Compare the2022 Honda AccordVS 2022 BMW 3 Series Sedan

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Honda Accord are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Accord Sport 2.0T/Sport SE/EX-L/Touring are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Accord deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Accord’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The 3 Series Sedan’s airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

Both the Accord and the 3 Series Sedan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, 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, rear parking sensors 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 Honda Accord is safer than the BMW 3 Series Sedan:

	Accord	3 Series Sedan
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	23%	23%
Neck Stress	184 lbs.	207 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Stress	140 lbs.	170 lbs.
Neck Compression	54 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 Honda Accord is safer than the BMW 3 Series Sedan:

	Accord	3 Series Sedan
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.8 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	152 G’s	179 G’s
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	428 lbs.	532 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	242	270
Spine Acceleration	34 G’s	39 G’s

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 vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Accord its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 74 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The 3 Series Sedan is only a standard “Top Pick” for 2021.

Warranty

Honda’s powertrain warranty covers the Accord 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the 3 Series Sedan. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the 3 Series Sedan ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 3 times as many Honda dealers as there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Accord’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda 17th in initial quality. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 20th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 7 places higher in reliability than BMW.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Accord gets better mileage than the 3 Series Sedan:

			MPG
Accord
	FWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	30 city/38 hwy
		Touring 1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	29 city/35 hwy
3 Series Sedan
	RWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	26 city/36 hwy
		3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	23 city/32 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/34 hwy
		3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	23 city/32 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Accord uses regular unleaded gasoline. The 3 Series Sedan requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Accord has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda Accord higher (7 out of 10) than the BMW 3 Series Sedan (5 to 7). This means the Accord produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the 3 Series Sedan every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Honda Accord 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the 3 Series Sedan.

The Accord has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Accord stops shorter than the 3 Series Sedan:

	Accord	3 Series Sedan
70 to 0 MPH	162 feet	165 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	109 feet	114 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Accord Sport/Touring’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 3 Series Sedan (235/40R19 vs. 225/35R20).

The Accord 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 3 Series Sedan; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed. Some tire options on the 3 Series Sedan don’t have a run-flat feature, either.

Suspension and Handling

The Accord’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The Accord Sport handles at .90 G’s, while the 330i xDrive pulls only .89 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

The Honda Accord may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 550 pounds less than the BMW 3 Series Sedan.

The Accord uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the Accord EX-L is quieter than the 330i (68 vs. 69 dB).

Passenger Space

The Accord has .8 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front legroom, 2.3 inches more front shoulder room, 5.2 inches more rear legroom and 1.9 inches more rear shoulder room than the 3 Series Sedan.

The rear step up height for the Accord is 1.3 inches lower than the 3 Series Sedan (15” vs. 16.3”).

Cargo Capacity

The Accord has a much larger trunk than the 3 Series Sedan (16.7 vs. 13 cubic feet).

Towing

The Accord 2.0L Turbo offers up to a 1000 lbs. towing capacity. The 3 Series Sedan has no towing capacity.

Ergonomics

The Accord EX-L/Touring’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

Consumer Reports rated the Accord’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the 3 Series Sedan’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Accord Touring keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Honda Accord EX-L/Sport 2.0T/Touring has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Accord owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Accord will cost $775 to $8550 less than the 3 Series Sedan over a five-year period.

The Accord will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Accord will retain 49.19% to 52.23% of its original price after five years, while the 3 Series Sedan only retains 42.53% to 43.57%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Accord is less expensive to operate than the 3 Series Sedan because it costs $445 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Accord than the 3 Series Sedan, including $448 less for a water pump, $461 less for a muffler, $101 less for front brake pads, $102 less for a starter, $15 less for fuel injection, $325 less for front struts and $800 less for a timing belt/chain.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda Accord will be $19525 to $28963 less than for the BMW 3 Series Sedan.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Honda Accord and the BMW 3 Series Sedan, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Accord was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 25 of the last 27 years. The 3 Series Sedan has never been a Car and Driver “Top Ten” pick.

The Accord 2.0T Sport was chosen as one of Automobile Magazine’s “All Stars” in 2018. The 3 Series Sedan has never been an “All Star.”

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Accord as the 2018 North American Car of the Year. The 3 Series Sedan has never been chosen.

The Honda Accord outsold the BMW 3 Series by over four to one during the 2021 model year.