Honda vs Toyota

Vehicle Lineup (Winner: Toyota) 

Toyota provides more vehicle variety when shopping for a new car. Toyota has 18 different models to choose from including sedans, pickup trucks, hybrids, and SUVs. Honda only offers 11 models that include sedans, one pickup, hybrids, an electric model, and SUVs. 

Consumers should note that Toyota does not offer a fully electric vehicle. Toyota recently explained that its focus on hybrid rather than EV models allows them to reduce its total carbon emissions. The cost and time it takes to create an EV model significantly reduce the number of models the company can make. Toyota will continue to stick to its trusted hybrid models to provide better alternatives to combustion engines. 

If you are seeking vehicle variety under a trust brand name, you should consider a Toyota. 

Vehicle Warranty (Winner: Tie) 

Toyota and Honda have a three-year and 36,000 miles factory warranty. The powertrain warranty is also matched at five years and 60,000 miles. Both of the automakers offer a corrosion warranty for five years and unlimited mileage. The warranties for Toyota and Honda are almost identical in their offerings. 

Both companies offer a standard factory warranty that most car buyers won’t need because of their excellent reliability.  

Reliability (Winner: Toyota) 

Toyota vehicles are known for lasting well above 100,000 miles. These vehicles are built to withstand years of driving with little to no maintenance issues. According to Repair Smith, the average cost of ownership over 10 years is $5,500 for a Toyota. Some of the most reliable Toyota vehicles include the Toyota Prius and the Toyota 4-Runner.

Based on recent reliability scores, the Honda Accord and the Honda Civic are some of the automaker’s most reliable vehicles. Repair Smith estimates that the average 10-year cost of ownership is $7,200 for a Honda. This puts Honda slightly above Toyota for vehicle ownership costs. 

While both automakers consistently score above the industry average for reliability, Toyota is best known for its lost-lasting quality and low-cost ownership.  

Safety Features (Winner: Honda) 

Most major car brands come with a standard set of safety features. All new cars must come with seat belts, airbags, and electronic stability control. Automotive companies innovate to improve vehicle safety by offering new unique safety features. However, car buyers will find that car brands offer many of the same safety features. 

Toyota Safety Sense™ and Honda Sensing Suite™ include the following similar features: 

• Lane departure warning
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Pre-collision system
• Adaptive cruise control
• Automatic high beams
• Lane tracing assist
• Road sign assist
• Pedestrian detection 

The main difference between the two car brands is that Honda offers its full package on several of its basic models. Lower trim Toyota models may not come with the complete Toyota Safety Sense package. Honda also offers Road Departure Mitigation System™ which detects when drivers are veering outside a lane while driving 45–90 mph. Toyota does not offer a similar feature. 

Honda's lineup offers more standard safety features than Toyota.  

Fuel Economy (Winner: Tie) 

Toyota and Honda offer competitive fuel economy vehicles with their hybrid models. The 2021 Toyota Prius gets an average of 50 mpg on the highway and 54 mpg in the city. The 2021 Toyota Prius Prime plug-in hybrid can get a combined city/highway average of 133 mpg. 

In comparison, the 2021 Honda Insight gets an average of 49 mpg on the highway and 55 mpg in the city. The 2021 Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid gets a combined city/highway average of 110 mpg. All these vehicles have above-average fuel economy helping to save money at the gas station and lower carbon emissions. 

The difference between the fuel efficiency of Honda and Toyota models is minimal. 

Car Dealerships (Winner: Toyota) 

Toyota has roughly 1,500 dealerships located in the United States. In comparison, Honda only has about 1,050. This is an important factor to consider for purchasing and maintenance convenience. If you live in a more rural area of the United States, you may be located closer to a Toyota dealership. You may need to travel further to find a local Honda dealership depending on your location. 

Toyota wins the car dealership category for its number of available dealerships nationwide. 

Honda vs. Toyota: Which is best?

Honda and Toyota build reliable vehicles of all different sizes and forms. Based on customer opinion and other brand criteria, Toyota is the better choice between the two car brands. However, Honda is a close second best. 

If you are searching for a new car, determine your desired size and features. Once you have a few models in mind, head down to a Toyota or Honda dealership to test drive available models.