2018 Honda Accord Vs. 2018 Toyota Camry: Fill-Up Face-Off

CARS.COM — One of the biggest stories in the automotive world this year has been the rival redesigns of two family sedans for 2018, the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. We’ve just about exhausted coverage on each, but if you’re of the mind to purchase one or the other in the near future, taking a closer look at fuel costs likely won’t help make the choice easier — even with gas at its highest over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in three years. 

Related: 2018 Toyota Camry, Camry Hybrid Gain Big MPG for 2018

The base LX trim for the Accord gets an EPA-estimated 30/38/33 mpg city/highway/combined; the Camry L, meanwhile, gets 29/41/34 mpg. The fuel tank size is just as slim: The Accord has a capacity of 14.8 gallons, while the Camry takes 14.5 gallons.

• Per the AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report, the national average for regular was $2.56 on Thursday, same as last week and up about 41 cents from a year ago, when regular averaged less than $2 in a dozen states. What that means for your wallet is about $37.89 worth of fuel to fill up the Accord and $37.12 for the Camry.
• More specifically, Alabama averaged $2.27 for regular, the lowest in the country this past week and one of only three states coming in at an average of less than $2.30. In an Accord, that means you’ll spend $33.60 to fill ‘er all the way up; in a Camry, you’ll spend $32.92.
• At the other end, Alaska had the highest average for regular at $3.27, a full dollar more per gallon. For an Accord, you’re looking at $48.40 for a full tank; in the Camry, you’ll drop $47.42.

There really isn’t much in it, in other words, but keep it in mind if you’re thinking about a new car: Though the national average for regular gas leveled off this past week, prices rose in several states — particularly in the Northwest, with the biggest jump in Alaska. Regular has increased by 18 cents over the past two weeks there, the highest in the country. Hawaii rose 4 cents to $3.24, and California was unchanged at $3.23. In the Great Lakes area, where price volatility is common, regular rose by 7 cents in Indiana but fell by 8 cents in neighboring Michigan.

Premium gas rose a penny this past week to a national average of $3.09, and diesel fuel rose 3 cents to $2.84. Diesel typically increases in late fall because some of the crude oil used to make it is diverted to home heating oil.

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