2020 Honda Accord Vs. 2020 Chevrolet Malibu

The midsize sedan may not be as popular as it once was, thanks to the booming crossover market, but they still offer buyers a great balance of roominess and drivability. Plus, some, like the 2020 Accord and 2020 Malibu, provide exceptional performance. Which of these midsize sedans is best for our Rochester area shoppers? Continue reading to find out.

Exterior

In 2016, the Chevy Malibu ditched its rental-fleet design and brought in an all-new look that revolutionized this midsize sedan. This look includes a muscular hood, a dual-port grille, swooping headlights, a sleek roofline with a slower-raked C-pillar, a stubby trunk, available chrome dual-outlet exhaust, and plenty of sharp wheel options. This great look remains in 2020.

The Malibu also boasts a sportier RS model that plays to its muscular body with darkened accents, unique wheels, and much more.

The Honda Accord also went through a significant redesign, but it is two years younger, as it happened in 2018. This new design remains the same in 2020 and gives the Accord a more sophisticated look with its more flattened front end, T-shaped grille flanked by wraparound headlights, sharp character lines, and a slow-raked C-pillar.

While the Accord has nothing to compete with the Malibu RS, its Sport model adds a few extra sporty features and more standard features to make it a great value.

While midsize models must save buyers cash on the lower end of the trim levels, the base Malibu L is far from stripped down on the outside. It comes standard with 16-inch aluminum wheels, automatic on/off halogen headlights, daytime running lights, and power mirrors.

The 2020 Honda Accord’s list of standard exterior features are a bit more robust and includes 17-inch silver-painted alloy wheels, LED brake lights with integrated light bars, LED low-beam headlights with auto-on/off, and LED daytime running lights. All this comes at a price only about $1,000 higher than the Malibu L.

In sizing, the Malibu is 2 inches longer than the Accord but slightly narrower. This should not make any difference in drivability, but the narrower Malibu’s body may be easier to slide into tight parking spaces.

Advantage: 2020 Chevy Malibu

•       Narrower and easier to park
•       Muscular body

Advantage: 2020 Honda Accord

•       Standard LED lighting
•       Refined exterior

Interior

Inside, the 2020 Honda Accord and 2020 Chevy Malibu are very similar. Both feature plenty of horizontal lines to visually widen things, large touchscreen infotainment system, upscale material options, and more. What really sets the Accord apart is its push-button gear shifter and more modern steering wheel.

When looking at features, the Malibu’s cabin is very well-equipped from the base model up. The entry-level L trim includes the Chevrolet Infotainment 3 System with an 8-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth® connectivity with audio streaming, Apple CarPlay®, Android Auto™,  a six-speaker audio system, 60/40 split-folding rear bench seats, power windows with one-touch-down operation, power door locks, keyless ignition, and much more.

The Accord’s cabin is more basic with its standard four-speaker audio system, 7-inch infotainment screen (non-touchscreen) with customizable feature settings, Bluetooth connectivity with audio streaming, 1.0-amp USB audio interface, power door locks, keyless ignition, and more. The most significant sore spot is its lack of standard Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ (standard in EX and higher trims), which is quickly becoming a must-have on vehicles. It makes up for this with standard dual-zone automatic climate control.

The Accord excels in standard safety, though, with its standard automatic emergency braking, road-departure mitigation, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, traffic-sign recognition, automatic high-beam headlights, multi-angle rearview camera with dynamic guidelines, and more.

Advantage: 2020 Chevy Malibu

•       More front and rear shoulder room
•       Standard 8-inch touchscreen
•       Generous standard tech

Advantage: 2020 Honda Accord

•       Larger trunk
•       More legroom in front and rear
•       Big on safety equipment

Performance

Under their respective hoods, these midsize sedans both offer 1.5-liter turbocharged standard engines and optional 2.0-liter turbo units, but their output and performance differ.

The 2020 Chevy Malibu’s standard 1.5-liter unit sends 160 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque through a continuously variable transmission for an 8.2-second gallop to 60 mph. The Accord’s standard 1.5-liter cranks out 192 horses and 192 pound-feet of torque through a CVT for a 7.3-seconds run to 60 mph.

The Malibu’s optional 2.0-liter engine pumps 250 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque through a nine-speed automatic transmission for a 5.7-second 0-to-60 sprint time. The Accord’s 252-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine pairs with a six-speed manual or a 10-speed automatic to deliver 6.2- and 5.7-second 0-to-60 sprint times, respectively.

