Compare the2022 Honda AccordVS 2022 Lexus IS

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

Safety

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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 IS 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 IS’ airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The Accord’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The IS doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Accord and the IS have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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, 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 Lexus IS:

	Accord	IS
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	23%	35%
Neck Stress	184 lbs.	429 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	231/338 lbs.	599/675 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	266	282
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.5 inches
Neck Injury Risk	34%	41%
Neck Stress	140 lbs.	152 lbs.
Neck Compression	54 lbs.	81 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	378/216 lbs.	399/459 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 Lexus IS:

	Accord	IS
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	140	142
Chest Movement	.8 inches	1 inches
Abdominal Force	152 G’s	203 G’s
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	428 lbs.	438 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	15 inches
HIC	242	293
Spine Acceleration	34 G’s	34 G’s

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

Warranty

There are over 4 times as many Honda dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Accord’s warranty.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Accord’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the IS’ camshafts. If the IS’ belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Accord gets better mileage than the IS:

			MPG
Accord
	FWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	30 city/38 hwy
		Touring 1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	29 city/35 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/32 hwy
IS
	RWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/31 hwy
		3.5 DOHC V6	20 city/28 hwy
		5.0 V8	17 city/25 hwy
	AWD	350 F Sport 3.5 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
		300 AWD 3.5 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stop lights the Accord 1.5T’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The IS doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Accord uses regular unleaded gasoline. The IS 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 IS 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 Lexus IS (5). This means the Accord produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the IS 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 IS.

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 IS doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Accord stops shorter than the IS:

	Accord	IS
60 to 0 MPH	109 feet	117 feet	Motor Trend

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 IS doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Accord’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the IS (111.4 inches vs. 110.2 inches).

The Accord Touring handles at .89 G’s, while the IS 300 AWD pulls only .88 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

Chassis

The Honda Accord may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 to 550 pounds less than the Lexus IS.

The front grille of the Accord Sport SE/EX-L uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The IS doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

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

Passenger Space

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Accord a Large car, while the IS is rated a Compact.

The Accord has 15.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the IS (105.6 vs. 90.2).

The Accord has 1.3 inches more front headroom, 1 inch more front hip room, 2.4 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear headroom, 8.2 inches more rear legroom, 1 inch more rear hip room and 3.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the IS.

Cargo Capacity

The Accord has a much larger trunk than the IS (16.7 vs. 10.8 cubic feet).

Towing

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

Ergonomics

The Accord Touring has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The IS doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Accord’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The IS’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Accord has standard extendable sun visors. The IS doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Both the Accord and the IS offer available heated front seats. The Accord Touring also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the IS.

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 IS 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 $925 to $5865 less than the IS over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Accord is less expensive to operate than the IS because it costs $255 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Accord than the IS, including $235 less for a water pump, $474 less for a starter, $177 less for fuel injection, $88 less for front struts, $926 less for a timing belt/chain and $417 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Honda Accord will be $11114 to $15146 less than for the Lexus IS.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Honda Accord and the Lexus IS, 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 IS 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 IS 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 IS has never been chosen.

The Honda Accord outsold the Lexus IS by over 8 to one during the 2021 model year.