2021 Nissan Altima vs 2021 Toyota Prius

The 2021 Toyota Prius retained its iconic boomerang-shaped hood and roofline, a design choice that had been part of its identity for over 15 years. Despite advancements in aerodynamic vehicle design, the Prius continued to sport this look, which many found unappealing. The interior was equally unconventional, featuring a strip of displays mounted in the center of the dashboard, a toggle lever for transmission controls, and a narrow center console. The gloss-black trim was a magnet for dust and fingerprints, adding to the car's quirky aesthetic.

In contrast, the 2021 Nissan Altima showcased a more modern and attractive design. It featured a bold V-Motion grille, available in chrome or dark chrome, and a sleek, aerodynamic profile with a sloping roofline. The Altima's sheet metal had a taut, trim essence, though its stance was somewhat ungainly due to the overhangs ahead of the front wheels and behind the rear wheels. Despite this, the Altima's fit and finish were exceptional, with deep lustrous paint and rich chrome details. The interior was uncluttered and intelligently laid out, with a standard 8-inch touchscreen display and high-quality materials in upper trim levels.

The 2021 Toyota Prius was all about fuel efficiency. The L Eco version achieved an impressive 56 mpg in combined driving, while other front-drive models earned 52 mpg. The AWD-e versions managed 49 mpg. However, the Prius 2020 Edition fell short of EPA estimates, averaging 47.5 mpg on the testing loop. The Prius paired a 1.8-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with a 53-kilowatt electric motor, producing a total of 121 horsepower. While this wasn't much, the electric motor's 120 pound-feet of torque provided a lively feel off the line. The Prius excelled in urban and low-speed driving situations, thanks to its Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform, which offered a lower center of gravity and a more athletic feel. However, hard acceleration produced a droning noise, and the steering lacked road feel.

The 2021 Nissan Altima offered two distinct powertrains. Most models featured a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 182 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque, paired with Nissan’s Xtronic CVT. This setup provided fuel economy ratings of 28 mpg city/39 mpg highway/32 mpg combined with FWD, and 25 mpg city/35 mpg highway/29 mpg combined with AWD. The standout was the SR VC-Turbo trim, which featured a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with 248 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. This engine used variable compression technology to balance power and efficiency, achieving 25 mpg city/34 mpg highway/29 mpg combined. The Altima's suspension and steering provided decent feedback and feel, making it a more engaging car to drive compared to the Prius.

The 2021 Toyota Prius offered more interior space than expected, comfortably seating up to five people. The front seats were equipped with an eight-way power driver’s seat, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. However, the low seating position made entry and exit challenging, and the SofTex synthetic leather upholstery tended to trap sweat. The rear seats provided adequate foot room, legroom, and headroom, but lacked air-conditioning vents. Cargo space varied by trim level, ranging from 24.6 to 27.4 cubic feet behind the back seat, and 47.9 to 50.7 cubic feet with the seats folded down.

The 2021 Nissan Altima featured Nissan’s Zero Gravity front seats, which were praised for their comfort on long drives. Upper trim levels offered power adjustment, position memory, leather appointments, and heated seats. The front cabin had ample storage, including a large glovebox, center console storage bin, and door pockets. The second row was roomy enough for two adults, and the seats folded flat in a 60/40 split for trunk access. The trunk itself offered 15.4 cubic feet of space, making the Altima a practical choice for carrying cargo.

The 2021 Toyota Prius came with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system that included Bluetooth, SiriusXM satellite radio, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa compatibility. However, the sound quality of the standard stereo speakers was poor, and road noise often overwhelmed the audio. The Limited trim offered a 10-speaker JBL premium sound system, navigation, and a larger 11.6-inch touchscreen, but it lacked Android Auto. The digital instrumentation on the dashboard was dated and lacked sophistication.

The 2021 Nissan Altima included a comprehensive set of tech features as standard. All models came with Nissan Intelligent Key with pushbutton start, remote engine start, Bluetooth, and more. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard on all but the base S model. The base touchscreen was 7 inches, while other models had an 8-inch NissanConnect touchscreen. Higher trims offered additional USB ports, a Bose audio system, and Active Noise Cancellation. The Platinum trim included Nissan Door to Door Navigation and NissanConnect Services with a WiFi hotspot and emergency crash notification.

The 2021 Toyota Prius was equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 (TSS 2.0) as standard, which included adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, lane-centering assist, automatic high-beam headlights, and road-sign recognition. Higher trims added blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. Safety Connect services were also standard, offering automatic collision notification and emergency assistance. The Prius received favorable marks from the IIHS but lacked a crashworthiness rating from the NHTSA.

The 2021 Nissan Altima featured Nissan Safety Shield 360 as standard on SV and above trims, which included automatic emergency braking, rear automatic braking, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot warning, lane-departure warning, and high-beam assist. ProPilot Assist was available for highway driving assistance, and the Intelligent Around View Monitor was offered on upper trims. The Altima received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick + rating from the IIHS.