Advantage: 2020 Chevy Malibu

•       2.0-liter matches the Accord 2.0T’s acceleration

Advantage: 2020 Honda Accord

•       Quicker base model
•       Optional manual transmission
•       Upgraded Sport trim’s suspension

Pricing and Features

The 2020 Chevy Malibu has five trim levels – L, LS, RS, LT, and Premier – and their starting prices range from $22,970 to $34,195.

There are five trim levels in the 2020 Honda Accord lineup: LX, Sport, EX, EX-L, and Touring. Their starting prices range from $23,870 to $36,100.

2020 Chevy Malibu Key Features and Pricing by Trim

L: $22,970

•       1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine
•       CVT
•       Front-wheel drive
•       Automatic engine stop/start
•       16-inch aluminum wheels
•       16-inch steel compact spare tire
•       Automatic on/off halogen headlights
•       Daytime running lights
•       Power mirrors
•       Chevrolet Infotainment 3 System
•       8-inch touchscreen
•       Bluetooth® connectivity with audio streaming
•       Apple CarPlay®
•       Android Auto™
•       Six-speaker audio system
•       Premium cloth seating
•       Six-way manual front seats
•       60/40 split-folding rear bench
•       Carpeted floor mats
•       Tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel
•       Steering-wheel-mounted controls
•       Power windows with one-touch-down operation
•       Power door locks
•       Keyless ignition
•       Keyless unlock
•       Cruise control
•       Remote panic alarm
•       Air conditioning
•       Trunk cargo anchors
•       Chevrolet Connected Access capable
•       OnStar®
•       Rearview camera
•       Rear-seat reminder

LS: $24,095

•       All L features, plus
•       Acoustic-laminated windshield
•       Compass
•       Outside temperature display
•       4G LTE Wi-Fi® (data plan required)
•       Teen Driver

RS: $25,095

•       All LS features, plus
•       Dual-outlet exhaust
•       18-inch aluminum wheels
•       Black grille with a chrome surround
•       Body-color, power mirrors
•       Black bow tie emblems
•       Rear spoiler
•       Eight-way power driver’s seat
•       Body-color antenna
•       Leather-wrapped steering wheel
•       Leather-wrapped shift knob

LT: $27,495

•       All LS features, plus
•       17-icnh aluminum wheels
•       Heated mirrors
•       LED daytime running lights
•       LED taillights
•       Eight-way power driver’s seat
•       Body-color antenna
•       Dual-zone automatic climate control
•       Heated front seats
•       Driver’s side one-touch-up/down power window
•       Rear-seat armrest
•       Remote ignition
•       SiriusXM®
•       Rear vents in center console
•       Illuminated vanity mirrors

Premier: $34,195

•       All LT features, plus
•       2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine
•       Nine-speed automatic transmission
•       Dual-outlet exhaust
•       19-inch aluminum wheels
•       Mirror-integrated turn signals
•       Bright front door sill plate
•       Chrome door handles with body-color insert
•       Dual-pane power sunroof
•       LED headlights
•       Spare-tire delete
•       Tire-inflator kit
•       120-volt power outlet
•       Six-way power passenger’s seat
•       8-inch color driver’s information center
•       Bose® premium nine-speaker audio system
•       Carpeted trunk mat
•       Rear charge-only USB port
•       Chevrolet Infotainment 3 Plus System
•       8-inch high-definition touchscreen
•       Two-position driver memory for seat and mirrors
•       Heated steering wheel
•       Heater rear outboard seats
•       Auto-dimming rearview mirror
•       Leather-wrapped steering wheel
•       Leather-wrapped shift knob
•       Ambient interior lighting
•       Perforated leather seating
•       Ventilated front seats
•       Wireless charging pad
•       High-definition rearview camera

2020 Honda Accord Key Features and Pricing by Trim

LX: $23,870*

•       1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine
•       Continuously variable transmission
•       Front-wheel drive
•       Eco Assist system
•       Active noise cancellation
•       Hill-start assist
•       17-inch silver-painted alloy wheels
•       Body-color, power mirrors
•       Shark-fin antenna
•       LED brake lights with integrated light bars
•       Body-color door handles
•       Variable-intermittent windshield wipers
•       LED low-beam headlights with auto-on/off
•       LED daytime running lights
•       160-watt, four-speaker audio system
•       7-inch infotainment screen with customizable feature settings
•       Bluetooth connectivity with audio streaming
•       1.0-amp USB audio interface in front console
•       Dual-zone automatic climate control
•       Power windows with one-touch-up/down front windows
•       Power door locks
•       Keyless ignition
•       Cruise control
•       Tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel
•       Illuminated vanity mirrors
•       Map lights
•       Sunglasses holder
•       Floor mats
•       Steering-wheel-mounted controls
•       Fold-down rear seatback
•       Cloth seating
•       Automatic emergency braking
•       Road-departure mitigation
•       Adaptive cruise control
•       Lane-keep assist
•       Traffic-sign recognition
•       Automatic high-beam headlights
•       Multi-angle rearview camera with dynamic guidelines
•       Brake assist

