Honda and Nissan are both experienced automakers, having spent decades in the North American market building cars, crossovers, trucks, and minivans for the masses and having hits here and there. In the mid-size sedan category, the Honda Accord continues to go strong, and the Nissan Altima remains a contender, even as the demand for larger sedans shrinks in general.
The 2021 Honda Accord and the 2021 Nissan Altima have a lot in common, but they have different priorities. The Altima, as with most Nissan vehicles, is meant to be especially appealing to first-time car buyers and those who are more impressed by the technology and comfort features inside than anything else. The Accord is an example of some of its automaker’s signature traits, like reliability, drivability, and quality. See how the two vehicles compare in the table below, which uses the 2021 Honda Accord Touring 2.0T and the 2021 Nissan Altima SR VC-Turbo™ as examples.
2021 Honda Accord |
Versus | 2021 Nissan Altima |
2.0L 4-Cylinder Turbo | Engine | 2.0L 4-Cylinder Turbo |
Standard | Adaptive Cruise Control | Available on Other Trims |
Leather | Seat Trim | Cloth |
252 Horsepower/273 lb-ft of Torque | Horsepower and Torque | 248 Horsepower/273 lb-ft of Torque |
10-Speed Shiftable Automatic | Transmission | Continuously Variable-Speed Automatic Transmission (CVT) |
The two models above were chosen as direct competitors due to the similarity in their engines. Although they are both turbocharged, have the same number of cylinders and displace the same volume, Honda engineers managed to squeeze more horsepower out of their creation. Drivers who are picky about driving feel will likely reject the Altima right away upon finding it uses a CVT instead of a traditional automatic transmission. The dependability of the Accord is legendary, enough to win over the flashy showmanship of the Altima in most cases, but it ultimately up to the buyer which they choose.