Everyone loves a showdown. Just think of some of the most noteworthy rivalries we’ve all enjoyed from the world of sports, and in business where the board room sometimes turns into a war room. Some of the big ones:
- New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox
- Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird
- Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier
- Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi
- Nike vs. Adidas
- Apple vs. Microsoft
We can’t resist these faceoffs because someone is going to go down and have their pride damaged severely, if not surgically removed. Even less intense, one-sided feuds are fun because there’s the hope that the longtime loser will step up and pull off a giant upset over the heavily favored giant.
The folks at Colorado-based Accurate Automotive (@accurateautoinc) apparently know the value of a good grudge match, and in a recent post on TikTok they put together an impromptu battle of Asian automakers, pitting the Honda Accord against the Hyundai Sonata.
Hyundai Sonata vs. Honda Accord: A fair fight?
The clip shows the full-service auto center asking five of its repair technicians to pick between the two sedan models, presumably based on their experience repairing cars of many different makes and models. We can presume these folks have seen just about everything you can imagine underneath the hood, so their opinion on the best cars to own should tell you something.
Matching the Accord against the Sonata does seem sort of arbitrary as auto industry matchups go, especially since the midsize sedan market is crowded with plenty of other models. They both do start at about $28,000 for the 2024 models. Some of the other competitors in an imaginary all-world sedan battle royal:
- Toyota Camry (in most cases one of the Accord’s closest competitors)
- Nissan Altima
- Ford Fusion
- Chevrolet Malibu
- Kia Optima
- Mazda6
The two models do get paired off against each other in industry evaluations by leading agencies and journalistic outlets, with a MotorTrend article comparing the pros and cons of the 2023 editions side by side. Their take? The Accord wins in smoothness of ride, rear seat space, cargo volume, and infotainment system screen size. The Sonata was a winner when it came to sportiness, hybrid fuel economy, ambient lighting, styling, its 360-degree camera system, and its audio system. That tale of the tape appears to give an edge to the Sonata when it comes to feel and creature comforts for the driver and passengers.
So what do our trusty gang of mechanics have to say when asked to pick between an Accord and a Sonata?
The Accord wins in a 5-0 first round knockout, and it’s not even close.
In fact, some of them answer the question so quickly and with an “Are you seriously asking me this question?” look that suggests they’d never give serious thought to owning a Sonata under any circumstances.
Comments on the clip seemed to have a similar opinion of the two models.
@accurateautoinc #hyundaisonata or #hondaaccord What would you choose?#fyp #auto #automotive #autorepair #mechanic #mechaniclife #garage #hyundai #honda #cars #cartips ♬ original sound – AccurateAuto
“The president of Hyundai would choose the Accord,” one wrote.
Another joked that “I wouldn’t trust anyone that chooses a Hyundai over a Honda.”
And we chuckled at this: “Next ask them if they’d like $10,000 or a $1,” which might subtly tell you something about the difference in resale value for the two models.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Accurate Automotive, Honda, and Hyundai via email.
