The 2012 Honda Accord and 2012 Chevy Malibu are two of the big name contenders in what could be considered the heavyweight class of the automotive world. The midsize sedan category is one of the most important, so the competition is fierce and not much separates the vehicles on paper. The 2012 Honda Accord and 2012 Chevy Malibu are very closely matched in price, fuel economy, size and features, so picking one can be a hard decision.

The 2012 Chevy Malibu

That is, unless you want a manual transmission. The 2012 Honda Accord, which starts at $21,380, is available with a stick shift while the 2012 Chevrolet Malibu, which starts at $21,995, is not, so drivers that want to pick their own gear will have an easy choice. An automatic transmission in the Accord adds $800 to the price, bringing it to $185 more than the Malibu. The Honda Accord is powered by either a 177-hp four-cylinder engine rated at 23-mpg highway and 34-mpg highway or a 271-hp V6 engine that gets 20-mpg city and 30-mpg highway. The Chevy Malibu has the choice between a 169-hp four-cylinder engine that gets 22 city mpg and 33 highway mpg and a 252-hp V6 engine rated at 17-mpg city and 26-mpg highway.

The 2012 Honda Accord

The 2012 Accord is slightly larger inside than the 2012 Malibu with 41.4 inches of front head room, 42.5 inches of front leg room, 38.5 inches of rear head room and 37.2 inches of rear leg room. The 2012 Malibu has 39.4 inches of front head room, 42.2 inches of front leg room, 37.2 inches of rear head room and 37.6 inches of rear leg room. Despite being three inches shorter than the Accord, the Malibu has more rear seat leg room and more trunk space, with 15.1 cubic feet available compared to the Accord’s 14.7 cubic feet.