Consumer Comparison Test: 2008 Accord, Camry and Malibu

1) Malibu
2) Accord
3) Galant (just can't vote for the Camry :) )

1.) Accord
2.) Camry
3.) Malibu
 
The Honda has reliability their new cool Nav system and it looks good. I haven't driven the new one yet.
My friend owns the Camry and it's not fun to drive but it is fast, comfortable but after about a 30 minute ride my body gets uncomfortable sitting in it. It's a good car overall but Toyota had quality control issues in 2007.
The Malibu is a bright star for GM and it's winning magazine tests but it's not likely it will hold up over the long term. I think reliability will be a factor.

1. Accord
2. Malibu
3. Camry
 
The new Accord will win this because Honda took a previous top notch product and made it better. The new 'bu is just a great looking car with a balanced chassis and simple, logical control, but it isn't quite what the accord is. And the Camry is just ugly, cheap, and boring.

1. Malibu
2. Accord
3. Camry
 
I'm not some huge biased GM fan, or Honda-for that matter. But after testing all three, the Malibu wins me over. People can diss GM's reliablility, but I have witnessed that they are moving up big time and creating several vehicles that are better than the competition. For instance, the GMC Acadia is so much nicer than the Pilot, and Highlander. I chose the Accord second, because it seems me upscale to me. It even looks better than the Acura RL (which in my oppinion is a total let down). I never have considered it sporty, but in comparison to the Carmy- yes. I put the Camry in last because it doesn't do that much for me. The ride is okay. And so is reliability. Toyota tried the hardest to ,make the car look good, but I like the styling the least. Looks like they tried to copy Mazda- and were unsuccessful.

MalibuAccord ..............................................................Camry
 
I can't decide between supporting American Renaissance or buying Honda's TL, but i definitely won't choose the Camry as a winner. However, can I ask for Honda Accord Coupe or Malibu Maxx SS instead?

My guess is...
 
1. Honda Accord
2. Chevrolet Malibu
3. Toyota Camry

1. Chevrolet Malibu
2. Honda Accord
3. Toyota Camry
 
It was a tough desicion between the new 'Bu and the Accord, but the Malibu gets it because it has a hybrid. As for the Camry, you have to be blonde to pick it.

Accord
Malibu
Camry
 
The size of the Accord can be immediately appealing. It offers spaciousness and comfort, and parking in tight spots or zipping through congested streets was probably not part of the test. Material and build quality, along with Honda reputation probably earned it high marks as well. It probably wasn't tested with navigation, so I think that is a moot point in this case. The potential spoilers could be the cluttered control layout, unexciting drive, and unpopular styling.
 
The Malibu is solid. The materials are pretty good, the seats are comfortable, and the feature list is pretty solid. From what I hear it drives really well, so I think it will win tons of points there. Possible spoilers could be the narrowness of the Epsilon body, lack of grab handles and rear armrest, and poor preconceptions of Chevy
 
The Camry is powerful, full of features, and has a good reputation. However, Toyota really cheaped out on the interior, and the recent quality concerns could be a factor. It is absolutely uninspiring to drive, and that will hurt it in the comparison.

1. Accord
2. Malibu
3. Camry
 
That's my order of preference, and my guess for the results. I like the Malibu a lot, but I'm a huge fan of the new Accord's styling so that's why it gets the top pick. The Camry is good too, but I dont like driving a car which is so common. Plus I dont like the interior a whole lot, its pretty dull.

"The Camry is powerful"
 
Stov, these are the more mainstream 4cyl models not the V6, remember all these cars are in the $23000 range.
 
Edmunds, I know the Accord is the LX-P version by looking at the pictures but what are the exact trims of the Bu' and the Camry?

1. Accord
2. Malibu
3. Camry
 
The Accord is a great car, I drove a EX-L V6 Navi about a week ago. Good power and handling, and I really liked the interior, great materials and fit and finish was top-notch. The interior is very spacious as is the trunk which will be defenitely benefit the Accord, even some think its gotten to big.Styling is also (IMO) a strong point of the Accord, I actually really like the exterior styling, much improved over the previous model, and the interior is also very attractive.
 
Although I have not driven the Malibu I have sat in one and had the chance to fiddle around with the controls. The interior materials are a HUGE step forward although not class leading and the fit and finish of the interior was quite impressive. The interior was quite spacious and pretty comfortable, although not at the front of the heap, and i found the back seat a little cramped and the seat just a tad to hard for my liking. I also really like the styling, didn't really care for it when I first saw it, buts its grown on me.
 
The Camry while a good car, it just doesn't do anything really good. I drove my neighbours XLE V6. Quite powerful, nice on the highway, quiet interior, nice around town but he quality of the interior was very disappointing and had some serious alignment issues. One thing that is good about the interiour is its spaciousness, and is pretty comfortable. The styling or lack there of is almost painful. The Camry just doesn't represent the best Toyota can do. They just shouldn't have cheaped out.

