For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Ford Fusion have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Honda Accord doesn't offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

The Fusion Titanium 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 Fusion and the Accord have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available rear parking sensors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Ford Fusion 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 Fusion 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 Fusion's warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Fusion first among midsize cars in their 2019 Initial Quality Study. The Accord isn't in the top three.

J.D. Power and Associates' 2019 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 fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 15 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 16th, below the industry average.

As tested in Motor Trend the Fusion Titanium 2.0 turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the Honda Accord 1.5 turbo 4 cyl. (automatics tested):

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Fusion ECOBoost FWD's engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. (Start/Stop isn't accounted in present EPA fuel mileage tests.) The Accord doesn't offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Fusion FWD's standard fuel tank has 1.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Accord (16.5 vs. 14.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Fusion AWD's standard fuel tank has 3.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Accord (18 vs. 14.8 gallons).

For better stopping power the Fusion's standard brake rotors are larger than those on the Accord:

The Fusion stops much shorter than the Accord:

The Fusion Titanium executes Motor Trend's “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Accord EX (27.2 seconds @ .64 average G's vs. 27.7 seconds @ .61 average G's).

For better maneuverability, the Fusion's turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Accord's (37.5 feet vs. 38.1 feet). The Fusion's turning circle is 1.9 feet tighter than the Accord Sport Manual/2.0T's (37.5 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

The Fusion has 2 inches more front legroom, .5 inches more rear headroom and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Accord.

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Fusion easier. The Fusion's trunk lift-over height is 24.4 inches, while the Accord's liftover is 26.5 inches.

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

The Fusion's 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 Fusion's standard towing capacity is much higher than the Accord's (1000 vs. 0 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Honda Accord is only 1000 pounds. The Fusion offers up to a 2000 lbs. towing capacity.

The power windows standard on both the Fusion and the Accord have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Fusion 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.

The Fusion's front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Accord's rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don't have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Fusion SE/SEL/Titanium's 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.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don't have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Fusion SE/SEL/Titanium's 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.

The Fusion's power window, power lock and power mirror switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Accord's power window (except driver window), power lock and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Fusion's rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Accord's standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can't turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

The Fusion SEL/Titanium 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 Fusion Titanium'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.

The Fusion (except S) offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Accord doesn't offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Insurance will cost less for the Fusion owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Fusion 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 Fusion is less expensive to operate than the Accord because typical repairs cost much less on the Fusion than the Accord, including $142 less for a water pump, $276 less for a starter, $170 less for fuel injection, $324 less for a fuel pump, $150 less for front struts and $159 less for a power steering pump.