2019 Nissan Altima vs 2019 Toyota Prius

The 2019 Nissan Altima borrowed design cues from its larger sibling, the Maxima, featuring a big trapezoidal grille, sharply raked headlights, and a black stripe in the C-pillar. These elements aimed to inject visual excitement into the Altima. Inside, the Altima's layout was similar to other new cars, with a floating center stack and familiar vents and dials. The interior design was a blend of evolving technology and user-friendly features, including a straightforward infotainment system with volume, tuning, and climate-control knobs.

The Altima came in various trims, from the base S to the range-topping Platinum. The S trim included comfortable Zero Gravity seats, push-button start, and an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Higher trims like the SR added 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. The SV trim focused on value, adding features like heated seats and adaptive cruise control. The SL trim offered luxury touches like leather seating and a Bose sound system, while the Platinum trim included memory settings for the driver's seat and a 360-degree surround-view monitor.

The 2019 Toyota Prius, on the other hand, was not known for its looks. Its design, especially the fourth-generation model introduced in 2016, was polarizing. The Prius aimed to make a statement with its boomerang-shaped profile and hatchback design. However, the unusual styling might have hurt its sales. Despite this, the Prius offered a practical solution for daily driving.

For 2019, the Prius came in L Eco, LE, XLE, and Limited trims, with prices starting at $23,770. The AWD-e system was an optional feature, adding extra cost and slightly reducing fuel economy. The interior of the Prius was also unconventional, with centralized controls and a mix of modern and outdated displays. The XLE trim included features like a head-up display and aluminum wheels, but the overall technology package was underwhelming compared to competitors.

The 2019 Nissan Altima offered two engine options. The base 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine produced 188 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque, a slight improvement over the previous model. The SR and Platinum trims had an optional turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine with variable compression technology, aiming to deliver V6 power with 4-cylinder fuel economy. Both engines were paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and offered front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive (AWD).

The AWD system in the Altima was a first for Nissan sedans, providing confidence in snowy conditions without altering the driving experience. The 2.5-liter engine delivered decent power for city driving, though the wide turning radius was a drawback. Fuel economy for the 2.5-liter engine was 28 mpg city, 39 highway, and 32 combined, with AWD reducing these numbers slightly. The turbocharged engine was expected to return 25 mpg city, 34 highway, and 29 combined.

The 2019 Toyota Prius combined a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine with an electric motor, producing a total of 121 horsepower. The optional AWD-e system added a rear electric motor, which powered the rear wheels at low speeds and provided extra traction when needed. The AWD-e system reduced fuel economy slightly, with the standard front-drive Prius achieving 52 mpg combined and the AWD-e version getting 50 mpg. During testing, the AWD-e averaged 48.6 mpg.

The Prius used a CVT to manage power delivery, with transmission controls located on the dashboard. The car offered a smooth ride and decent handling, with the ability to switch to EV mode at low speeds. The regenerative braking system helped recharge the battery, and the car's aerodynamic design contributed to a quiet driving experience in urban settings. However, road noise was more noticeable on the freeway.

The 2019 Nissan Altima featured extremely comfortable Zero Gravity seats, designed to reduce fatigue on long trips. The interior had plenty of storage options, though the center console was not very deep due to the AWD and transmission tunnel. The back seat provided ample space for tall adults, and the trunk offered 15.4 cubic feet of cargo space, competitive with other midsize sedans.

The 2019 Toyota Prius offered comfortable seating for four adults, with manual height adjustment for the driver's seat and heated front seats. Rear passengers had good thigh support and decent legroom, though air conditioning vents were missing in the second row. The Prius XLE and Limited trims had SofTex leatherette upholstery, which could trap sweat on hot days. The trunk was spacious, offering up to 27.4 cubic feet of luggage space behind the rear seat and 65.5 cubic feet with the seat folded down, comparable to many small crossover SUVs.

The 2019 Nissan Altima came standard with NissanConnect, featuring a user-friendly infotainment system with large icons and easy-to-read fonts. The system included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, and a 7-inch color Drive Assist display between the tachometer and speedometer. This display allowed drivers to monitor various systems and features via a steering-wheel-mounted directional pad.

The 2019 Toyota Prius had a more limited technology offering. The top Limited trim included an 11.6-inch split-screen display, navigation, and a premium JBL sound system. However, the standard infotainment system in lower trims featured a small 6.1-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, and a CD player. The Prius lacked Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though it did offer wireless smartphone charging. The instrumentation was housed in a horizontal strip below the windshield, with a mix of modern and outdated displays.

The 2019 Nissan Altima came with standard safety features like front- and side-impact airbags, traction control, and a reversing camera. Higher trims included ProPilot Assist, a suite of driver-assistance systems offering partially autonomous driving functions. ProPilot Assist was standard on the SV, SL, and Platinum trims, while forward-collision warning and driver-alertness monitoring were standard across all trims.

The 2019 Toyota Prius included the Toyota Safety Sense suite of driver-assistance and collision-avoidance technologies as standard. This included adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. The LE trim added a blind-spot-monitoring system, rear cross-traffic alert, and parking-assist sensors. The Prius received a 5-star rating in federal government crash tests and a Top Safety Pick rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.