Car Buying Advice

1st photo: Nissan Skyline R32 GT-R by Jean-Jacques MARCHAND
2nd photo: R32 Skyline Interior by Taylor Robinson

Update: Found a very informative Facebook group where people share their experiences with Japanese importers.

Introduction – Is It Really That Easy?

So you want a R32 or R33 Nissan Skyline GT-R/GTS-T that’s legally registered in California that will turn heads every where you go, make hot girls talk to you, all without having to worry about any hassles from the cops? Yea, me too. The good news is you can do it. The bad news is, you can do it all night long (that’s a stupid way of saying that it’s complicated).

If you live in California, there are 3 steps to owning a completely legal right-hand-drive Skyline:

1. Find a dealer/importer who probably won’t rip you off and buy a Skyline or have them find one in Japan for you. Or buy private party from a Skyline owner who’s already done all this, skipping step 2 and 3 below.
2. Take the car to G&K Automotive to have them get the car to pass CARB testing so you can get the stickers that prove it.
3. Take all import forms and export certificate to the DMV and get it registered (much more difficult than a regular private party sale which I’ll talk about below)

In any other state besides California (and Hawaii I think) you can skip step 2 which makes it way easier.

The 25-Year Rule

I’m not going to explain the 25-year rule here because a lot of other websites do. Basically, you can only legally import R32s or R33s for now. You can import R34s starting in 2024 but you need to be super rich to buy one so if you’re that rich you’re probably smarter than me and already know all this stuff.

1. Buying the car

Easiest option – Buy directly from a current Skyline owner in CA

You could skip steps 2 and step 3 by buying a Skyline from someone who has already gone through this whole process, then the sale would be pretty much like any other normal private party sale. You’d wanna make sure the seller still has all the necessary documents proving the car was imported legally: I go over the documents in detail in step 3 below. Facebook Skyline owners groups are a good to place to look for cars being sold.

Kind of easy option – Buy from a dealer in the USA

You can also buy from a dealer in the USA that already has the car you want. This makes it a little easier than buying a car that’s still in Japan because the car’s already here and you can inspect in person. Here’s a great article with references on what to look for when inspecting a Nissan Skyline R32. Top Rank in Cypress, California seems to have a good reputation.

Hardest option – Buy a car that’s still in Japan 

You can work with an importer/dealer/individual to buy a car that’s still in Japan and have it shipped over. You have to be careful here because it’s easy to get sold a car that looks good in photos but is a piece of junk, or the people you’re working with might just run off with your money. Lots of horror stories so make sure you know what you’re doing. Garage Defend and Pacific Coast Auto Imports seem to have a good reputation.

Note! Make sure you have all the right forms (documents) however you buy the car

There are at least 5 forms (that I know of right now) you’ll need to get the car registered (unless you do the easiest option and buy from a current owner who’s already done this). See step 3 below for the forms.

If you’re buying from a dealer/importer they should definitely have these forms — you don’t have to fill these out yourself — I just go a little in-depth into each form so you know kind of what’s going on as a buyer.

I found a great video on YouTube by a guy named Mike that explains what this process may look like and how much you might spend to do this.

Just to get the car ready to go to G&K he says he spent around $3,000-$4,000. Now remember, this is all BEFORE the $10,000 you need to pay to G&K for them to work on the emissions equipment so the car can pass CARB inspection and be legally registered in California. So about $13-$14,000 Mike would have spent total to have a completely legal and registered right-hand-drive Skyline GT-R in California, NOT INCLUDING the price of the car, which he said was around $25,000 (back in 2019 roughly).

Here are two Reddit threads that talk more about the process:

How to title my R32 GT-R in California?
by u/meowterspace42 in SkyLine

Purchasing skyline r32 GTR (California)
by u/Practical-Nature-926 in SkyLine

 

3. Register your Nissan Skyline R32/R33 at the California DMV

Ok so this part is tough. You’re going to have to take all these forms below to the DMV and get the car inspected and hopefully get an employee who understands the process of registering an imported car in the USA. Most likely they won’t. Here’s a great article that goes in depth on what to expect when dealing with the DMV when trying to register a Nissan Skyline GT-R in California.

