If you’re in the market for a new commuter car, you might have already realized that there are a ton of choices. There are dozens upon dozens of car manufacturers, and each of them offers several of their own individual versions of what is seemingly the same car. All you want to do is drive to and from work safely and without spending a bucket load on fuel; is that too much to ask? That’s why today we’re going to help show you shouldn’t just buy just any commuter car and that they are all just a little bit different. We’re going to start by comparing two very popular sedans – the 2021 Honda Accord vs 2021 Nissan Altima.
There are many midsize sedans on the market, and each car manufacturer has its pros and cons. But while you must ultimately decide which model works best for your specific situation, the Accord and the Altima are two very popular choices. Both of them have a slew of loyal followers, proving that these are two very viable options. But between these two vehicles, the Honda Accord takes the lead in a variety of ways. From the fuel-efficiency that only comes from a hybrid drivetrain, to additional comfort on the road, to plenty of advanced technology, the 2021 Accord raises the bar when it comes to midsize sedans.
Let’s Talk Fuel Mileage
One thing that is important to many car shoppers is fuel economy – especially when you are buying a car that you plan to use for everyday commuting. This is an area where the 2021 Honda Accord shines. Thanks to its optional hybrid powertrain, 2021 Accord is rated for up to 48 MPG in both city and highway driving, whereas the 2021 Altima only gets 28 mpg city and 37 mpg highway. This would be a huge difference even if you only drive a couple of miles a day. If your daily work commute is longer than you’d like it to be, these kinds of numbers will really add up, and fast! This makes the Accord an unbeatable choice for a daily commuter.
Let’s say, for example, your place of work is 35 miles away, which is a pretty good average for most people. With 35 miles to work plus 35 miles home from work equals 70 miles per day or 350 miles per week. With the Honda Accord, you would use around 7.3 gallons of fuel per week, while the Nissan Altima would be burning around 10.9 gallons per week. Over a month’s worth of driving, that works out to around 29.2 gallons with the Accord and 43.6 gallons with the Altima. Multiply that by the price of gas in your area, and you can quickly be looking at some serious savings.
Over the course of a year, the EPA estimates that driving a Honda Accord with the hybrid engine will save the average driver around $350 compared to driving the Nissan Altima. If your place of work is farther than 35 miles, if you enjoy weekend trips into town, or perhaps you need to drive your kids all over the place for sports and school activities, you’ve added more miles. Of course, any road trips you take will shoot those miles up real fast as well, to the point that you could be doing a month’s worth of commuting miles in the course of just a few days. When it comes to an everyday commuter car, it really is a big amount of savings to get just a few extra miles of fuel mileage.
Moving on to Driving Comfort
If you’re going to be spending so much time inside your vehicle, it makes sense that you want to be sure your ride is as comfortable as possible. Now anybody can go to the dealership and sit inside a potential vehicle to determine if the seats are comfortable or not, but what about looking beyond the seats? Many people forget to consider one very important aspect of on-the-road comfort, and that is ride quality.
Some vehicles add special features that help soften the ride while driving, but not every car is advanced enough to include these luxuries as of yet. The 2021 Honda Accord makes a great commuter car because it offers an active damper system. This damper system works to manipulate your car’s suspension when you change the drive mode. Flip the switch to Normal, and you will get a soft and comfortable ride over rough roads – but when you get out on a well-pave stretch of highway, you can engage Sport mode and be rewarded with crisp handling.
If you plan on driving around friends or family, they will appreciate you going with an Accord over an Altima for another simple reason – interior space. The Accord offers passengers almost 4 extra cubic feet of space in which to stretch out. That includes 40.4″ of rear legroom compared to just 35.2″ in the Accord. No more asking the people in the front to move their seats up just a little bit more when you are in an Accord. Now everybody can sit in comfort, no matter how long your drive.
Smarter Technology
Whoever designed the tech for the 2021 Honda Accord definitely had their thinking caps on because this baby has some pretty cool features that the 2021 Nissan Altima just can’t keep up with. One of these features is what’s known as Walk Away Auto Lock. The Accord and Altima both offer keyless entry, but only the Accord automatically locks your car’s doors when you walk away, leaving your vehicle and your stuff safe and secure. If you ever forget to lock your car up before walking away, you are going to love this feature.
Another cool modern feature only found on the Honda Accord is an available Head-Up display. With this bit of technology, you can have vital information from speed to incoming phone calls projected directly on to your front windshield. It can even provide you with a compass and turn by turn directions so that you never have to take your eyes off the road ahead when navigating through unfamiliar areas. However, Walk Away Auto Lock and a head-up Display are only some of the advanced technology that the 2021 Honda Accord offers.
Accord or Altima – Which Will You Choose?
The Altima is a fantastic car, and plenty of people are very happy with their Altima purchase. However, there are many things the Accord offers that the Altima does not. From a fuel-saving hybrid drivetrain to additional technology features, the Accord stands out from the other vehicles in its class. If these features are important to you, then it sounds like you are a future Honda Accord owner. But even these features are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to everything that the 2021 Honda Accord brings to the table. With its latest iteration of its long-running midsize sedan, Honda has crafted a true winner. So what are you waiting for? Go schedule your 2021 Honda Accord test drive today!
