2023 Honda Accord vs 2023 Nissan Altima
Were it not for competition, the automotive industry would be lopsided, monopolies would form, and it would ultimately be far from interesting. Instead, we have a bustling industry full of brilliant minds who make dreams happen. This engineering prowess that may seem like magic to some is prevalent in modern-day automotive design and is a signal of quality from brands like Honda and Nissan. These two brands are held in high regard by millions of drivers, including commuters, those with families, and anyone who wants a reliable automobile with no questions asked. The 2023 Honda Accord vs 2023 Nissan Altima is a popular topic among shoppers: Which of these two sedans has the better amenities, which includes quality-of-life features, and which vehicle is the most performant or efficient? Honda and Nissan are both Japanese manufacturers with a repertoire of vehicles, many of which are alike but not identical.
The 2023 Honda Accord is available in six configurations. Two of these trims are for models that run solely on gasoline, while the remaining four trims are all of the hybrid variety. The two non-hybrid trims are the LX and EX, while the hybrid trims include the Sport Hybrid, EX-L Hybrid, Sport-L Hybrid, and Touring Hybrid. The Nissan Altima isn’t available with any hybrid variants – something that will turn some people off from it – the five Altima trims are the S, SV, SR, SL, and the SR VC-Turbo, which utilizes an available turbocharged engine. Having one extra trim makes shopping for the Accord a bit more intricate, but when you’re buying a new vehicle, intricacy is what you want.
| 2023 Honda Accord | VS | 2023 Nissan Altima |
|---|---|---|
| $27,295 [a] | MSRP | $25,290 |
| 192 | Horsepower (hp) | 188 |
| 105.7 | Passenger Volume (cu.ft.) | 100.6 |
| 16.7 | Cargo Volume (cu.ft.) | 15.4 |
Performance
The Honda Accord and Nissan Altima sedans are perfect for commuting. There are similarities between the two, but both manufacturers have taken different, albeit fascinating, approaches to how they went about supplying a hearty mix of performance and efficiency to owners of both sedans. A similarity between the two is a continuously variable transmission (CVT), meaning both sedans don’t use traditional transmissions – acceleration is smooth and continuous with a CVT – hence the first part of its name. Another similarity is that both sedans offer turbocharged engines, but herein lies a major difference: the turbocharged engine comes standard with the Accord, while it’s only available on pricier Altima models. Ultimately, this is where the similarities end, other than both turbocharged engines only being available with front-wheel drive.
Standard Engines
The engine powering the base Accord is a turbocharged 1.5L I-4 engine. With trims like the LX and EX, which come with the turbocharged 1.5L I-4 engine, these Accord models output 192 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque. The standard engine for the Nissan Altima is a 2.5L I-4 engine – non-turbocharged – that produces 188 hp and 180 lb-ft of torque. Proving the worthiness of a turbocharged engine, the 2.5L I-4 engine is larger and heavier than the turbocharged engine in Accord models, which the former is made even more compelling due to incredible fuel efficiency.
Fuel Economy
The turbocharged 1.5L I-4 engine in the Accord allows this 2023 Honda sedan to earn EPA-estimated ratings of 29 MPG in the city and 37 MPG on the highway. Comparatively, the Altima’s 2.5L I-4 engine with FWD gets a similar, nonidentical 27 MPG in the city – less than the Accord – but 39 MPG on the highway – more than the Accord. Both the Accord and Altima’s base powertrains have 32 MPG combined. Although the 2.5L I-4 engine is available with AWD, this lowers the EPA-estimated ratings to 26 MPG in the city and 36 MPG on the highway.
The Accord's Hybrid Model
Honda and Nissan both enlist the help of a 2.0L I-4 engine to set the foundation for the Accord and Altima’s alternative powertrains, but it would be a disservice to call these two approaches similar. The Accord’s usage of the 2.0L I-4 engine places it in a hybrid configuration, which is something Honda has done wonders with – not only increasing every facet of the Accord’s performance – but severely improving upon its already notable fuel efficiency. A hybrid Altima variant used to exist, but there hasn’t been one sold since the 2011 Nissan Altima Hybrid.
The Nissan Altima uses a turbocharged 2.0L I-4 engine, and while it has 248 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque to provide a steady flow of performance over the 204 hp and 247 lb-ft of torque of the Accord’s hybrid, the hybrid model is still worthy of a purchase, especially when it comes to fuel efficiency. The Nissan Altima’s pricier powertrain earns EPA-estimated ratings of 25 MPG in the city and 34 MPG on the highway, while the Accord Hybrid annihilates these ratings with 51 MPG in the city, 44 MPG on the highway, and 48 MPG combined.
Dimensions
Sedans are smaller than most other car classes, but the Accord and Altima have the advantage of being midsize sedans. This helps in cargo space and interior dimensions, directly affecting how you and your passengers fare regarding spaciousness during any drive. There are ten dimensions to focus on when comparing the capaciousness of two sedans, including front and rear head, leg, shoulder, and hip room, along with passenger and cargo volume. In these tests, the Honda Accord walks away with victories for seven of the ten measurements.