Forms (documents) you will need to register at the DMV:

A. Export Certificate
B. Form HS-7
C. Form 3520-1
D. Form 7501
E. Form 3461

A. Export Certificate (aka De-registration Certificate)

This is an official document from the Japanese government saying the car is legally ok to be exported out of the country. It is not the Japanese version of the car’s title. This guy does a great job of explaining the difference.

You need to get it translated into English and have the English version stamped with an official seal or stamp showing it was translated by a certified translator, not your otaku hentai addicted roommate.

B. Form HS-7

From: National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

Form Title: Declaration – Importation of Motor Vehicles and Motor Vehicle Equipment Subject to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety, Bumper and Theft Prevention Standards

It’s a form that needs to be given to customs when you import a car to the US. It’s important because it’s the form the importer uses to check a box that says the car is older than 25 years old and that makes it legal to import into the US. Basically, it means since the car you’re bringing in is at least 25 years old, it doesn’t have to meet safety/crash standards.

C. Form 3520-1

From: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Form Title: Declaration Form – Importation of Motor Vehicles and Motor Vehicle Engines Subject to Federal Air Pollution Regulations

Another form that needs to be given to customs when you import a car to the US. This form is important because this is where the importer will check Code E saying the car is older than 21 years and that makes it legal to import into the US. Basically, it means since the car that’s being brought in is at least 21 years old, it doesn’t have to meet federal emissions standards. But if you live in California, you still need to meet the states emissions standards as I’ll talk about later.

So why is one rule 25 years and the other 21 years? I dunno. If I get more OCD on this article I’ll find that later.

D. Form 7501

From: Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

Form Title: Entry Summary

This is basically a detailed form listing exactly what items you’re bring in to the country, and the duties (taxes) you’re going to pay. It should have an official stamp from US Customs.

E. Form 3461

From: Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

Form Title: Entry/Immediate Delivery

http://www.23gt.net/2015/05/buying-your-own-jdm-car-part-35-where.html

https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/es/california-certification-procedures-1975-and-later-model-year-used-modifier-certified-motor

https://wittymelon.wordpress.com/portfolio/importing-vehicles-into-the-u-s/#Formal_Entry

 

Leases are more difficult to understand than traditional financing. This means there are opportunities for buyers to get amazing deals on cars they couldn’t afford to finance, and it also means that if you don’t know what you’re getting into, you could be in serious financial trouble.

Before leasing your next car, take a look at these common leasing mistakes. If you are aware of these 10 mistakes people tend to make when leasing, you’ll be much more prepared when you actually start new car shopping.

Mistake #10 – Going to the dealer instead of contacting the internet sales department

Internet sales departments generally care about volume more than profit, so they tend to quote prices that are already close to their lowest possible price.

It’s also harder to review a lease deal at the dealership, away from your computer unless you’ve studied it a lot. At home there’s no pressure, and you can use online lease calculators, or consult with members of online leasing forums on your own time before going to the dealership to sign the lease contract.

Mistake #9 – Not negotiating the selling price

Yes, you can negotiate the price of the car for a lease. Dealers usually advertise lease specials based on a low monthly payment, most likely using MSRP, or basically full price for the car. The lower the selling price of the car, the lower your monthly payment will be as well. Try to get the selling price down to around invoice price.

Mistake #8 – Paying a marked up money factor

A lease does have interest. But in a lease it’s called the money factor. The money factor usually is a very small number between 0.0010 and 0.0020 which can make it confusing. Multiply the money factor by 2400 to convert it to an interest rate. For example, 0.0010 x 2400 = 2.4%.

Car dealers don’t advertise the money factor in their lease deals; they don’t have to legally tell you the rate. What they can do is mark it up, which makes the lease payment more expensive.

It’s good to learn how a lease is calculated if you are going to lease a car. There are many good resources that explain the money factor and how it is used in calculating a lease payment.

Mistake #7 – Buying upsell items you don’t need

When you finally agree to buy or lease a car, you will be taken to the finance manager’s office to sign the contract. This is where he or she will try to sell you a bunch of extra stuff that you don’t need.

Some common ones are extended warranties, alarm systems, paint protection and pre-paid maintenance plans.

