2019 Honda Civic vs 2020 Toyota Prius

The 2019 Honda Civic, while not as stylish as the 2019 Mazda3, still brought its own brand of upscale style. It featured a new gloss-black upper grille, a revised lower bumper, and larger 18-inch wheels. The sedan's silhouette was graceful, with a long hood balancing a sizable cabin and short tail, which had unique wraparound LED lights. The Touring-trim test car came with chrome door handles and LED headlights that looked like hundreds of tiny crystals. For 2019, Honda added a new Sport trim with a center-mounted exhaust and some exterior flash of the performance-oriented Si trim for thousands of dollars less.

The Civic Hatchback had a tall and aggressive rear end, while the Coupe model offered a more balanced alternative. The max-attack Civic Type R, available only in hatchback form, was essentially a race car. The interior maintained a high-tech, yet simplified theme with a central LCD screen for the tachometer and speedometer, a thin center stack with minimal buttons, and clean, linear lines. Despite a starting price under $20,000, the Civic's switchgear, buttons, and fabrics felt built to last.

The 2020 Toyota Prius retained its iconic jellybean-like shape, optimized for aerodynamics. Toyota made subtle changes to make it look more like a sedan, but it remained a hatchback. The Prius had a futuristic style, and its cabin was revolutionary with a central location for instrumentation and gauges.

Trim levels for the Prius included L Eco, LE, XLE, and Limited. The L Eco came with 15-inch alloy wheels, automatic climate control, cloth upholstery, and a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa compatibility. The LE trim added features like a rear windshield wiper and front-and-rear parking sensors. The XLE trim brought 17-inch alloy wheels, synthetic leather upholstery, and heated front seats. The Limited trim added adaptive, self-leveling headlights, a head-up display, and a large 11.6-inch touchscreen.

The 2019 Honda Civic offered a range of engines. The LX and Sport sedans and coupes came with a 2.0-liter inline 4-cylinder engine producing 158 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque. The EX and above trims received a turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-4 with 174 hp and 162 lb-ft. The hatchback exclusively featured the turbo engine, making 180 hp in the Hatchback Sport. The Si model boosted the 1.5-liter engine to 205 hp and 192 lb-ft, while the Type R produced 306 hp and 295 lb-ft from a heavily boosted 2.0-liter engine. All models were front-wheel drive.

The Civic's engines were smooth and refined, with the turbo engine offering better mid-range acceleration. The manual transmissions were praised for their near-perfect feel, while the CVT was impressive for its smooth operation. The Civic's handling was superb, with excellent steering feel, a well-tuned suspension, and strong brakes. It was set up for sportier drivers but remained comfortable and reliable for daily commutes.

The 2020 Toyota Prius featured a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor, producing a combined 121 horsepower and 105 pound-feet of torque. The Prius AWD-e variant added a second electric motor for the rear wheels, operating at speeds up to 43 mph. The Prius had smooth acceleration, with a seamless transition between electric and conventional power.

The Prius offered three drive modes: EV, Eco, and Power. EV mode relied solely on battery power, Power mode provided quicker acceleration with more engine noise, and Eco mode balanced performance, efficiency, and quiet operation. The unique shifter design took some getting used to, but the Engine Braking mode was helpful for mountainous regions. The Prius had engaging handling, a smooth ride, and was ideal for commuting.

The 2019 Honda Civic's interior featured a touchscreen with a volume knob and shortcut buttons, making it easier to use. The three-spoke steering wheel controlled the central display, and the analog gauges flanked the central screen. The rear seat was surprisingly roomy, with optional heated outboard seats. Cargo space was significant, with 15.1 cubic feet in the sedan's trunk, 11.9 to 12.1 cubic feet in the coupe, and up to 46.2 cubic feet in the hatchback. The center console offered ample storage, and visibility was good in all directions.

The 2020 Toyota Prius made good use of its space, with deep door pockets and a large tray area between the front seats. The front seats were spacious and comfortable, with good driver visibility. The rear seats also had plenty of space. The Prius had 50.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded, and 24.6 to 27.4 cubic feet with the seats up, making it one of the most spacious hybrid vehicles. The hatchback design made loading large items easy.

The 2019 Honda Civic's infotainment system was dated compared to newer Honda models. However, it redeemed itself with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The 450-watt, 10-speaker stereo on the Touring trim was improved, and Honda's LaneWatch feature was simple and effective.

The 2020 Toyota Prius came standard with a 7-inch touchscreen, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth connectivity, a WiFi hotspot, and three USB ports. The Limited trim upgraded to an 11.6-inch screen with a customizable layout, but it lacked Android Auto. The Prius also offered satellite radio, HD Radio, a head-up display, and a 10-speaker JBL premium audio system. The top-center instrument panel displayed hybrid drivetrain status and other critical readouts.

The 2019 Honda Civic came standard with Honda Sensing on all trims except the Si and Type R. This included forward-collision alert, emergency braking, lane-keep assist, and adaptive cruise control. The Civic received top safety ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA, with the exception of the coupe's passenger-side frontal crash rating.

The 2020 Toyota Prius came with Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, including automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. Optional features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and active park assist. The Prius earned a five-star rating from the NHTSA and a "Top Safety Pick" from the IIHS, though it fell short of the highest rating due to "average" scores in certain tests.