Headroom and Legroom
In the Honda Accord, headroom is always superior to the Nissan Altima, as Honda’s sedan offers you and whoever is sitting beside you 39.5 inches of headroom in the front row, while three passengers in the back will have 37.3 inches of headroom. The Nissan Altima instead has 39.1 inches of headroom and 36.9 inches for the rear row – both sedans provide decent results, but the Accord does have the mathematical edge. The Nissan Altima has minutely better legroom for the front row seats – 43.8 inches over Honda’s 42.3 inches – but this 3.5% increase in front row legroom isn’t as much of an advantage as the 16% more rear row legroom in the Accord. This is due to the Accord having 40.8 inches of rear-row legroom, while the Altima has 35.2 inches.
Passenger and Cargo Volume
The Honda Accord manages to pull ahead with the hip room of the interior. On the other hand, the Nissan Altima provides slightly better shoulder room, albeit not much. In the Accord, both the front and rear rows of seats have 55.4 inches of hip room, while the Altima has 54.7 inches in the front and 54.5 inches in the back. The Nissan Altima then has 58.2 inches of front shoulder room accompanied by 57.1 inches of rear shoulder room – slightly more than the 57.9 and 56.5 inches of shoulder room in the front and back rows of the Accord, respectively. The Honda Accord also has at most 105.7 cu.ft. of passenger volume, which is a steady amount more than the 100.6 cu.ft. passenger volume of the Altima. The last measurement – cargo space – also sees the Accord outmatch the Altima, with 16.7 cu.ft. of maximum cargo space against Nissan’s 15.4 cu.ft.
Features
The 2023 Honda Accord and Nissan Altima are each capable of delivering high-quality driving experiences that not only include the powertrain but also everything around it. There are many features found in both Honda and Nissan’s sedans, but there’s a fair amount of disparity between the two, from the types of seats they use to more modern features such as infotainment center software and other amenities. Cloth seats come standard on both sedans, but leather comes with the trims you’d pay more for. Neither sedan has two heated seats standard, but on most other trims, they do. However, the Accord has ventilated front seats on the Touring trim, which isn’t offered on any of the five Altima trims.
The Accord Offers a Slight Edge in Seating Features
The Accord and Altima also come with manually adjustable front seats, offering 4-way power-adjustable front-passenger chairs on the pricier models. When the driver’s seat is upgraded from a manually adjustable chair, the Altima has an 8-way power-adjustable chair with lumbar support, but the Accord has a 10-way power-adjustable seat with lumbar support. The Accord’s power-adjustable seat can also have two-position memory to retain the preferred seating position for you and another driver.
Honda Simply Offers More Standard Safety Features
The Honda Accord and Nissan Altima both have safety suites as well. The Honda Accord utilizes the Honda Sensing safety suite for its assisted-driving features, while the Nissan Altima uses Nissan Safety Shield 360. Both safety suites come equipped with a host of other safety features, including Automatic Emergency Braking and a Lane Departure Warning. Where the Honda Sensing suite really shines is the sheer amount of standard tools that come with it. Everything from a Driver Attention Monitor to a Traffic Sign Recognition System is standard on every trim, making it a perfect sedan for drivers who truly prioritize safety in their vehicles.
The Accord Is Equipped With More Standard Connectivity Features
Infotainment centers are a popular amenity in today’s world, and both the Accord and Altima have identical screen sizes: a 7-inch screen or a 12.3-inch screen, though it should be mentioned that the Accord's 12.3-inch touchscreen comes standard on its hybrid model. The Accord and Altima both offer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and their wireless variants as an available enhancement. These come as standard features on the Accord, while the Altima only has it on higher-end trims. The 2023 Accord also comes standard with a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, which doesn’t come standard on the Altima, adding to the features the Accord comes with that require spending more money with Nissan’s sedan.
Check Out The 2023 Honda Accord Today
At Classic Honda of Midland, we’re a dealership that’s here to help drivers in and around Midland, Texas, find a vehicle that best suits their driving needs. From the moment you step through our door, you'll be greeted by our friendly and knowledgeable sales team, who will work tirelessly to get you behind the wheel of a Honda vehicle you'll love, which includes the fantastic 2023 Honda Accord. Shopping for a new vehicle can be an overwhelming experience, and that's why we're here to answer any question you may have and walk you through our extensive selection of Honda vehicles.
Our dedication to you extends far beyond just picking out your next ride. Our finance department will work closely with you to create a payment plan that best fits your budget, and our certified technicians in our maintenance department will be here for any service you may require throughout the ownership of your vehicle. Finding that perfect vehicle shouldn't be stressful, and we're here to prove that to all our customers every day. Come in today and let us help you find a great Honda vehicle like the 2023 Honda Accord.