Compare the2022 Nissan AltimaVS 2021 Honda Civic

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

© 1999 - 2025Advanta-STAR Automotive Research, all rights reserved. This vehicle comparison and all of the content in it are provided only by license from Advanta-STAR Automotive Research Corporation of America (“Advanta-STAR”). If you are not a legally licensed user of this vehicle comparison, it is against federal law to access it, copy it, forward it, or use it in any manner whatsoever. Any unauthorized use of this vehicle comparison is a violation of U.S. and international law and is punishable criminally and civilly. Removal of this watermark/notification without prior written license and approval received from Advanta-STAR is an agreement, understanding, and/or stipulation by the person(s), entities, agents, attorneys, and any other persons involved in the removal of this watermark/notification (including but not limited to Search Optics, LLC and any and all parent entities, sister entities, and subsidiary entities of Search Optics, LLC and/or any other entity, agent, attorney, and persons related in any manner to Search Optics, LLC) to: 1) an agreed upon amount of liquidated monetary damages of a minimum of $1,250,000.00 US Dollars in favor of Advanta-STAR; 2) the jurisdiction and enforcement of any legal claims associated with this matter asserted by Advanta-STAR in the United States Federal District Court in Portand, Oregon; and 3) service of process of any legal claims asserted by Advanta-STAR associated with this matter may be accomplished by First-Class Postage by the United States Postal Service or comparable service. XPYNN-M34HG 2a06:98c0:3600::103 2025/02/05

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Altima 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 Civic doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Altima are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Civic doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Nissan Altima has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Civic doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Altima offers optional Rear Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Civic doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Altima offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Civic doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Altima Platinum has a standard Around View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Civic only offers a rear monitor.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Altima’s optional rear cross-path warning system uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Civic doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

The Altima’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Civic doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Altima and the Civic have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, available daytime running lights and blind spot warning systems.

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

	Altima	Civic
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	171	201
Leg Forces (l/r)	114/342 lbs.	192/350 lbs.

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 Nissan Altima is safer than the Honda Civic:

	Altima	Civic
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	185	404
Spine Acceleration	46 G’s	68 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	157	260

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

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Altima its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 74 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Civic is only a standard “Top Pick” for 2021.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Altima first among midsize cars in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The Civic isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan fifth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 18 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 17th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan 21st in reliability. With 17 more problems per 100 vehicles, Honda is ranked 27th.

Engine

The Altima has more powerful engines than the Civic:

	Horsepower	Torque
Altima 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder	182 HP	178 lbs.-ft.
Altima 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder	188 HP	180 lbs.-ft.
Altima SR 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder	236 HP	267 lbs.-ft.
Civic Sedan 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder	158 HP	138 lbs.-ft.
Civic 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder	174 HP	162 lbs.-ft.
Civic Hatchback Sport/Sport Touring 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder	180 HP	177 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Car and Driver the Nissan Altima 4 cyl. is faster than the Civic Sedan 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder (automatics tested):

	Altima	Civic
Zero to 30 MPH	2.9 sec	3.3 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7.4 sec	8.3 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	19.7 sec	22.6 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	8.3 sec	8.4 sec
Quarter Mile	15.8 sec	16.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	91 MPH	88 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Altima S 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder FWD gets better fuel mileage than the Civic Sedan Sport 2.0 4-cylinder CVT (28 city/39 hwy vs. 29 city/37 hwy).

On the EPA test cycle the Altima gets better mileage than the Civic Hatchback:

			MPG
Altima
FWD	Auto	S 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	28 city/39 hwy
Civic Hatchback
FWD	Manual	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	29 city/37 hwy
	Auto	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	29 city/35 hwy
		Sport 2.0 4-cyl.	29 city/37 hwy

The Altima AWD’s standard fuel tank has 3.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Civic (16 vs. 12.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Altima FWD’s standard fuel tank has 3.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Civic (16.2 vs. 12.4 gallons).

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Nissan Altima higher (7 out of 10) than the Honda Civic (3 to 7). This means the Altima produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Civic every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Altima’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Civic:

	Altima	Civic
Front Rotors	11.65 inches	11.1 inches
Rear Rotors	11.02 inches	10.2 inches
Opt Rear Rotors	11.5 inches

The Altima stops much shorter than the Civic:

	Altima	Civic
70 to 0 MPH	172 feet	180 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	115 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Altima SR/Platinum has standard 19-inch wheels. The Civic’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

The Altima has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Civic doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Altima’s wheelbase is 4.9 inches longer than on the Civic (111.2 inches vs. 106.3 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Altima is 2.5 inches wider in the front and 1.9 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Civic.

The Altima Platinum handles at .91 G’s, while the Civic Touring Sedan pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Altima Platinum executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the Civic Sport Sedan (26.3 seconds @ .68 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

Chassis

The front grille of the Altima uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Civic doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Altima SL/Platinum uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Civic doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Altima Platinum is quieter than the Civic Sport Hatchback:

	Altima	Civic
Full-Throttle	79 dB	85 dB
70 MPH Cruising	70 dB	73 dB

Passenger Space

The Altima has 3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Civic Sedan (100.8 vs. 97.8).

The Altima has 1.5 inches more front legroom, 1 inch more front hip room, 1.2 inches more front shoulder room, 7.2 inches more rear hip room and 2.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Civic Sedan.

Cargo Capacity

The Altima has a larger trunk than the Civic Sedan (15.4 vs. 15.1 cubic feet).

The Altima’s standard folding rear seats are split to accommodate bulky cargo. The Civic LX Sedan’s standard single piece folding rear seat is not as flexible; long cargo and a passenger can’t share the rear seat.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Altima. The Civic doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Altima Platinum, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Civic doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Altima Platinum’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Civic doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Altima’s speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Civic LX/Sport’s standard fixed intermittent wipers only have one fixed delay setting, so the driver will have to manually switch them between slow and intermittent.

On extremely cold winter days, the Altima SL/Platinum’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The Civic doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

Both the Altima and the Civic offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Altima SL/Platinum has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Civic doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Altima owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Altima with a number “1” insurance rate while the Civic is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Altima is less expensive to operate than the Civic because typical repairs cost much less on the Altima than the Civic, including $36 less for a water pump, $300 less for a starter and $126 less for a fuel pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Nissan Altima and the Honda Civic, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Altima was chosen as one of Automobile Magazine’s “All Stars” in 2019. The Civic hasn’t been picked since 2017.

See Available Inventory