Politely refuse everything. If they keep offering these products keep politely refusing until they give up. They will make it sound like these are things you really need but you don’t.

Mistake #6 – Underestimating miles driven

This is the most common problem I see people asking about online, what to do when they are way over their allowed miles on a lease. When it gets to that point, it’s almost too late.

A common penalty is $0.20 per extra mile, but it can be higher. So if you’re 10,000 miles over you will have to pay an extra $2,000 when the lease is over.

If during the middle of your lease it’s obvious that you’re going way over the allowed miles, some dealers will allow you to pre-pay for the extra mileage at a discounted rate. For example, if the penalty is $0.20, they may allow you to pre-pay for the extra miles at $0.18.

Mistake #5 – Making too big a down payment

If you ever see a lease special with a monthly payment that seems too good to be true, it’s probably because it requires a huge down payment (they put the part about the $5,000 down payment in the fine print).

Technically, you should never put any down payment on a lease, because if the car is stolen or totaled you’ll probably never get that money back. I think it’s ok to put $1,000 or $2,000 sometimes to get the monthly lease payment to a number that is comfortable, but any more than that is risky.

Mistake #4 – Buying the car at the end of the lease

Generally this is a bad idea because the buyout price will be too high, that is, above market value. That means that similar cars to yours will be selling on the used market for a lower price than what you agreed to for the buyout price on your lease contract. Sometimes it does make sense to buyout your car at the end of the lease.

A. If you are way over allowed miles

If you have to pay $2,000 or $3,000 in penalties for going over allowed mileage, you might want to just buy the car. If you buy the car, you also don’t have to pay the disposition fee, which is usually between $350-$500.

B. Or if the car has lots of damage, i.e. scratches, wheel rash, etc. that you’ll have to pay for

Again, if you have to pay $2,000 or $3,000 to repair wear and tear when the lease ends, it might be better just to buy the car. Then you won’t have to pay those penalties, and you’ll also save on the disposition fee.

Mistake #3 – Breaking the lease

Once you sign the lease contract, you are responsible for all the payments no matter what. There are only two ways to get out.

A. Transfer the lease to someone else. You can post in the classifieds at leasehackr forums, or try advertising on swapalease.com or leasetrader.com and see if anyone wants to take it over.

B. Sell your car to CarMax, Vroom or Carvana. If the price they offer you is close to what your current lease buyout price is, then you can sell your currently leased car to them and they will pay off the bank that is responsible for your lease.

This doesn’t happen often. It’s more likely that the price that CarMax, Vroom or Carvana offers you will be lower than the buyout price, which means you have to pay the difference yourself.

Mistake #2 – Getting a lease term that’s too long

The sweet spot in terms of value for most leases is usually a 3 year term. However, if you know you tend to switch cars often, it might be better to get a 2 year lease. Your payments will be higher, but the upside is you won’t have to deal with the headache of trying to get out of your lease early if you get bored of the car quickly.

Mistake #1 – Not thinking about the end of the lease

A common theme I see among people posting for help about their leases online is that they get in trouble when the lease is almost over. They either want to:

A. Get out of the lease a few months early, and/or

B. Are way over allowed miles / have lots of wear and tear on the car

In both cases, you’ll have to pay up. Also remember that there is a $350-$500 disposition fee due at the end of the lease. So before you run to the dealer to get that new car you’ve been eyeing, think about these scenarios closely and see if any of them might apply to you when your lease is over.

People love leasing because it allows them to drive a new car they normally couldn’t afford. But you have to look at more than just the monthly payment.

Don’t choose a lease that has less total miles allowed than you actually need and then tell yourself that you will drive less. If you go over, you will owe a lot of extra money at the end of the lease and it will hurt, trust me.

 

It sounds too good to be true, right?

How is it possible to save that much money on a car lease that quickly?

First, you must understand why car dealers love leases.

“Who cares?” you say. “All I want is a low monthly payment.”

And that kind of mentality is exactly why dealers love leases. You’re too focused on the low monthly payment, making it easier for the dealer to add in extra profit on other parts of the lease contract that you don’t know about.

If you have just a basic understanding of where the dealer makes their money on most lease deals, you’ll know where you can save.

