David Booth: Who hasnt cribbed a note? Glanced at someone elses test answers? Or copied a little of their math homework when the intricacies of Laplace transforms werent quite gelling in time for that 9:00 a.m. Monday assignment deadline? Maybe even a little plagiarism really, it was only one line from a 20-year-old Jeremy Clarkson review when words didnt appear magically on your screen. The point I am making is that pretty much all of us have cheated just a tad. Indeed, when it comes to a little, uhh, appropriation let he without sin cast the first stone.Nonetheless, youve got to give the designers at Honda and Nissan props for their chutzpah, the companies Accord and (the new) Altima seemingly separated at birth. Silhouettes are similar, the rear taillights almost identical and if you just ignore the various chrome garnishes seriously, you thought that wed be put off by one twin wearing a bowtie and the other a cravat? the front fascias are remarkably similar. Hell, their versions of burgundy Radiant Red metallic in Honda-speak, and Scarlet Ember for Nissan are all but cloned. If imitation be the sincerest form of flattery, then these two are positively fawning over each other. Clayton Seams: Indeed, it seems we have two identical sedans in front of us, the differences looming only once you peer under their (oddly similar) sheet metal. The Accord uses a downsized 1.5L turbo-four to send 192 horsepower and 192 pound-feet to the front wheels. The Altima, meanwhile, uses a larger naturally-aspirated 2.0L unit making 182 horsepower and 178 lb.-ft. of torque. But unlike the Accord, the Nissan has all-wheel-drive. But beyond the oily bits, both are very, very close. The Accord costs a hair more at $37,976 as-tested versus the Altimas $35,298 sticker.DB: Though there numbers be fairly similar, theres a world of difference OK, at least compared with their visual similarities in how these engines perform. Though it is the smaller unit, the Honda fairly leaps off the line, all that turbocharged torque rendering fairly instant throttle response. The Nissan, in contrast, is just a tad sluggish at the outset, but gathers steam as speeds increase, eventually proving more satisfying on the highway than the Honda. The numerical differences in performance measurement arent vast, but the motors do feel significantly different. Ditto for the transmissions; though theyre both CVTs, they prove markedly dissimilar on the road. CS: Ill be honest I had to double check the Altima was actually a CVT. It was that good, fooling me into thinking there was a conventional torque converter behind the engine. The revs shift up and down through imaginary gears and the operation is seamless. Nissan seems to have found a way to make CVT shift and feel like a regular automatic but with the fuel economy benefits of the continuously variable ratios.Honda has not been nearly so crafty. The Accord surges and drones as only a CVT can. Not only does it feel odd, it also feels sluggish. Every stab of the gas pedal is followed by a sizeable wait for the transmission to gear down and do its thing. The Nissan has a clear advantage in this area. Ditto the fact that said CVT is connected to an all-wheel-drive system, a rarity in the segment.DB: Thats the real differentiator in this compare. We can talk about similarities in body styles and differences in throttle response all we like, but the big news is that the Altimas 2.5L four drives all four wheels and the Honda only powers the fronts. Now, most consumers think AWD is only a benefit in the snow, but I can tell you I could feel the difference between the two cars even in summer. A quick thundershower drenched suburban Toronto, rendering roads wet and less than grippy during our time with the Altima; it barely noticed, but goose the Honda away from a stop and all that torque remember how we were bragging that the little 1.5T makes 192 lb.-ft.? spins the tires for a second or two before being reigned in by the traction control system. Thats not a big deal, but anyone thinking AWD is of winter only benefit isnt paying attention.On the other hand, when we start looking around the cabins, those similarities pop up again, dont they, my little wannabe rapper? CS: Youre right oh, fossilized one. Their cabins are about the same size and their ergonomics eerily similar. That said, there are a few more differentiators inside than outside. The Nissan, for instance, has seats so soft they remind me of a Oldsmobile Brougham. And thats a good thing! I blame BMW for convincing people that every single sedan needed to be firm and angry. The Accords seats are hard like a German sports sedan, and have serious side bolsters. This is a bit out of place on a car that doesnt even have paddle shifters. But Nissan takes a more honest approach. They know youre not taking their CVT sedan to a track day and the seats are closer to couches than race buckets. For back comfort alone, I would prefer the
Origin: Car Comparison: 2019 Honda Accord vs. 2019 Nissan Altima