2022 Honda Civic vs 2023 Nissan Altima

The 2022 Honda Civic was offered in familiar trims: LX, Sport, EX, and Touring. The base price for the Civic LX started at $21,700, climbing to $28,300 for the Touring trim, excluding a $995 destination charge. A new five-door hatchback model returned to the lineup, while the two-door coupe became a relic of the past. During evaluations, a Civic Touring in Morning Mist Blue, with an extra cost of $395 for the paint, brought the total to $29,690, including destination charges. Another model, the Civic Sport with Platinum White Pearl paint and Honda Performance Development (HPD) appearance package, was estimated to be just under $25,880.

From a design perspective, the 2022 Civic bore a striking resemblance to the larger Accord sedan, displaying a more conservative look compared to its predecessors. The 11th-generation Civic showcased a cleaner, more tailored aesthetic. Inside, Honda embraced a minimalist approach, with a dashboard that featured metal honeycomb mesh to conceal the air vents and improved interior materials, especially in the Touring trim.

Conversely, the 2023 Nissan Altima received notable updates, including a refreshed front end with a revised grille and new wheel designs, particularly the stylish but prone-to-damage 19-inch wheels on higher trims. The 2023 Altima also introduced new exterior paint colors. The departure of the Platinum trim left the SL and SR VC-Turbo as the upscale options, with prices ranging from $25,290 to $34,990, plus a $1,095 destination charge. The SL trim with AWD in the test vehicle amounted to $34,755.

Nissan aimed to maintain a substantial visual presence with the new Altima, despite its sophisticated yet frangible wheel designs. The interior featured improved aesthetics but still relied heavily on hard plastic materials, though the option for gray leather added a touch of luxury contrast. The new double-stitched seams somewhat balanced the lack of refinement represented by the simulated wood trim.

The 2022 Honda Civic came with two engine choices for its sedan models, both improved versions from the previous generation. The LX and Sport trims housed a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine delivering 158 horsepower and 138 lb-ft of torque. The EX and Touring trims featured a more desirable turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, capable of producing 180 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque from 1,700 to 4,500 rpm. Distribution was managed by a CVT, tailored differently for each engine, with Step Shift programming mimicking a traditional automatic transmission. The Civic offered a fun driving experience accompanied by a solid structural rigidity and responsive handling, though the Touring trim, tested over a 95-mile journey, reported a fuel economy of 30.4 mpg, falling short of the 34 mpg EPA estimate.

The 2023 Nissan Altima, except for the SR VC-Turbo model, relied on a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a CVT. This engine produced 188 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque for FWD models and slightly less for AWD versions. AWD availability for the SV, SR, and SL trims included the capability to distribute up to half of the engine's output to the rear wheels. The SR VC-Turbo offered a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine with variable compression, delivering 236 horsepower and 267 lb-ft of torque on regular gas, or 248 horsepower and 273 lb-ft on premium fuel. The fuel economy for the SL AWD model stood at 27.4 mpg, versus EPA ratings ranging from 30 to 32 mpg in combined driving for other variants. While the CVT performed admirably, giving a near-traditional automatic experience, the driving character of the Altima felt somber compared to the Civic, with challenges in urban and highway settings due to firm suspension, insufficient noise insulation, and subpar steering feedback.

Comfort was a strong suit for the 2022 Honda Civic, featuring redesigned front seats claimed to offer better support than previous models, a claim substantiated during evaluations. The Touring trim's power driver’s seat provided ideal positioning, although the front passenger seat lacked height adjustment. The rear seats offered excellent thigh support and more legroom than most competitors, but entry/exit difficulty persisted owing to the car's low stance. The Civic’s interior redesign meant less center console storage and loss of sliding armrest flexibility, although it preserved generous trunk space at 14.8 cubic feet or 14.4 cubic feet for the Touring due to sound system components.

Meanwhile, the 2023 Nissan Altima’s interior, simplistic and user-friendly despite its inexpensive materials, featured Nissan's Zero Gravity seats with exceptional comfort, dual-zone automatic climate control, and a power sunroof in the SL trim. Though the front passenger's seat only offered four-way power adjustment and presented challenges for entry and exit due to its low position and non-height-adjustable setting, the rear seats stood out with excellent thigh support and ample legroom. However, the snap-on floor mats posed potential durability issues. The Altima's trunk offered a slightly larger 15.4 cubic feet of space but lacked a handle for easy closing, a notable inconvenience compared to the Civic.

The 2022 Honda Civic stood out with its digital instrumentation, growing from a 7-inch to a 10-inch display in the Touring trim, providing advanced and customizable vehicle data. The sophisticated Vehicle Activity display enhanced visibility of light status, while the 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with volume and tuning knobs offered standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Touring trim boasted a 9-inch screen with wireless connectivity, HD radio, satellite radio, navigation, and a premium 12-speaker Bose audio system that benefited from Bose’s early design input.

In comparison, the 2023 Nissan Altima’s base S trim had a modest 5-inch display and Bluetooth audio features. Upgrading to SV or SR provided an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and SiriusXM satellite radio. New for 2023, a 12.3-inch touchscreen available on the SV and SR and standard on SL and SR VC-Turbo trims, bundled navigation, wireless CarPlay, wired Android Auto, and a Wi-Fi hotspot along with a wireless phone charging pad. NissanConnect Services offered remote start and Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility but required a subscription. The SL and SR VC-Turbo trims also featured a nine-speaker Bose audio system with uneven performance, although the new 12.3-inch setup reflected significant infotainment improvements.

For the 2022 Honda Civic, the comprehensive Honda Sensing suite of advanced driver aids included Traffic Jam Assist, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and Lane Keeping Assist, all refined via a wide-view front camera and eight ultrasonic sensors. The Civic also introduced a proper blind-spot warning system with rear cross-traffic alert for the EX and Touring trims, replacing the previous LaneWatch system. Structural enhancements and new airbag designs boosted collision protection, while a standard rear-seat reminder added further safety.

The 2023 Nissan Altima carried standard Nissan Safety Shield 360 features, including forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning with steering wheel vibration alerts, blind-spot monitoring, and a driver monitoring system. The SV trim added rear automatic braking, while the SR introduced automatic high-beam headlights. The ProPilot Assist suite, standard on SL and SR VC-Turbo trims, combined adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist, although it required further refinement. Notably, the SL and SR VC-Turbo trims included a surround-view camera system. In terms of safety ratings, the Altima had a five-star overall from NHTSA, with a Top Safety Pick+ from IIHS for 2022, albeit with a Poor rating in the updated side-impact test.