comparison test 2013 Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry

All Car Central's comparison test 2013 Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry Photos and Stories.

comparison test 2013 Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry

The 2013 cars are on the dealers floors and ready to go. Fit, finish, performance, safety, reliability, and pleasure is what it is all about in the new cars.

Modern cars have all the fit, finish, performance, safety and reliability established and solidly engineered into them so the buyers choice mostly comes down to, personality of the car matching the personality of the buyer. That is the pleasure part. But how is a buyer able to make a side-by-side comparison when their test drives are on the public streets under different conditions and different environments? Assuming one has narrowed the choice down to similar models, that is, those which have nearly the same features and same class of car, ie. midsize, sport or compact, what does one look for during the test drive?

Reading automotive magazine testers notes is a good starting point. Making a check list of your own is a good next step. Make a list of what interested you when reading the road test reports. This will allow you to have something to concentrate on during your own test drives beside which radio station the radio is set on.

Honda Accord

As a primer here are some starting points to consider.

IN THE LOT:
1. Interior controls: how easy is it to operate the dash and steering wheel controls. With electronics taking over the car designers and engineers this is becoming a big consideration. Can you see and read all the gages from your driving position.

2. Type of material used on the inside. Will the dash crack in the hot just after the warranty expires (which probably does not cover this anyway) and before the last car payment is made. Will it age quickly ?

3. Is the trunk space well padded and easy to get things into and out of.

4. Shifting lever. Is this easy to operate?

ON THE ROAD:
1. Can you see out the back side windows for pulling out and backing?

2. Ease of turning the steering wheel. Does it feel comfortable?

3. Acceleration. How does the car move forward. Quick? Smoothly?

4. Turning: Does the car start its turn quickly? Or just smoothly?

5. Stability: turn the wheel back and forth, (watch for cars near you). How much does the car lean from side to side?

6. Stop abruptly. (check rear traffic first). How much does the front dive downward? Do the brakes react like you expect?

7. Ride firmness: how firm is the ride over ruff spots in the road. Is the ride, floaty, smooth, stiff, harsh, jarring,

Choosing your car because you saw some cute, guy/girl, driving one is good, but including the above criteria in your decision making should add to the long term pleasure of owning your next shinny new car.

Static Test;

For the Static Test;
All four of our cars could be considered quite equal in the fit and finish on the outside. Some had more chrome accents with the Nissan having the most and the Honda having the least. Overall the size and proportions were very similar. Most all of the models had tie-down hooks inside the trunk and some protection on the sides and on the inside of the lid. However none had any protection for the rear speakers and other devices that projected into the trunk space. Trying to stuff a large patio chair that was on sale could create some internal trunk damage.

A driver makes essentially 3 points of contact with the car. The steering wheel, the seat and the floor peddles.

The Honda steering wheel had the most rounded cross section and therefore for me the most comfortable for my hands. The other cars had 'highly stylized shapes' that I would assume were designed for hand comfort based on each maker's internal testing. The Nissan's steering wheel had bright metal sections which I found to be distracting.

Dash board controls: the car has entered the computer age and the dash is becoming the 'control' center. The Honda came with 2 screens which could be too distracting or easier to use; as one would not need to be switching programs back and forth between let's say, Nav information and what is playing on the music channel. All of the cars' dash and steering wheel controls were, for me, too complex and spread all over every conceivable space. My comment to the manufactures at this point is "Hey! Were trying to drive a car here and don't want to slam into something while trying to work all these switches, buttons and menus. Nav is great and rear cameras are great, but the rest of this stuff??

Rolling Test;

The models of the cars tested were 4-door sedans at their base models, and run on a laid-out course in a controlled parking lot. Speeds were at normal driving of 30 to 40 MPH.

The cars were driven over 2 different test loops. The first had an "avoidance" maneuver and side-to-side balance maneuver.

"Avoidance" Maneuver and Side-to-Side Balance Maneuver All Car Central's comparison test 2013 Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry

The Honda Accord demonstrated the quickest and most responsive quick left-right turn and felt the most agile in the side-to-side test. The body lean or roll was the least of the 4 cars. However the back seat passengers experienced the most jarring ride from the Honda.

The Toyota responded more slowly in both maneuvers and displayed the most body roll which coincided with the slower left-right turning. The acceleration was less crisp also.

The Hyundai was the most balanced car out of the 4. It was less light/crisp than the Honda, but gave a smother ride to the rear sear passengers.

All Car Central's comparison test 2013 Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry In the second test loop which was laid out to provide an example of a mid-speed twisting road where one may come upon an unexpected corner.

The Honda's personality and behavior, which was noted on the first test transferred to the second loop. The Toyota extended its behavioral style even more on the longer turns and expanded its response times. Again the Hyundai was the most balanced between he Honda and Toyota. The Nissan and I did not get along well in the long sweeper turns. The steering wheel/seat position did not match well and I was fighting the wheel through the turn. As I only got one try with each car per loop, it was not possible to experiment with different settings. However I find this quite interesting, as I did not notice any ill fit in my seating position at the start of the run. Having the interference of the wheel in the turn could be a problem. However everyone is of a different shape and this condition is transferable between people and car models.

I prefer to use my right foot for the gas peddle and the left foot for the brake when driving an automatic transmission. To do so in these cars required me to do a slight twist in the seat which is initially uncomfortable. The drivers seat side-to-side support seamed to be adequate.

How would I rate these cars?

For the sporty type person who need the rear doors for occasional use; the Honda Accord.

For the younger spirited family with passengers in the rear, the Hyundai Sonata was the best all around.

For those who like a slower pace and may not notice the extra response reaction and heavier feel, the Toyota Camry may be a good fit if the Hyundai Sonata failed to impress.

As to the Nissan Altima. Although a capable car, the steering wheel and I did not really get along. First it had the bright surface which I found distracting and second, during the long turn, I struggled with it and could not keep a smooth line.