Compare the2022 Toyota PriusVS 2021 Nissan Altima

The Prius has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Altima doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the Prius and the Altima have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota Prius is safer than the Nissan Altima:

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, results indicate that the Toyota Prius is safer than the Nissan Altima:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Prius for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Nissan doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Altima.

There are over 15 percent more Toyota dealers than there are Nissan dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Prius’ warranty.

The Altima’s redline is at 6000 to 6200 RPM, which causes more engine wear, and a greater chance of a catastrophic engine failure. The Prius has a 4000 RPM redline.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Prius’ reliability 24 points higher than the Altima.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 21st.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in reliability. Nissan is ranked 13th.

On the EPA test cycle the Prius gets better mileage than the Altima:

Regenerative brakes improve the Prius’ fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Altima doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Prius uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Altima SR requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies the Toyota Prius as a “Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle” (PZEV). The Nissan Altima is only certified to emission levels ranging from “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV) to “Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (SULEV) standards.

The Prius stops shorter than the Altima:

The Prius Limited handles at .90 G’s, while the Altima SV AWD pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Prius Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the Altima SV AWD (26.3 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Prius’ turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the Altima S’ (33.5 feet vs. 36.1 feet). The Prius Limited/XLE FWD’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the Altima SR/SV/SL/Platinum’s (35.4 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

The Prius is 1 foot shorter than the Altima, making the Prius easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Toyota Prius amounts to more than styling. The Prius has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .24 Cd. That is lower than the Altima (.26) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Prius get better fuel mileage.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Prius L Eco is quieter than the Altima SR AWD:

The Prius has .2 inches more front headroom and .5 inches more rear headroom than the Altima.

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the Prius’ hatch uses gas strut supported hinges that don’t intrude into the cargo area. Its intrusive beam hinge reduces the Altima’s useful trunk space.

The Prius (except L/LE) offers an available heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Altima doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Prius’ 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 Altima’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. With the Altima SL/Platinum’s power windows, only the front windows open or close automatically.

The Prius XLE FWD/Limited’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Altima’s intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Prius has a standard rear wiper. The Altima doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Prius (except L/LE) offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Altima doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Prius’ standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Heated mirrors cost extra on the Altima and aren’t offered on the Altima S.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Toyota Prius XLE/Limited has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Altima doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Prius LE/XLE/Limited’s Intelligent Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Altima doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Prius will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Prius will retain 49.09% to 50.62% of its original price after five years, while the Altima only retains 40.1% to 42.03%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Prius is less expensive to operate than the Altima because it costs $400 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the Prius than the Altima, including $5 less for front brake pads and $73 less for front struts.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Toyota Prius will be $4530 to $8528 less than for the Nissan Altima.

The Toyota Prius has won recognition from these important consumer publications: