Compare the2024 Honda AccordVS 2024 BMW 3 Series Sedan

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 and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW 3 Series Sedan 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 3 Series Sedan doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Accord’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the 3 Series Sedan.

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, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, 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 3 Series Sedan has not yet been fully evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

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.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 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 25 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is rated below average.

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 3 Series Sedan running its gasoline engine:

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 on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Accord Hybrid’s standard fuel tank has 2.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the 3 Series Sedan 330e’s standard fuel tank (12.8 vs. 10.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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.

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.

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.

The Accord stops shorter than the 3 Series Sedan:

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

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Accord is .5 inches wider in the front and 1.9 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the 3 Series Sedan.

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

For better maneuverability, the Accord’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the 3 Series Sedan’s (38.4 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

The Honda Accord may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 650 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, the interior of the Accord Touring Hybrid is quieter than the 330i:

The Accord has .8 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front legroom, 1.9 inches more front shoulder room, 5.6 inches more rear legroom and 1.9 inches more rear shoulder room than the 3 Series Sedan.

The Accord has a much larger trunk than the 3 Series Sedan (16.7 vs. 13 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 3 Series Sedan 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 3 Series Sedan only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the car.

Consumer Reports rated the Accord’s headlight performance “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.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Honda Accord and the BMW 3 Series Sedan, 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 3 Series Sedan has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

The Honda Accord outsold the BMW 3 Series by almost six to one during 2023.