2022 Honda Civic Hatchback vs 2022 Nissan Sentra

The 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback aimed to capture a significant portion of the hatchback market, which had been dwindling as consumers shifted towards small crossover SUVs. Honda saw this as an opportunity and redesigned the Civic hatchback, producing it in an Indiana factory. The new model was expected to serve as the foundation for the revived 2023 Acura Integra, potentially sparking a hatchback renaissance. The Civic hatchback was available in LX, Sport, EX-L, and Sport Touring trims, with prices ranging from $22,900 to $29,400, plus a $1,015 destination charge. The Sport Touring trim, which was tested, featured sophisticated digital instrumentation and infotainment displays, although the CVT shifter operation was slightly janky.

The 2022 Nissan Sentra, redesigned in 2020, carried over into 2022 with minimal changes. Its exterior resembled a downsized Altima, featuring a low-slung, coupe-like, and modern design. The Sentra's interior was a highlight, with a modern yet simple layout that combined form and function. The front cabin design included a touchscreen that served as the visual centerpiece. The Sentra was available in S, SV, and SR trims, with the SR trim offering additional features such as LED headlights, remote start, and sport cloth seats with orange accent stitching. The Midnight Edition package for the SR trim added dark accents inside and out, including black 18-inch alloy wheels and a black rear spoiler.

The 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback offered two engine options. The LX and Sport trims featured a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 158 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque. The EX-L and Sport Touring trims came with a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine generating 180 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque. The CVT worked well with the turbocharged engine, and paddle shifters on the Sport and Sport Touring models made the CVT feel more like a traditional dual-clutch or automatic transmission. The Sport Touring with a six-speed manual transmission was a favorite among driving enthusiasts. The Civic hatchback provided a firm and satisfying suspension, good steering feel, and effective brakes, although it was not designed for aggressive driving on winding roads. Fuel economy was impressive, with the CVT achieving 33 mpg in combined driving and the manual transmission averaging 31 mpg.

The 2022 Nissan Sentra was equipped with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 149 horsepower and 146 pound-feet of torque, paired with a CVT and front-wheel drive. The engine provided solid low-end acceleration and satisfactory performance on the highway. The Sentra's steering was well-weighted, and cornering was sharp for a non-performance car. The suspension handled most bumps well but struggled with harsher conditions. The Sentra was suitable for commuting, driving around town, and occasional road trips.

The 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback offered a generous 24.5 cubic feet of trunk space, with a two-piece cargo shade that did not need to be removed for loading. The back seat featured a 60/40-split folding design, although the load floor was not flat. The driver’s seat had eight-way power adjustment, and both front seats were heated. The Sport Touring trim included black leather upholstery and dual-zone automatic climate control. However, the front passenger seat lacked a height adjuster, and there were no rear air conditioning vents.

The 2022 Nissan Sentra provided 14.3 cubic feet of trunk space, expandable with a 60/40 split-fold rear bench. The trunk could be remotely opened via the key fob or a button on the dash. The Sentra's front seats offered ample headroom and legroom, while the rear seats provided decent legroom and headroom. The front row featured large in-door cargo trays and bottle holders, and the center console had plenty of cupholders and trays.

The 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback featured a new infotainment system with a 7-inch touchscreen display on the LX, Sport, and EX-L trims, and a 9-inch touchscreen on the Sport Touring trim. The Sport Touring trim also included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, wireless smartphone charging, navigation, and a 12-speaker Bose audio system. The Civic hatchback had digital instrumentation, with the Sport Touring trim offering a 10.2-inch display panel.

The 2022 Nissan Sentra came standard with a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The SV and SR trims featured an 8-inch touchscreen. The system included conventional hard buttons and volume and tuning dials. However, the graphics could use updating, and the lack of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto was a drawback.

The 2022 Honda Civic Hatchback was equipped with the Honda Sensing suite of safety features, including adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, Road Departure Mitigation, and Lane Keeping Assist. The EX-L and Sport Touring trims added blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic warning systems. The Civic hatchback earned a "Top Safety Pick+" rating from the IIHS.

The 2022 Nissan Sentra included standard driver-assistance features such as forward and reverse automatic emergency braking, forward collision avoidance, pedestrian detection, driver drowsiness monitoring, lane-departure warning, and blind spot monitoring. Additional features on the test model included a surround-view parking monitor and adaptive cruise control. The Sentra earned a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a "Top Safety Pick" award from the IIHS.