Compare the2024 Honda AccordVS 2023 Tesla Model 3

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 Model 3 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Accord EX/Sport/EX-L/Touring’s standard Cross Traffic Monitor uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Model 3 doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The Accord has standard HondaLink Assist, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model 3 doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Accord and the Model 3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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, driver alert monitors, available blind spot warning systems and rear parking sensors.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Accord its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 67 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Model 3 has not been fully tested, yet.

Honda pays for scheduled maintenance on the Accord for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Honda will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Tesla doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Model 3.

There are over 7 times as many Honda dealers as there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Accord’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Honda Accord’s reliability 11 points higher than the Model 3 and the Honda Accord Hybrid is rated 19 points higher than the Model 3.

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 Tesla vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 67 more problems per 100 vehicles, Tesla is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Tesla vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 9 places higher in reliability than Tesla.

The Accord stops shorter than the Model 3:

The Accord has a standard space-saver spare (not available on Hybrid) so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Model 3; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Accord is .6 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Model 3.

The Accord Touring Hybrid handles at .88 G’s, while the Model 3 pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Honda Accord may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 500 to 600 pounds less than the Tesla Model 3.

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

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Accord a Large car, while the Model 3 is rated a Mid-size.

The Accord has 8.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Model 3 (105.7 vs. 97).

The Accord has 2 inches more front hip room, 1.6 inches more front shoulder room, 5.6 inches more rear legroom, 3 inches more rear hip room and 2.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Model 3.

With its sedan body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the Accord offers cargo security. The Model 3’s non-lockable folding seat defeats cargo security.

A Maintenance Minder is standard on the Accord to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes, spark plug replacement, air filter replacement, tire rotation, radiator flush, transmission fluid replacement, and vehicle inspections, based on actual driving conditions. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Tesla doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Model 3.

The Accord Touring has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Model 3 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Accord’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model 3 doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

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 Model 3 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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 Model 3 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Accord was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2024 and 25 more times in the last 26 years. The Model 3 has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.