"Stov, these are the more mainstream 4cyl models not the V6, remember all these cars are in the $23000 range."
 
Good point. Well that just puts the Accord and Malibu even farther ahead, as both of their 4 cyl engines are better than the Camry's. Really, in my mind it is a close battle between the Malibu and the Accord. Personally, I prefer the smaller size of the Malibu, but this is America, where bigger is generally perceived by the market to be better. The Accord's styling is also a turnoff, especially compared to the Malibu, but that is entirely my personal taste. On the other hand, the Accord seems to offer better features, and Honda at least has retained their sterling quality and reliability reputation. I'd say either one would be a good choice for mid-size sedan buyers. I'd have to drive both back to back to say for sure which one was ultimately better, so I'm looking forward to this report. I really wanted to apply for this contest, but I didn't meet the 21 year age requirement.

Boo - no Altima.
 
Seems like there's a pattern around here - Accord, Malibu, Camry.

Yes, I would have liked to see the Fusion and the Altima included, it seems assumed they would be below all three. My guess without knowing options on Camry and Malibu follows the pack:
 
Accord
Malibu
Camry

I dont think these are four cylinder cars. The Malibu appears to have the 18" wheels that come with the LT V6 model.
 
My order would be Malibu, Accord and then Camry but I doubt that will be the finishing order.
 
Everyone talking about nav needs to remember that these cars will not have nav and most accord buyers do not get nav. Its a nice feature for the Accord but not one Accord buyers are willing to pay for, especially since its only available with the EX-L model. If you subtract that the accord is just a regular car, which isnt a criticism. The Accord is only better equipped than the Malibu when you test the EX-L trim. look at the other trims and its a different story. For $24k or so you can get a Malibu V6 with 6 speed auto, 18s, XM radio, heated seats, 210W 8 speaker system, remote start, etc. The LTZ ads fog lights, chrome trim, LED lights and a few other things that bump the price up.

Why WAS the Altima not included in this test?

Aside from the Altima, up until now I'd say the Accord has always been above anything else in its class based on driving dynamics, especially in the 4 cylinder segment. It is smooth revving all the way to redline, it has excellent steering response and it was great in the handling dept. despite the FWD setup (bones in the front went a long way) It also had the classiest, richest interior and (in manual form) the most fantastic gearbox in the segment.
 
But once the 7th generation Accord came around, the car got to big to be sporty like the ones before it so cars like the Mazda6 and the Altima caught up to it and IMHO even surpassed it in driving dynamics. Sure, the V6 with the stick was the ultimate modern day "sleeper car" (Smoked the 04' GTO 0-60 back in the day) but the size and weight made the car less tossable in the corners :(
 
Of course I expect a couple of folks will come back and tell me I'm way off and the best handling/driving car is Chevy Corsica or a Pontiac GrandMA or something...
 
Regarding this test, even though I don't expect the Accord to be that much better performing than the Camry, it still has the multi-link setup up front which should help turn in and make the car "feel" more nimble than it actually is. Where it does hold its own will be on the interior. The ergonomics are still excellent, the materials used are still rich and high quality and the Navigation system is outstanding in its ease of use and visibility (Of course because others decided not to offer one, it doesn't count though...). Hence, I expect it to place in first.

"I dont think these are four cylinder cars. The Malibu appears to have the 18" wheels that come with the LT V6 model."
 
1487, I know for sure that the Accord LX-P and Camry LE shown in the pictures are 4cyl models. The Malibu has to be a 4cyl as well as a Malibu 1LT doesnt have the V6 option. The Malibu 2LT has the V6 option but choosing the V6 would be near $25K. So Ecotech it is!
 
"Regarding this test, even though I don't expect the Accord to be that much better performing than the Camry, it still has the multi-link setup up front which should help turn in and make the car "feel" more nimble than it actually is. Where it does hold its own will be on the interior."
 
AnythingbutGM, the Accord still maintains its signature double wishbone front suspension. The rear suspension is an independent multi-link setup.

Yeah, the bones in the front is what I meant to say. Thanks.

OK, I thought those were the wheels that come with the V6. They must be i-4 models. The thing I like about the Malibu is that it doesnt look cheap in any trim, not even 1LT trim. The other two look like Hertz specials.

1) Malibu.
2) Accord
3) Camry
 
http://www.caranddriver.com/bestcars/14362/2008-chevrolet-malibu.html

Thankfully the other are not Hertz specials, less than 10% fleet sales for the Camry, less than 5% for the Accord.
 
On the other hand the Malibu racks up 60% fleet sales and doesn't even crack 100k retail.
 
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/06/what-actually-sells-fleet-sales-for-first-half-of-2007/
 
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/07/fleet2.jpg