Honda Civic vs Nissan Sentra

If you’re looking for a car that’s incredibly efficient, compact enough to easily maneuver, and reliable, then take a long look at the 2021 Honda Civic and the Nissan Sentra. Each car is built so you can enjoy your driving experience in the Bloomington, Columbus, and Ellettsville, IN, areas.

There are some key differences between the two vehicles and those differences may be a deciding factor in your purchase—so we’ve put them head-to-head for a quick comparison. See what these models have to offer and then come see us at Andy Mohr Honda.

Engine Performance and Fuel Economy

When placed side-by-side, you’ll notice that both cars are stylish and attractive. However, the real beauty lies underneath the hood. The Honda Civic can be equipped with a standard 2.0L i-VTEC® 4-cylinder engine that provides 158 horsepower. You can also opt for the turbocharged variant that increases the output to 174 horsepower.

On the other hand, the Nissan Sentra only offers one 2.0L 4-cylinder engine configuration that supplies 149 horsepower. While both offer close figures, the Civic takes the upper hand by offering two available engines and a sportier drive with the turbocharged engine.

Long Stretches Behind the Wheel? No Problem!

When you have a car that is sporty and exciting to drive, you may never want to stop driving. With the fuel economy of these vehicles, you won’t have to stop too often. The 2021 Honda Civic’s EX and EX-L trim levels achieve an EPA-estimated 32 city/42 highway MPG.¹ Meanwhile, the Nissan Sentra offers an EPA-estimated 29 city/39 highway MPG.

While both sedans feature a 12.4-gallon fuel tank, you can go a little longer on the open road on one tank of gas in the Honda Civic compared to the Nissan Sentra.

Civic vs Sentra: Size and Safety on Your Side

With such an impressive performance from both the 2021 Honda Civic and Nissan Sentra, it would only make sense that their size and safety would enhance their rideability. In fact, both sedans exhibit similar exterior sizes to make maneuvering them easier. Check out their exterior dimensions below:

Safety Features

While both vehicles have a similar shape and size that optimize their maneuverability in an urban or open road setting, both vehicles are also decked out with standard passive protection, like airbags, sturdy frames, and several safety features.

The 2021 Honda Civic equips Honda Sensing® Safety and Driver-Assistive Technologies, while the Nissan Sentra utilizes Safety Shield® 360. These two safety suites offer similar functions:

• Forward Collision Warning (FCW): This intuitive system can alert you of a potential collision with a vehicle, pedestrian, or another obstacle in front of you.
• Lane Departure Warning (LDW): To keep you in your intended lane, this system detects when your Civic is swaying into another lane without signaling and alerts you.
• Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Follow: Great for those long stretches of highway ahead, this function maintains a set distance with the car in front of you even at a reduced speed.
• Auto High-Beam Headlights: While driving at night, this feature can automatically deactivate your high beams when an oncoming vehicle is detected. It will then reactivate them when the vehicle has passed.

Although both sedans share many safety features, the Honda Civic offers a few additional systems that the Nissan Sentra goes without, such as:

• Road Departure Mitigation System (RDM): Much like the Lane Departure Warning (LDW), this system detects unintentional lane switching without signaling. However, this feature can provide steering assistance or braking to keep you from leaving the roadway altogether.
• Honda LaneWatch™: This camera feature allows you to stay aware of rear traffic and expand your rear vision by up to two lanes behind you.

Unfortunately, the Nissan Sentra goes without these additional safety features. If you plan to spend loads of time on the highway for road trips, morning work commutes, or visiting friends out of town, the Honda Civic may be your best option due to its safety features that are unavailable on the Sentra.