2020 Honda Civic Hatchback vs 2020 Nissan Altima

The 2020 Nissan Altima came in various trims, among them the base S and the sporty SR, along with SV, SL, and Platinum. Notably, the top-tier Altima Platinum featured luxurious add-ons, including a turbocharged engine, premium paint, a rear spoiler, splash guards, floor and trunk mats, grocery bag hooks, and illuminated doorsill kick plates. This array of features pushed the price to $37,825, destination charges included.

Aesthetic enhancements like 19-inch machined-finish aluminum wheels made the Altima Platinum visually striking. This model carried forward a more streamlined design from its recent redesign, which eliminated most of the contentious styling details. Despite the positive changes, some subjective quirks remained. The door handles, viewed from the side, were misaligned, giving the illusion that the front ones were positioned too low on the door. The body-color lower diffuser panel between the exhaust outlets might have looked better in a dark gray, and some could do without the black trim on the rear roof pillars.

Inside, the Altima's design focused on ergonomically simple and contemporary elements. The infotainment system was strategically placed high on the dashboard and featured user-friendly stereo knobs. The climate controls were clear and came with understandable temperature adjustment knobs, and the traditional PRNDL transmission shifter felt intuitive. For those concerned about user-friendliness, the Altima spared them the frequent need to reference the owner’s manual.

The vehicle's material quality was on par with competitors in its segment, offering choices in black or grey interiors. Matte chrome detailing and striated simulated wood trim provided the necessary touch of finesse to prevent any feelings of compromise for the buyer.

In contrast, the 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback had undergone a redesign half a decade earlier, targeting competitors like the Subaru Impreza and Toyota Corolla. Appreciating the Civic required viewing it from precise angles and under favorable lighting. For 2020, Honda made subtle aesthetic tweaks, incorporating body-color crossbars in the fake air intakes, a new grille, and smoked headlights. New wheel designs were also introduced, though wheels hadn’t been an issue previously.

The tested Sport Touring trim, accentuated by Platinum White Pearl paint, offered striking contrast against the car's glossy black detailing. Family approval was swift, with several mistaking it for the high-performance Type R.

Interior-wise, the Sport Touring trim boasted features such as stitched leather on the steering wheel and high-quality materials, though it still included hard plastics typical of mainstream compact cars. The interior ambiance was luxurious enough, with a thudding closure of the doors that immediately reduced ambient noise, impressing occupants.

This Civic Hatchback also had a six-speed manual gearbox, adding a layer of driving satisfaction formerly reserved for the Sport trim, priced at $28,980, destination charges included. Comparatively, the Sport Touring trim’s $8,250 savings over the Type R’s MSRP was significant, offering a broader appeal.

The 2020 Nissan Altima primarily featured a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine delivering up to 188 horsepower, working in tandem with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) to power the front wheels. This engine had an option for all-wheel drive (AWD), making it an attractive choice for those in colder climates.

However, the test vehicle was fitted with the optional turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine, known as the VC-Turbo. Debuting in the 2019 Infiniti QX50, this engine adjusted its compression ratios dynamically, providing the power synonymous with a V6 while maintaining the efficiency of a 4-cylinder. It only came with FWD and was exclusive to the SR and Platinum trims, producing 248 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque on premium fuel (with slightly reduced outputs on regular gas).

Fuel efficiency rated at 29 mpg combined. However, during the test drive, the car averaged at 26.2 mpg. The Altima’s ride quality and handling were commendable, courtesy of its strut front, multi-link rear suspension, and dual-pinion electric steering. The inclusion of Active Ride Control and Intelligent Trace Control further enhanced driving dynamics.

In comparison, the 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback’s Sport and Sport Touring trims did not mimic the higher-performance Civic Si. With a turbocharged 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, it delivered 174 hp for the LX, EX, and EX-L trims, and 180 hp for the Sport and Sport Touring trims. Torque ranged from 162 lb-ft with the CVT to 177 lb-ft with the 6-speed manual transmission.

This engine provided sufficient power to propel the front-wheel-drive Civic Hatchback confidently. The engine was consistently quiet and composed, although the manual transmission had unexpectedly long clutch travel and gearbox throws, differentiating it from the Civic Si.

