2020 Honda Civic Hatchback vs 2020 Toyota Prius

The 2020 Toyota Prius maintained its iconic shape, a design choice driven by aerodynamics to achieve optimal drag efficiency. Over the years, Toyota subtly evolved the Prius's styling to give it a more sedan-like appearance while retaining its hatchback functionality. The Prius's futuristic design remained contemporary, with its most distinctive feature being the centrally located instrumentation and gauges, a hallmark since its inception. The interior was defined by its unorthodox layout, offering a unique driving experience.

The 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback, redesigned half a decade prior, featured a bold and distinctive look that required appreciation from the right angle and lighting. For 2020, Honda made minor styling tweaks, including body-color crossbars on the air intakes, a new grille, and smoked headlights. The Sport Touring trim, with its Platinum White Pearl paint and glossy black detailing, garnered admiration for its striking appearance. Inside, the Civic offered a mix of stitched leather and quality materials, providing a comfortable and quiet cabin experience.

The 2020 Toyota Prius was powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor, delivering a combined output of 121 horsepower and 105 pound-feet of torque. It came with front-wheel drive, while an all-wheel-drive variant, the Prius AWD-e, was also available. The Prius offered smooth acceleration, especially at lower speeds, with a seamless transition between electric and conventional power. It featured three drive modes—EV, Eco, and Power—each catering to different driving preferences. The unique shifter design and Engine Braking mode added to its distinct driving experience. Despite its focus on efficiency, the Prius provided engaging handling and a smooth ride.

The 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback, equipped with a turbocharged 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, produced 174 horsepower in LX, EX, and EX-L trims, and 180 horsepower in Sport and Sport Touring trims. Torque varied with the transmission, offering 162 pound-feet with the CVT and 177 lb-ft with the 6-speed manual. The Civic Hatchback delivered ample power for confident driving, with a quiet and refined engine. While not as performance-focused as the Civic Si, the Hatchback offered a softer ride, wider seats, and a quieter cabin, making it enjoyable for daily driving. It achieved an EPA rating of 32 mpg in combined driving, with real-world testing showing 32.7 mpg.

The 2020 Toyota Prius made efficient use of its space, with deep door pockets and a large tray area between the front seats for storage. The front seats provided ample headroom and legroom, while the rear seats offered good space, though taller passengers needed to be cautious when entering. The Prius boasted 50.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded, and between 24.6 to 27.4 cubic feet with the seats up, depending on the model. Its hatchback design facilitated easy loading of large items.

The 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback offered 25.2 cubic feet of cargo space, slightly more than the HR-V Touring. While it couldn't match the HR-V's maximum volume, the Civic compensated with better acceleration and fuel efficiency. The driver's seat sat low, but the Sport Touring's heated leather seats provided comfort and support. The center console featured a versatile storage area with a sliding armrest, tray, and cupholders. Rear seat comfort was good, though passengers lacked air-conditioning vents and had to contend with dark tinted glass.

The 2020 Toyota Prius came standard with a 7-inch touchscreen, offering a user-friendly menu layout and compatibility with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The Limited trim upgraded to an 11.6-inch screen with a customizable layout, though it lacked Android Auto. The Prius also offered satellite radio, HD Radio, a head-up display, and a 10-speaker JBL audio system. The top-center instrument panel, a defining feature, displayed hybrid drivetrain status and other critical information.

The 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback featured a stylish dashboard with digital instrumentation and a 7-inch touchscreen in all but the LX trim. The Sport Touring trim included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, satellite radio, a navigation system, and a 12-speaker premium sound system. While lacking a tuning knob and advanced voice recognition, the Civic offered automatic climate control and Smart Entry with Walk Away Auto Lock for added convenience.

The 2020 Toyota Prius was equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, offering features like 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.

The 2020 Honda Civic Hatchback included the Honda Sensing suite, featuring forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. However, the system showed some refinement issues during testing. The Civic lacked blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, relying on LaneWatch for the right-side blind spot. The Civic received top marks for crash-test performance but did not earn a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS due to poor headlight performance.