Closeout Comparison: Honda Accord Vs. Toyota Camry Vs. Nissan Altima

With the new-car market as hot as ever, what’s the best deal out there on a midsize sedan?

The time after Labor Day and before Thanksgiving is usually the best time to buy a new car. There are no spending oriented holidays like Christmas, Memorial Day, or the 4th of July. Also millions of buyers who are looking to finance cars, haven’t received their generous tax returns or end of year bonuses that make those deals possible.

As for sellers, new car dealers are trying to broom their current inventory and make way for the new models while manufacturers respond in kind by clustering their strongest rebates and incentives during this time of year. All of these convergences between supply and demand result in a buyer’s market. We’re talking about discounts that are often times well over 20% off sticker where the typical discount is usually closer to 12%.

Here’s a look at the three most heavily discounted versions of the best-selling midsize sedans—the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Nissan Altima—including two that will be clearing out for refreshed 2016 editions:

These mainstays of the midsize market have been nationwide bestsellers for several years now. Unlike discount laden competitors such as the Volkswagen Passat, Mazda 6, and Chevrolet Malibu, the Camry, Accord and Altima are generally the three top names, with the Ford Fusion sometimes given a look-see as well.

The Camry was the best-selling car last month at 34,487 units, while the Accord was nipping at the heels with 33,641. The sixth-ranked Altima is due for a refresh and registered a far more modest 24,224. But keep in mind that the Altima has also become the fastest rising star in this market segment over the past decade, with its own healthy reputation as a sporty alternative to the top two.

Price is only one ingredient in the car buying recipe. Fun, features, performance, reputation, and safety all have their own big roles to play as well. Everyone wants to leave the dealership with a grin—and still have that feeling a decade down the road.

So let’s figure out which one of these three is the best when it comes to that enduring smile.

Exterior:

One man’s distinction is another man’s disaster when it comes to looks, and ugly kills sales more than anything else when it comes to cars, which is why all three of these popular vehicles play a conservative game. So I crowdsourced the judging.

I parked each one of the cars in front of my car lot and put “$999 Down” on their windshields. Big bright neon green stickers with small numbers on expensive cars have a way of bringing in customers to your dealership that dancing gorillas and kiddie rides just can’t match.

The Accord won this contest with nine drive-by gawkers who pulled over while the Camry and Altima took in seven each. We gave each person a guided tour of the vehicle including a free drive around town and a can of pop for their troubles.

The big take-away? Every model had minimal negatives and were given overwhelmingly positive compliments. The multi-layered egg-crate front grille design on the Camry, lack of ostentation on the Altima, and arguably plain-jane rear on the Accord, may be nitpicks for the hardcore enthusiast. But exterior design for this segment has a lot in common with car seats Everyone has their own unique loves and likes, and my own personal preference (the Accord) may not necessarily be yours.

Interior

Toyota Camry

This is where the three models were as close to each other as Mercury is to Pluto. Open up the front door to the Toyota Camry XSE and you get an amazing level of material discordance designed to make a cheaper product look and feel like a more expensive one.

The dashboard above the instrument cluster is given the same thick padding and red stitching that were first found in the 2009 Lexus CT200h. Look near the hazy graphics on the infotainment unit and you’ll find the same silver satin nickel coating that used to be a common design element in prior generation mid-size cars.

Nissan Altima