I have a 1996 Toyota Camry that I bought used and it has lasted forever. I know I should buy an SUV like everyone else is, but I like my boring, dependable sedans. I'm ready to sell it to my grandson and get a newer used one. Any reason for me to look at anything else? An Accord seems like the obvious competition. I'm considering a 2012, the first year of the newest version. – Armand, Newmarket, Ont.
Maybe someday you'll have to explain to your great-great grandkids what a sedan was – "They were like compact SUVs but with a trunk" – but today, people are still buying sedans.
In fact, the Camry has been the top-selling car in the United States since 2002 – and the fourth top-selling vehicle overall.
The Camry's not quite as popular in Canada – here the top-selling car is the Honda Civic – but it's the top-selling mid-sized sedan. Since 2012, Canadians have bought more than 116,000 of them.
So why look elsewhere? While Toyota and Honda used to be the most reliable sedans in town, the competition has caught up.
If you think the Camry looks dull, there are snazzier options. The second-generation Ford Focus was new for 2013 and, depending on trim, will probably cost less than a 2012 Camry.
Consumer Reports and Edmunds suggest the Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima and Volkswagen Passat as cheaper alternatives to Honda and Toyota.
Other options: Chevy Malibu, Mazda6 and Nissan Altima.
One to skip? The Chrysler 200, which Consumer Reports ranked last on its list of 19 mid-sized cars.
2012 Toyota Camry LE
- Seventh generation: 2012-present
- Average price for base: $16,275 (Canadian Black Book)
- Transmission: Six-speed automatic
- Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
- Fuel economy (litres/100 km): 9.5 city, 6.7 highway
Consumer Reports's top complaint about the Camry: "Everyone has one." But there's a reason for that.
"Sure, it might seem vanilla, but the Camry truly delivers what shoppers want in a mid-size sedan," Consumer Reports said. "The Camry's no-fuss driving experience – great outward visibility, controls that fall easily to hand, a roomy interior – may not be the most thrilling in its class, but it's far from its undeserved boring reputation."
The magazine likes the Camry's quiet cabin, big trunk, practicality, reliability, comfortable ride and sound handling. It says the fuel economy from the base engine lags behind some competitors.
The 2012 redesign improved handling and quality of the interior, Consumer Reports said.
But Edmunds said that even with the improvements, every Camry model except the SE has numb steering and a general disconnected feel that make it "a less desirable car to drive than most rivals."
The base four-cylinder delivers 178 horsepower. With the Hybrid – with CVT – you get 200. The 3.5-litre V-6 delivers 268. There's no standard offered.
Consumer Reports says reliability is excellent. It gets an excellent predicted used car reliability for every year except 2012, the first year of the new generation. That year, it gets better than average.
2012 Honda Accord SE
- Eighth generation: 2008-2012
- Average price for base: $15,476 (Canadian Black Book)
- Transmission: Five-speed automatic, five-speed manual
- Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
- Fuel economy (litres/100 km): 10.3 city, 7.0 highway (automatic), 10.1 city, 7.0 highway (manual)
By 2012, the eighth generation Accord was only four years old, but it was showing its age.
"The fact that the Accord is no longer the hands-down class leader it once was is testimony to how far family sedans have come in recent years," Edmunds said. "The sedan's large dimensions cause body roll in corners and the ride quality isn't as comfortable as what you'll get from other top sedans."
Edmunds praised the Accord's visibility, passenger room and good resale value but panned road noise and quality of the interior.
Consumer Reports liked the Accord's ride, steering, rear-seat room and crash test results but complained about its "sparse amenities"
The base engine delivers 177 horsepower. EX models get a modified 190-horsepower version. The EX and EX-L have an optional 271-horsepower V-6.
If you want the Accord's newest generation instead – which reviewers say is an improvement all around – you'll need to buy a 2013 or later. The average price for a base with automatic is $17,046.
Consumer Reports said reliability for both generations is excellent. The 2012 Accord gets excellent predicted used car reliability, while 2013 and later get above average.