You could read only the first point below, and you’d already be in a position to save thousands of dollars on your next new car lease.

But you probably want to read the whole post for maximum savings.

Let’s get started then, shall we?

UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU CAN BARGAIN

POINT #1 – What you probably don’t know about leasing is that the price of the car you want to lease can be negotiated down first.

Many people see an advertised lease deal, are happy with the monthly payment offered and will sign the lease without ever thinking about negotiating the price of the car.

The difference between negotiating the selling price down versus paying MSRP or “sticker” price, can be thousands of dollars — that’s thousands of dollars you won’t have to pay if you bargain first.

You won’t find the word “price” in the lease contract. It’s officially called the gross capitalized cost.

If you see a lease acquisition fee included in the gross capitalized cost, don’t worry. It’s a standard fee that the bank charges for setting up the lease. It’s different for each manufacturer, but generally will be around $650.

The gross capitalized cost can also include any of the following items, and you will want to decline these when the Finance Manager offers them to you when you are signing the lease contract.

Fees (upsell items) you should avoid:

• Extended warranties
• Paint protection
• VIN number etching
• Fabric protection

If the gross capitalized cost seems a lot higher than the price of the car, some of these upsell items may have been added in.

In summary, the important thing to understand about gross capitalized cost is that it is negotiable on a lease.

Next, we’ll talk about capitalized cost reduction, and how it can make a terrible lease deal look like an attractive one.

AVOID FOCUSING ON JUST THE MONTHLY PAYMENT

POINT #2 – You know those really sweet-looking lease deals you see advertised with monthly payments that look too good to be true? Those are made possible by capitalized cost reduction, or in other words, a large down payment.

Capitalized cost reduction is just a fancy finance term for any money paid up-front that reduces the price (remember, “price” is the same thing as the “gross capitalized cost”) of the car. Most common would be a down payment, a trade-in, or a manufacturer rebate or incentive.

Some dealers will advertise a high-end luxury car with a payment of $500/month, but if you read the fine print, you will need to put something like an $8,000 down payment (capitalized cost reduction) to get that deal.

Unless it’s a rebate or incentive, you want to pay as little capitalized cost reduction out of your own pocket as possible. Three main reasons:

1 – If you wreck the car, you will not get this money back

2 – If you try to get out of the lease by transferring the lease to someone else, you will probably not be able to get this money back

3 – Since you’re technically “renting” the car, you don’t want to dump that much up-front money into it. If possible, save that money and put in the bank or invest it elsewhere.

Now that you’ve successfully negotiated the starting price of your lease vehicle down, you can work on the next part of your lease deal, which is oftentimes where the dealer can make a ton of profit without you even knowing.

LEARN HOW INTEREST GETS CHARGED ON A LEASE

POINT #3 – There is interest charged on a lease, which is calculated using a number called the money factor, but you will never see this number advertised.

The money factor is a small number with a few decimal places, for example, 0.0010. Just think of it as the interest rate for a lease.

Personally, I like seeing the APR% – it makes more sense to me than the small money factor number.

Thankfully, it’s very easy to convert money factor into APR%. To get the APR% (interest rate), multiply the money factor by 2400.

The money factor is usually somewhere between 0.0010 (0.0010 x 2400 = 2.4% APR) and 0.0020 (0.0020 x 2400 = 4.8% APR).

The money factor does not appear anywhere on the lease contract, and by law, the dealer does not have to tell you what it is. It is based on your credit score, just like the APR% you would qualify for on a loan.

POINT #4 – Because dealers don’t have to legally disclose the money factor, they often mark it up to make extra money.

Make sure to ask the dealer what the money factor is on your lease deal. Then do a quick Google search on your specific vehicle to see what it should be to make sure it’s not marked up. For example, search “BMW M3 money factor.”

Some dealers will not provide this info. Insist that they provide it or you will not sign the lease deal.

There is a time and a place to be a firm negotiator. In the next section, we’ll discuss how you can save time, and be in a stronger position to negotiate a strong lease deal.

STAY AT HOME TO STAY IN POWER

POINT #5 – Do all your lease negotiations from home through email. Don’t go to the dealer.