Sport: $26,530*

•       All LX features, plus
•       Six-speed manual transmission
•       Larger front and rear stabilizer bars
•       Larger front disc brakes
•       19-inch machine-finished alloy wheels with black inserts
•       Chrome exhaust finishers
•       LED fog lights
•       Body-color rear decklid spoiler
•       SMS text message function
•       One 2.5-amp USB port in the front console
•       180-watt, eight-speaker audio system
•       8-inch Display Audio infotainment system
•       8-inch high-resolution touchscreen
•       HondaLink
•       Apple CarPlay
•       Android Auto
•       Leather-wrapped steering wheel
•       Leather-wrapped shifter knob
•       Sport pedals
•       12-way power driver’s seat
•       60/40 split-folding rear seat

EX: $27,770*

•       All LX features, plus
•       Remote engine start
•       LED fog lights
•       Smart entry with walk-away auto-lock
•       Heated, body-color, power mirrors
•       One-touch power moonroof
•       Active grille shutter
•       SMS text message function
•       Two 2.5-amp USB ports (one in front console and one in center console)
•       180-watt, eight-speaker audio system
•       8-inch Display Audio infotainment system
•       8-inch high-resolution touchscreen
•       HondaLink
•       Apple CarPlay
•       Android Auto
•       SiriusXM
•       HD Radio
•       12-way power driver’s seat
•       Heated front seats
•       60/40 split-folding rear seat
•       Blind-spot monitoring
•       Rear cross-traffic alert

EX-L: $30,270*

•       All EX features, plus
•       Mirror-integrated LED turn signals
•       Two-position memory for driver’s seat
•       Four-way power passenger’s seat
•       Leather-trimmed seats
•       Leather-wrapped steering wheel
•       Leather-wrapped shift knob
•       HomeLink universal garage door opener
•       Auto-dimming rearview mirror
•       450-watt, 10-speaker audio system with a subwoofer

Touring: $36,100*

•       All EX-L features, plus
•       2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine
•       10-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters
•       Adaptive dampers
•       Larger front and rear stabilizer bars
•       Larger front disc brakes
•       19-inch machined-finish alloy wheels with black inserts
•       Chrome exterior door handles
•       Rain-sensing windshield wipers
•       Chrome exhaust finishers
•       LED headlights with auto-on/off
•       Courtesy lights
•       Reverse-gear tilt-down side-view mirrors
•       Heated rear outboard seats
•       Ventilated front seats
•       Door pull ambient lighting
•       Satellite-linked navigation
•       HondaLink subscription services
•       Wi-Fi hotspot
•       Wireless charging pad
•       Near-field communication
•       Head-up display
•       Body-color front and rear parking sensors

Who Should Buy the 2020 Chevy Malibu

The 2020 Chevy Malibu is a perfect buy for the younger crowd with its base trim coming loaded with all the latest tech gear. This includes an 8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay®, Android Auto™, in-car Wi-Fi®, and more.

Who Should Buy the 2020 Honda Accord

While the 2020 Honda Accord may lack the standard tech goodies, its standard safety gear makes it an ideal sedan for a family that cares more about its precious cargo than staying entertained. But if entertainment is high on your list of needs, the EX and higher trims offer everything the Malibu does.

Ready to make the new 2020 Honda Accord the latest member of your family? Swing by Garber Rochester serving the Rochester, Henriette, Pittsford, and surrounding areas today to check it out and take a few of our in-stock Accord models for test drives. Can’t make it by today? You can also stop by our online inventory page, choose a few in-stock 2020 Accord models that suit your needs, and schedule a test drive time that fits your busy life.

*MSRP excluding tax, license, registration, $930.00 destination charge and options. Dealers set own prices.

**30 city/38 highway/33 combined mpg rating for LX, EX and EX-L 1.5T trims. 29 city/35 highway/31 combined mpg rating for Sport 1.5T CVT trim. 26 city/35 highway/30 combined mpg rating for Sport 1.5T 6MT trim. 22 city/32 highway/26 combined mpg rating for Sport and Touring 2.0T trims. 23 city/34 highway/27 combined mpg rating for EX-L 2.0T trim. Based on 2020 EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle, driving conditions and other factors.