2020 Honda Civic vs 2021 Nissan Maxima

The 2020 Honda Civic was a standout in Honda's lineup, offering a blend of affordability and engineering excellence that was often compared to higher-end brands like BMW. This compact car, priced around $20,000, was available in three body styles: sedan, coupe, and 4-door hatchback. Each style showcased a sharp design that emphasized its sleek lines and wide stance, with features like body panel creases and sweeping LED taillights enhancing its visual appeal. The Civic's interior was simple yet sophisticated, featuring soft-touch materials and high-quality switchgear. Updates for 2020 included new wheel designs and subtle styling tweaks, while the interior saw the addition of new dash accents and sport seats in certain trims.

The 2021 Nissan Maxima, as Nissan's flagship sedan, set a bold design standard with its "floating" roofline and "V-Motion" grille, elements that influenced other models in the lineup. The Maxima's design was striking, with a steeply-angled front end and a massive grille that gave it a distinctive presence on the road. The 40th Anniversary Edition trim, although not available in Canada, featured elements like 19-inch gloss-black alloy wheels and black exterior trim. The Maxima's interior was driver-focused, offering generous front space but compromising rear passenger comfort. Despite its bold design, the Maxima's interior felt cramped due to the positioning of the seats and centre console.

The 2020 Honda Civic offered a range of powertrains, all front-wheel drive, with four engines and two transmissions available. The base engine was a 2.0-litre inline 4-cylinder producing 158 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque, paired with a six-speed manual or an optional CVT. The 1.5-litre turbocharged engine, standard on the hatchback and available on higher trims, delivered 174 to 180 horsepower, depending on the model. The Civic Si and Type R variants offered more power, with the Si's 1.5-litre engine producing 205 horsepower and the Type R's 2.0-litre engine delivering an impressive 306 horsepower. The Civic's performance was characterized by smooth, responsive engines and precise handling, with adaptive dampers and a well-tuned suspension enhancing the driving experience.

The 2021 Nissan Maxima was powered by a 3.5-litre V6 engine producing 300 horsepower and 261 pound-feet of torque, paired with a CVT and front-wheel drive. While not a "four-door sports car," the Maxima offered a quick and enjoyable driving experience, with the V6 engine providing a satisfying sound. The CVT was responsive, delivering power smoothly and efficiently. However, the Maxima's handling revealed some limitations, with the steering lacking precision and the front end showing a tendency for torque steer under heavy throttle. Despite these drawbacks, the Maxima was agile for a large sedan and offered a comfortable ride, particularly during highway cruising.

The 2020 Honda Civic provided a spacious interior, particularly for rear passengers, with available features like two-stage heated outboard seats. The trunk offered 416 litres of cargo space in the sedan, 343 litres in the coupe, and 728 litres in the hatchback, expanding to 1,302 litres with the rear seats folded. The Civic's interior was practical, with a configurable centre console and a conventional gear shifter, enhancing usability.

The 2021 Nissan Maxima prioritized front passenger comfort, offering generous headroom and legroom, but at the expense of rear-seat space. The rear headroom and legroom were among the lowest in its class, and the positioning of the seats and centre console contributed to a cramped feeling. The Maxima featured Nissan's "Zero Gravity" front seats, designed for optimal support, with power adjustments and bolstering. However, the cargo space was limited to 405 litres, the smallest among its competitors.

The 2020 Honda Civic's infotainment system was considered outdated, with a 7-inch touchscreen standard on most models, offering Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The system's graphics and interface were less advanced compared to newer Honda models, but features like a Garmin-based navigation system and LaneWatch camera added value. The Civic Si included Active Sound Control, push-button start, and a 450-watt stereo, enhancing the driving experience.

The 2021 Nissan Maxima's technology package included an 8-inch touchscreen with Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto, along with a WiFi hotspot and an 11-speaker Bose audio system. While the infotainment system covered essential features, it was criticized for its dated graphics and confusing notification sounds. The Maxima offered analog controls for climate and audio, providing an alternative to the touchscreen interface.

The 2020 Honda Civic was equipped with Honda Sensing, which included features like forward collision warning, emergency braking, and adaptive cruise control. The Civic earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with the exception of a four-star rating in the passenger frontal crash test for the coupe.

The 2021 Nissan Maxima received a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS, with top scores in crash tests and front crash prevention. The NHTSA awarded it a five-star overall safety rating. Standard safety features included automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. The Maxima also offered a 360-degree camera system on higher trims, enhancing safety and convenience.