You have the most power when you negotiate from home. There is no pressure to buy, and you will be able to look over the lease numbers on your own time, at your own pace.

Contact local dealers who have the car you want either via email or their website. Make sure to ask them to include the residual value, money factor, and any capitalized cost reduction being used in calculating their lease deal.

Ask about any current rebates or incentives being offered for leases on the car you want. For example, Audi often runs a lease promotion in which they will pay for your first month’s lease payment.

Then go use one of the many available lease calculators available online to check the numbers, or go to a leasing forum like leasehackr.com or edmunds.com and post the lease numbers your dealer offered to have other members look them over to see if you’re getting a good deal.

It feels very good to sign a lease contract knowing that you got a great deal.

Every time you make your monthly lease payment, you’ll think to yourself, “I can’t believe I’m driving this much car for this little money!”

Commuting to work will become more pleasurable, your kids will be proud getting dropped off in front of school in the morning, and your friends will ask you how you managed to afford that new luxury car.

Remember, you’re the consumer. You can walk away from any deal you don’t like, and any salesperson who rubs you the wrong way.

Now go out and find that dream car you’ve always wanted, and please post any questions you have in the comments and I will answer them personally.

Here are a few basic tips you can employ when getting pulled over to minimize your chances of getting the yellow slip of death

A police officer’s job is dangerous. Anything you can do to reduce his stress and anxiety related to potentially being harmed will go a long way in earning his favor and potentially saving you from a hefty fine, increased insurance rates and 8 hours of hell at traffic school.

1. If indeed you are being pulled over, you should notice the flashing lights in your rearview mirror ASAP. Cops get annoyed when they have to tail you for ages until you get the hint that you’ve done something wrong. If you’re not sure if you are being pulled over, just start changing lanes to the right and see if he follows. If he has to yell at you over the megaphone to pull over, you’re off to a bad start.

2. Unless the officer instructs you otherwise, don’t panic and pull over immediately. Look for the nearest safe place to park where the officer will not be in danger of being run over by traffic, i.e. a gas station or parking lot. If you are pulled over on the freeway, proceed to the next exit ramp and do the same.

3. As soon as you park and are waiting for the officer to walk up to your vehicle, get your license, registration and proof of insurance ready before he reaches you. The officer does not want to wait while you fumble around your glovebox looking for your documents.

4. Turn off the car, remove the keys from the ignition and place them on the dash where the officer can clearly see. This assuages any fears that you may try to flee during your encounter.

4a. If it’s during the evening, turn on the interior lights so the officer can clearly see everything inside the vehicle.

5. Put both hands on the steering wheel and leave them there. This will assuage any fears that you have a concealed weapon.

6. Respond politely to the officer’s inquiries and use ‘sir’ or ‘ma’am’ when addressing the officer.

7. The most common offense if I’m not mistaken is speeding. Generally the officer will begin his conversation with you by stating, ‘Do you know how fast you were going?’ Even if you were speeding, DO NOT ADMIT GUILT. Politely respond with, “I’m not sure officer, I wasn’t looking at my speedometer but was keeping my eyes on the road. I felt given the conditions and flow of traffic that my speed was justified.”

If you follow these steps, there’s a good chance the officer will find you in his favor and possibly let you off with a warning. There are no guarantees, but if you still get written up, you can always do a Trial by Declaration.

About the Author: Daniel Kim is a graduate of Coventry University’s Automotive Journalism Master’s program. He has worked at Ferrari North Europe, Evo magazine, Autocar and Formula Drift.

Today I’ll break down a few simple ways to get a great deal on your new car purchase; the best part is you will have to spend as little of your life as possible within the dealership’s confines.

A few general tips before I proceed:

1. Never, ever go to the dealership in person

This is so important I’m going to say it again. Never, ever, ever go to the dealership — except to sign paperwork. (if you want to learn more about why you shouldn’t go to the dealership in person, read Edmunds.com series entitled ‘Confessions of a car salesman’).

Do all your negotiation through the dealership’s internet department. Every dealership has an internet sales team which understands they will be dealing with the best negotiators (the dealer like to calls these people ‘grinders’ – they are usually minorities). The internet salespeople are already expecting to sell their vehicles at a lower sales price than would they would to an uneducated walk-in customer.