The Civic Hatchback was designed for more practical daily use compared to the Civic Si, with a softer ride, quieter cabin, and less frenetic driving experience, although it retained the ability to provide a spirited driving experience when needed. Fuel economy was impressive, with a combined rating of 32 mpg, and during testing, it exceeded expectations with a return of 32.7 mpg.

The 2020 Nissan Altima featured front and rear seats inspired by NASA's design principles to provide superior comfort. Despite its intention to mimic weightlessness, it fell short with the absence of a front passenger seat height adjuster and ventilated front seats, which were expected given the car's price point.

Cold climate offerings were generous, with heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and a remote engine starter with climate control settings. However, heated rear seats were not available, though rear air conditioning vents were standard.

The Altima provided substantial in-cabin storage, though it lacked a wireless smartphone charging pad, requiring users to rely on USB-A and USB-C connections. The trunk offered 15.4 cubic feet of space, including practical features like grocery bag hooks and an interior grab handle.

On the other hand, the 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback emphasized practicality with 25.2 cubic feet of cargo space, surpassing even the Honda HR-V Touring in cargo room. While maximum volume was lower (46.2 cubic feet vs. HR-V’s 57.6 cubic feet), the Civic Hatchback offered better performance and fuel efficiency.

Although the low seating position in the driver’s seat made ingress and egress slightly challenging, once seated, especially in the Sport Touring's heated leather front seats, the experience was comfortable. However, the passenger's side lacked a height adjuster.

Interior practicality was highlighted by an ingenious center console storage area featuring a sliding armrest, tray, and cupholders, accommodating even oversized water bottles. Rear seats offered decent comfort and legroom, though absence of rear air-conditioning vents and dark tinted rear windows could make journeys uncomfortable during hotter months.

The 2020 Nissan Altima equipped itself with a nearly flawless infotainment system. Despite the 8-inch display being smaller by modern standards, it provided a flat and easily readable interface. Key features included physical stereo volume and tuning knobs, along with rows of shortcut buttons for main screen menus, ensuring user-friendliness.

Standard technological features encompassed Bluetooth connectivity, a text-messaging assistant, Siri Eyes Free, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. Additional options included satellite radio, a navigation system with door-to-door directions via a smartphone app, a 9-speaker Bose premium audio system, and Nissan Connect Services.

Nissan Connect Services offered valuable features such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and remote door access, free for the first six months. Enhanced safety and convenience features extended through various subscription plans, although the voice recognition system could benefit from improvements in understanding natural speech.

Conversely, the 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback's dashboard featured digital instrumentation and, barring the LX trim, a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth and a volume knob. The Sport Touring trim boasted features like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, satellite radio, a navigation system, a quick-charging USB port, and a 12-speaker premium sound system, though a tuning knob and a larger screen were noticeable omissions.

Despite being less technology-centric, the Civic Hatchback integrated appealing features such as automatic climate control and Smart Entry with Walk Away Auto Lock, ensuring convenience for users who tend to forget locking their vehicles.

For 2020, the Nissan Altima came with the comprehensive Nissan Safety Shield 360 suite, although the base S trim only included forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking. Other trims enjoyed additional safety features such as pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, lane departure warning, rear automatic braking, and automatic high-beam assistance.

Additional safety technologies included a driver monitoring system, a road-sign recognition system, and a surround-view camera. ProPilot Assist offered semi-autonomous driving features, including adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality and lane-centering assistance. However, tests revealed that this system could be more of a hindrance than a help, with its audible alerts and the feeling of needing to second-guess its operation.

In terms of crash protection, the 2020 Altima received top marks, achieving a 5-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and earning a Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) with its automatic high-beam LED headlights.

Similarly, the 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback was equipped with the Honda Sensing suite of advanced safety features, which were standard across the range. This included forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, automatic high-beam headlights, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, Road Departure Mitigation, and adaptive cruise control with low-speed follow for CVT models.

However, this version of Honda Sensing showed its age, with lane-keeping assist lacking refinement and adaptive cruise control exhibiting occasional erratic braking behavior. Unlike the Altima, the Civic did not offer a blind-spot monitoring system or a rear cross-traffic alert system, relying instead on the LaneWatch system for the passenger’s side blind spot.

Although it didn't attain a Top Safety Pick rating due to poor headlight performance, the 2020 Civic Hatchback scored highly in crash tests, ensuring robust occupant protection.