2019 Volkswagen Jetta vs 2019 Nissan Altima

The 2019 Volkswagen Jetta presented a slightly longer and wider profile compared to its predecessor, giving it a more upscale presence. The new design featured a wide, angular grille inspired by the VW Arteon sport sedan, which added a dramatic flair to its appearance. Inside, the Jetta continued this angular design language, creating a cabin that felt both spacious and functional. The seats were notably comfortable, making long drives more pleasant. The base S trim came well-equipped with features like 16-inch alloy wheels, LED head- and taillights, and a 6.5-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

In contrast, the 2019 Nissan Altima borrowed design cues from the larger Maxima sedan, including a big trapezoidal grille and sharply raked headlights. Inside, the Altima featured a floating center stack and a layout similar to other modern sedans, with a focus on functionality. The standout feature was Nissan's Zero Gravity seats, designed to reduce fatigue on long trips. The Altima also offered a range of trims, with the base S trim including push-button start, an 8-way power driver’s seat, and an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Higher trims added features like 19-inch alloy wheels, leather seating, and a 9-speaker Bose premium sound system.

The 2019 Volkswagen Jetta came with a single engine option: a 1.4-liter turbocharged inline 4-cylinder producing 147 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. Despite having 3 fewer horsepower than the previous model, the engine felt more responsive, thanks to its tuning and a new 8-speed automatic transmission. The Jetta handled both city and highway driving well, with smooth and sporty steering. Fuel economy was impressive, with both the manual and automatic transmissions returning 30 mpg city, 40 highway, and 34 combined.

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 were available with a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine featuring variable compression technology, aiming to deliver V6 power with 4-cylinder efficiency. Both engines were paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and offered front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The 2.5-liter engine returned fuel economy of 28 mpg city, 39 highway, and 32 combined, while the AWD version achieved 25 city, 35 highway, and 29 combined.

The 2019 Volkswagen Jetta's front seats were comfortable for long trips, and despite a slight reduction in legroom, the cabin felt spacious. Trunk space was reduced to 14.1 cubic feet but remained average for the class. The interior layout was practical, with the touchscreen positioned above the climate vents and the shifter moved back for easier access. The Jetta blended touchscreen functions with real buttons and dials, emphasizing practicality.

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 offered ample space for tall adults, and the trunk provided 15.4 cubic feet of cargo space, competitive within its class.

The 2019 Volkswagen Jetta came standard with a 6.5-inch touchscreen display featuring Volkswagen’s Car-Net App-Connect, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. Higher trims like the SEL and SEL Premium included Volkswagen’s Digital Cockpit, a customizable 10.25-inch digital display that could project navigation and other information directly onto the screen.

The 2019 Nissan Altima featured NissanConnect, a user-friendly infotainment system with large, colorful icons and easy-to-read fonts. It also came standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. All trims included a 7-inch color Drive Assist display between the tachometer and speedometer, allowing drivers to monitor various systems and features.

The 2019 Volkswagen Jetta included front and side airbags, a reversing camera, and a tire pressure monitoring system. Driver-assist features like blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and forward-collision avoidance were standard on higher trims and optional on the base S. The SEL and SEL Premium trims added adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and automatic high beams.

The 2019 Nissan Altima came with standard safety features such as front- and side-impact airbags, traction control, vehicle dynamics control, and a reversing camera. Higher trims included ProPilot Assist, a suite of driver-assistance systems offering partially autonomous driving functions. Forward-collision warning and driver-alertness monitoring were standard across all trims.