They will not play as many ‘games’ because all the negotiating power is with the customer. You hear their offer, if you like what you hear or it’s better than another dealer you’ve contacted you just go in and sign paperwork. This is invaluable.

2. Email multiple dealerships and shop their offers against each other

It doesn’t matter if one particular dealer doesn’t have the vehicle you want. They can easily arrange to have the vehicle delivered to their lot, or they will trade inventory with another dealer.

Find the vehicle you want using online inventory searches through each individual dealerships website and purchase it at the dealer that will give you the best price. Certain dealers are willing to negotiate more than others. You need to find the dealers that are aggressive in pricing then get the car you want to be transferred to their lot. More often than not they will be able to get the car you want unless it is in extremely high demand.

3. Look for incentives, especially financing incentives

Lots of manufacturers currently offer 0% APR financing for 60 months. This is free money.  Compare this to 5% APR for 60 months – that’s $4,000 in interest you’d pay over the course of 5 years.

Often a manufacturer will offer either cash back (they will discount the purchase price a certain amount) or financing offer (i.e. 0% financing for 60 months).  Depending on the loan length/term, one option might make more sense than the other.  Use this tool to compare.

4. Use Truecar.com to gain a quick picture of what you should be paying

Truecar has real-world sales data so you can see what other people are paying for the car you want in your area.  They adjust for regional differences also let you know the invoice price for every option. This is important to note: you can also save money by negotiating the price of options. All options have an invoice price and and MSRP. Shoot for invoice.

5. The dealer will try to make extra money by tacking on extras during the financing portion of the sales process

This could be an extended warranty contract, a pre-paid maintenance contract, etc.  You should refuse anything they offer no matter how appealing or important they make it sound.  Read more from someone who actually worked as auto finance manager in another Edmunds.com series.

6. The only thing you should consider purchasing during the financing portion is GAP insurance (Guaranteed Automobile Protection)

Now that you’re armed with these helpful pointers let’s break down the methods you’ll use to actually negotiate and purchase your new vehicle.

METHOD #1: THE NO-BRAINER METHOD

Find the car you want and the email the internet sales department and say you want the car for MSRP out-the-door (OTD). This makes it impossible for the dealer to add any mark-up fees because if they add costs into one part of the deal, they will have to remove them elsewhere to stay at the target MSRP OTD price.

OTD price generally includes sales tax, title, registration and a dealer ‘documentation fee.’ In some states their is a law protecting the consumer from being charged a large doc fee called a ‘documentation fee cap.’ California and a few other states have this law in place, many states do not.

The No-Brainer Method is the safest way to get a pretty decent deal on a new car.

In Part 2 of my series I’ll break-down a slightly more time consuming method to negotiate new car sales price that will enable you get the absolute best deal possible. Trust me, the dealership will hate you – but your significant other and bank account will love you.

Breaking down the subtle differences between two of the mid-size segment’s biggest players to help you make your purchase decision

If you compare the two respective models on paper, they are virtually identical.  A thorough analysis revealed there are a few key differences (which will hopefully help prospective buyers understand exactly where they vary)

• Foreward: This comparison is referring to the mid-year updated 2014 Camry, sometimes referred to as the 2014.5 Camry.
• The updated model began hitting dealership lots around December 2013.
• A quick comparison between the 2014 and 2014.5 Camry models can be see at Toyota’s website.
• Basically all 2014.5 Camrys now have backup camera as standard equipment.
• If you are in the market for a car currently, most Camrys on dealer lots should be 2014.5 models – but double-check with the dealership to make sure.

ENGINE

• Both Camry L and Accord LX come with inline-4 cylinder engines.
• The Camry’s engine is a wee bit bigger @ 2.5 liters (vs 2.4 for the Accord).
• The Camry L has 178hp, the Accord LX has 185hp.
• The Accord LX also has more torque. 181 ft. lbs (vs. 170 ft. lbs for the Camry).
• In laymen’s terms the Accord has more ‘get-up-and-go’ than the Camry.
• Accord LX has an EPA estimated fuel efficiency of 27/37 mpg vs 25/36 for the Camry.  These are the EPA’s measurements so depending on what type of commute you have, either car could be more or less fuel efficient in real-world scenarios.

