2019 Ford Taurus vs. 2019 Honda Accord

The Taurus offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Accord doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Both the Taurus and the Accord have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front-wheel drive, height-adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, rearview cameras, available collision warning systems, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, front and rear parking sensors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The Ford Taurus weighs 489 to 1196 pounds more than the Honda Accord. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Ford Taurus is safer than the Honda Accord:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Ford Taurus is safer than the Honda Accord:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

There are almost 3 times as many Ford dealers as there are Honda dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Taurus’ warranty.

The Taurus has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Accord doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the car’s engine.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Ford Taurus’ reliability 37 points higher than the Accord.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Taurus second among large cars in their 2018 Initial Quality Study. The Accord isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2018 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford fifth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 23rd, below the industry average.

The Taurus’ standard 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 96 more horsepower (288 vs. 192) and 62 lbs.-ft. more torque (254 vs. 192) than the Accord’s standard 1.5 turbo 4 cyl. The Taurus’ 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 36 more horsepower (288 vs. 252) than the Accord’s optional 2.0 turbo 4 cyl. The Taurus SHO’s standard 3.5 turbo V6 produces 113 more horsepower (365 vs. 252) and 77 lbs.-ft. more torque (350 vs. 273) than the Accord’s optional 2.0 turbo 4 cyl.

As tested in Motor Trend the Ford Taurus V6 is faster than the Honda Accord 1.5 turbo 4 cyl. (automatics tested):

The Taurus has 4.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Accord (19 vs. 14.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the Taurus’ brake rotors are larger than those on the Accord:

The Taurus SHO’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Accord are solid, not vented.

The Taurus stops shorter than the Accord:

For better traction, the Taurus has larger standard tires than the Accord (235/60R17 vs. 225/50R17). The Taurus Limited’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Accord (255/45R19 vs. 235/40R19).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Taurus offers optional 20-inch wheels. The Accord’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Taurus’ wheelbase is 1.5 inches longer than on the Accord (112.9 inches vs. 111.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Taurus is 2.5 inches wider in the front and 2.3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Accord.

The Taurus SHO handles at .87 G’s, while the Accord EX pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Taurus SHO executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Accord EX (26.8 seconds @ .7 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the Taurus SHO is quieter than the Accord Sport (73 vs. 78 dB).

The Taurus has 1.9 inches more front legroom, 1 inch more front hip room, .5 inches more rear headroom, .8 inches more rear hip room and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Accord.

The Taurus has a much larger trunk than the Accord (20.1 vs. 16.7 cubic feet).

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the Taurus’ trunk lid uses gas strut supported hinges that don’t intrude into the trunk. The Accord’s useful trunk space is reduced by its intrusive beam hinge.

The Taurus’ standard folding rear seats are split to accommodate bulky cargo. The Accord LX’s standard single piece folding rear seat is not as flexible; long cargo and a passenger can’t share the rear seat.

The Taurus’ standard towing capacity is much higher than the Accord’s (1000 vs. 0 pounds).

The Taurus uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Accord uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The power windows standard on both the Taurus and the Accord have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Taurus is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Accord prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Taurus’ exterior PIN entry system. The Accord doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its HondaLink Assist can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

A power rear sunshade is standard in the Taurus Limited/SHO to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Accord doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

The Taurus Limited/SHO has standard automatic dimming rear and side view mirrors which automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Accord offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

On extremely cold winter days, the Taurus Limited/SHO’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The Accord doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

Both the Taurus and the Accord offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Taurus has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Accord doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The Taurus Limited/SHO’s optional Active Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Accord doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Insurance will cost less for the Taurus owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Taurus with a number “1” insurance rate while the Accord is rated higher at a number “8” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Taurus is less expensive to operate than the Accord because typical repairs cost much less on the Taurus than the Accord, including $312 less for a starter, $295 less for fuel injection, $227 less for a fuel pump, $84 less for front struts and $328 less for a power steering pump.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Ford Taurus and the Honda Accord, based on reliability, safety and performance.