Compare the2024 Honda AccordVS 2024 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Honda Accord have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision. The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

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 2 Series Gran Coupe 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 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Accord and the 2 Series Gran Coupe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, 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 Honda Accord has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and an “Acceptable” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The 2 Series Gran Coupe is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.

Honda’s powertrain warranty covers the Accord 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the 2 Series Gran Coupe. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the 2 Series Gran Coupe 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.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 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 above average in initial quality. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 4 places higher in reliability than BMW.

On the EPA test cycle the Accord gets better mileage than the 2 Series Gran Coupe:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Accord uses regular unleaded gasoline. The 2 Series Gran Coupe requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Accord’s standard fuel tank has 1.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the 2 Series Gran Coupe (14.8 vs. 13.2 gallons).

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 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda Accord higher (7 out of 10) than the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe (3 to 7). This means the Accord produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the 2 Series Gran Coupe every 15,000 miles.

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 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Accord stops shorter than the 2 Series Gran Coupe:

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Accord’s wheelbase is 6.3 inches longer than on the 2 Series Gran Coupe (111.4 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Accord is 1.3 inches wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the 2 Series Gran Coupe.

The front grille of the Accord uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The 2 Series Gran Coupe 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 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Accord Touring Hybrid is quieter than the M235i xDrive Gran Coupe:

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Accord a Large car, while the 2 Series Gran Coupe is rated a Compact.

The Accord has 14.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the 2 Series Gran Coupe (105.7 vs. 91).

The Accord has .9 inches more front legroom, 2.4 inches more front shoulder room, 1.6 inches more rear headroom, 6.4 inches more rear legroom and 3.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the 2 Series Gran Coupe.

The Accord has a much larger trunk than the 2 Series Gran Coupe (16.7 vs. 15.1 cubic feet).

The Accord Sport-L/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 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Accord’s standard Smart Entry allow you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the trunk, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Comfort Go standard on the 2 Series Gran Coupe only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the car.

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 Accord’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the 2 Series Gran Coupe’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Marginal.”

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 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Both the Accord and the 2 Series Gran Coupe 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 2 Series Gran Coupe.

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 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Honda Accord and the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Accord was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2024 and 25 more times in the last 26 years. The 2 Series Gran Coupe has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

The Honda Accord outsold the BMW 2 Series by over 17 to one during 2023.