Verdict: Purely by the numbers the Accord is the better buy here.

INTERIOR DIMENSIONS

• The Accord offers more space for it’s driver and front passenger trumping the Camry in all of the major front passenger space measurements.
• However, if you spend a lot of time carrying adult passengers in the rear seats you may want to consider the Camry.  Although the Accord is roomier for its front occupants, conversely the Camry offers more rear passenger space in every major rear space measurement except rear hip room.
• Overall the Accord is a little wider than the Camry (71.7 vs 72.8) but shorter in height (57.9 vs. 57.7).
• Wheelbases are identical at 109.3 inches.
• The Camry is also a little lighter with a listed curb weight of 3,190 lbs vs. 3,254 lbs.

If you’d like to see the hard numbers go to Edmunds.com vehicle comparison tool and click ‘Measurements.’

INTERIOR/CONVENIENCE

• The Accord LX comes standard with keyless entry remote, the Camry L does not (you would need to step up to the Camry LE for keyless entry remote)
• Accord LX has dual zone automatic climate control A/C standard, Camry L has basic A/C

Verdict: It’s up to each individual buyer which feature they’d rather have standard

MULTIMEDIA

• Both cars come with a multimedia screen (Camry 6.1-in vs. Accord 8-in)
• Camry’s screen is a touch-screen, Accord’s is not (you need to upgrade to the EX-L model or above for a touch-screen)
• Camry has 6 speakers standard, Accord has 4 (Honda specifies the Accord LX comes with a 160-watt system, Toyota’s power output is not published)
• The Accord LX has a SMS text message function
• Camry L’s Entune Audio specifically mentions iPod control, the Accord’s i-MID does not (but does has a USB audio interface)
• Accord LX has Pandora compatibility listed as a standard feature (not sure if the Camry is also compatible with Pandora standard by use of its USB connection)

Verdict: Both vehicles come with an impressive multimedia display and audio system standard

SAFETY

• Both cars come with an impressive list of safety features standard:
• Stability control (Toyota calls this VSC, Honda calls theirs VSA)
• Traction control (Toyota calls this TRAC)
• ABS (Anti-lock braking system)
• EBD (electronic brake-force distribution)
• Brake assist
• The Camry has one standard safety feature the Accord does not called Smart Stop Technology (SST)
• SST prevents the car from accelerating when both accelerator and brake pedals are pressed at the same time
• The Camry comes standard with 10 airbags, the Accord has 6
• The 4 airbags the Accord does not have that the Camry has are: front passenger knee airbags and rear seat-mounted side airbags

Verdict: Both cars are very safe, those frequently carrying rear passengers may give a slight edge to the Camry

PRICING

• If you look both models without any options, the Accord LX is cheaper, but that would be with a manual transmission.
• Most buyers will be comparing the Camry L which comes standard with a 6-speed automatic against the Accord LX with a CVT automatic transmission.
• This makes the Accord LX $300 more than the similarly equipped Camry L ($23,235 vs. $23,545).

Verdict: Small edge to Toyota but $300 isn’t much in the grand scheme of things 

SUMMARY: The Toyota Camry was the best selling car in the US last year (2013) with over 400,000 units sold.  The Accord wasn’t far behind at roughly 360,000 units sold.  It’s easy to see why each of these models are so popular.  They offer a great list of standard features at a very affordable price point – not to mention they are loaded with safety features, a strong consideration for those with families.  Automotive journalists have gone on record saying the Accord is more fun to drive.  I’m not sure how much of a difference this makes in this segment of the automotive market.

If you can get the car at invoice price (with no options), your looking at roughly $23,650 OTD (out-the-door, a price which includes, tax, title, license and fees).  Assuming a 20% downpayment and a 60 month loan with 0% APR and your looking at just over a $300 a month payment – reasonable for most on modest incomes.

About the Author: Daniel Kim is a graduate of Coventry University’s Automotive Journalism Master’s program. He has worked at Ferrari North Europe, Evo magazine, Autocar and Formula Drift.