Compare the2021 Lexus ES SeriesVS 2021 Honda Accord Hybrid

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid:

	ES Series	Accord Hybrid
	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 Hybrid:

	ES Series	Accord Hybrid
	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.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard front crash prevention system, and its headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the ES Series its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 97 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Accord Hybrid is only a standard “Top Pick” for 2019.

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 Hybrid’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 Hybrid. 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 Hybrid ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The ES Series’ corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Accord Hybrid’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 300h’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 3 more horsepower (215 vs. 212) than the Accord Hybrid’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid. The ES 350’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 90 more horsepower (302 vs. 212) and 35 lbs.-ft. more torque (267 vs. 232) than the Accord Hybrid’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Consumer Reports the ES 350 3.5 DOHC V6 is faster than the Honda Accord Hybrid:

	ES Series	Accord Hybrid
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

The ES Series’ standard fuel tank has 3.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Accord Hybrid (15.9 vs. 12.8 gallons).

Brakes and Stopping

The ES Series stops shorter than the Accord Hybrid:

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

Tires and Wheels

The ES Series has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Accord Hybrid; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

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

Passenger Space

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

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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid’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 Hybrid’s power lock and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The ES Series’ headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Accord Hybrid’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid EX/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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

Both the ES Series and the Accord Hybrid 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 Hybrid doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

Recommendations

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

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