Series’ optional heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The Accord doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

Both the ES Series and the Accord offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the ES Series has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Accord doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the ES Series owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the ES Series with a number “1” insurance rate while the Accord is rated higher at a number “8” rate.

The ES Series will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the ES Series will retain 45.88% to 46.4% of its original price after five years, while the Accord only retains -377.8% to 54%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the ES Series is less expensive to operate than the Accord because typical repairs cost less on the ES Series than the Accord, including $51 less for fuel injection and $108 less for a fuel pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Lexus ES Series and the Honda Accord, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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