For decades, the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry have competed with each other for the top spot in the midsize sedan segment. Both models are strong choices and continue to lead the sales charts. Which midsize sedan is better? According to highly respected U.S. News & World Report, the 2022 Honda Accord outranks the 2022 Toyota Camry as the best new midsize car. 

U.S. News list of best midsize cars for 2021 and 2022: The Honda Accord comes out on top

U.S. News recently published an article on its site covering the best midsize cars for 2021 and 2021. It stated that “midsize cars are one of the most popular types of vehicles with consumers” and that “few types of cars balance space, comfort, fuel economy, and performance, as well as the best midsize cars do.” 

Here is the full list of U.S News best midsize cars for 2021 and 2022 rankings, showing the Accord coming out on top:

1. 2022 Honda Accord
2. 2021 Mazda Mazda6
3. 2022 Toyota Camry
4. 2022 Hyundai Sonata
5. 2022 Kia K5
6. 2022 Subaru Legacy
7. 2021 Nissan Altima
8. 2022 Chevrolet Malibu

Why does U.S. News rate the 2022 Accord as better than the 2022 Camry?

U.S. News ranks the 2022 Accord as a better vehicle than the 2022 Camry, but why? According to U.S. News, “the Honda Accord ranks at the top of the midsize car class, thanks in part to its peerless driving dynamics, good fuel economy, spacious cabin and trunk, and intuitive features.”

On the performance front, the 2022 Accord offers a choice of a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine (192 hp), a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (252 hp), and a hybrid (212 hp). For efficiency, the gas-powered Accord has a fuel economy of up to 30 city/38 highway mpg, while the Accord Hybrid has a gas mileage of up to 48 city/47 highway mpg.

As noted by U.S. News, the interior and trunk of the Accord are spacious, with a total passenger volume of 105.6 cu-ft and a trunk cargo capacity of 16.7 cu-ft. The interior also has an upscale quality, with premium features such as heated and ventilated seats, a dual-zone climate control system, a wireless phone charger, a one-touch power moonroof, and a user-friendly touchscreen infotainment system.

U.S. News: Toyota Camry is the 3rd best midsize car for 2021 and 2022

There’s no shame for the 2022 Toyota Camry to get outranked by a high-quality car like the 2022 Honda Accord in the U.S. News list of best midsize cars for 2021 and 2022. Furthermore, the 2022 Camry earned a respectable 3rd place for the list. According to U.S. News, the 2022 Camry is “composed and comfortable, with plenty of user-friendly safety and infotainment features.”

The U.S News rankings carry a great deal of weight with automotive consumers. With this in mind, it will be interesting to see if it affects vehicle sales. The Camry still leads the Accord in total vehicle sales by a wide margin, so the Accord has to make up a lot of ground for it to catch the Camry.