Specs at a Glance
2018 Honda Accord
MPG (city/hwy)
  30 / 38 *
Cargo Space
  16.7 cu. ft
2018 Nissan Altima
MPG (city/hwy)
  21 / 30
Cargo Space
  14.3 cu. ft
2018 Honda Accord vs 2018 Nissan Altima
Proudly Serving Nashville, TN
Midsize sedans owe their popularity to providing an enjoyable ride that's still very fuel efficient while keeping cargo and crew comfortably separated from one another under usual circumstances. The Honda Accord and Nissan Altima are great examples of this design strategy, but the Accord has earned a reputation for fulfilling this goal better than its rival. Here's an illustration of how it does this for 2018.
Performance
The 2018 Accord employs a couple of 4-cylinder blocks perfect for the needs of a midsize sedan. First, a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-4 engine supplies the stingiest fuel usage when teamed with a continuously variable transmission or CVT by creating 192 horsepower with 30 mpg city and 38 mpg highway. By comparison, the 2018 Nissan Altima relies on a heavier 2.5-liter inline-4 that's combined with a CVT for only 179 horsepower, 27 mpg city, and 38 mpg highway.
Given that most driving takes place in town, this is pretty significant. When more strength is required, the Accord offers a 2-liter turbocharged inline-4 block capable of an effective 252 horsepower with 23 mpg city and 34 mpg highway when mated with a 10-speed automatic transmission. In the Altima, greater brawn comes from an excessive 3.5-liter V6 providing 270 horsepower at the expense of 22 mpg city and 32 mpg highway. The Accord also outdoes the Altima by giving purchasers the option of a 6-speed manual transmission for those wanting maximum control.
Safety
Honda vehicles are virtually synonymous with safety, and that includes the 2018 Accord. Even though both the Accord and the Altima did quite well in tests by the NHTSA** with overall scores of 5 stars, a breakdown of the details show the Accord getting five stars in all three major categories of front impact, side impact, and rollover testing while the Altima received just four stars for rollovers. Both sedans come with antilock brakes, airbags, traction and stability control, and a rearview camera. The Accord outfits all models with HondaSensing that includes both forward impact alert with automatic braking and lane holding. All Altimas only come with frontal collision warning with automatic braking. Blind spot monitoring is optional on either, but the Altima has no lane keeping option.
Spaciousness
The most basic kind of comfort comes in the form of extra leeway. With 105.6 cubic feet of cabin room, the 2018 Honda Accord easily clears this primary hurdle while things remain a bit cramped in the 2018 Altima at just 101.9 cubic feet. Regarding headroom and legroom, both sedans stay quite close to one another. The Accord, though, does provide 40.4 inches of legroom for rear passengers while the Altima is over four inches shorter at 36.1 inches. The Accord pulls ahead in shoulder and hip room. It's the same for the second tier as the Accord achieves 55 inches for hips and 56.5 inches for shoulders. The 2018 Nissan Altima is confined to 52.1 inches of hip clearance and 56.4 inches of shoulder space. The 2018 Accord even lends some generous dimensions to the merchandise in the trunk by making this compartment 16.7 cubic feet instead of the tinier 15.4 cubic feet of the Altima's trunk.
Once again, the Accord demonstrates how it's become a top choice among midsize sedan owners. It's one thing to read about how good it is. The real test is trying one out. We've got one waiting for you today, and we're confident it'll pass your test.
* 30 city/38 highway/33 combined mpg rating for 1.5T LX, EX and EX-L models with CVT. 26 city/35 highway/30 combined mpg rating for 1.5T Sport models with 6-speed manual transmission. 29 city/35 highway/31 combined mpg rating for 1.5T Sport and Touring models with CVT. 22 city/32 highway/26 combined mpg rating for 2.0T Sport models with 6-speed manual transmission. 22 city/32 highway/26 combined mpg rating for 2.0T Sport and Touring models with 10-speed automatic transmission. 23 city/34 highway/27 combined mpg rating for 2.0T EX-L models with 10-speed automatic transmission. 47 city/47 highway/47 combined mpg rating for Hybrid models with E-CVT. Based on 2018 EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle, driving conditions and other factors.
** Government 5-Star Safety Ratings are part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s New Car Assessment Program (www.safercar.gov). Model tested with standard side airbags (SAB).
