2020 Nissan Altima vs Kia Optima

If you’re looking for a vehicle that is fully equipped to provide you with a fun and comfortable commute, you want to have a Nissan Altima or Kia Optima. These sedans offer advanced technology and powerful available engines that are excellent for your daily drive.

To find out how these vehicles face off against each other, Andy Mohr Avon Nissan has created this comparison. Keep on reading to learn what these two sedans have to offer for Avon, Plainfield, and Danville drivers.

Nissan Altima vs Kia Optima at a Glance

• Nissan Altima has all-wheel drive.
• Nissan Altima has ProPILOT Assist.
• Nissan Altima has an available VC-Turbo™ engine.

Nissan Altima vs Kia Optima: Performance

Looking at both the Altima and the Optima, we see that drivers have multiple engine options, including more performance-oriented choices. Standard inside the Optima, we have a 2.4L I-4 engine producing 185 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque. This vehicle gives us some nice fuel economy, too, with an EPA-estimated 25 city MPG and 35 highway MPG.

As we move onto the 2020 Altima, we see that it gives us a standard 2.5L 4-cylinder engine. This powertrain can deliver up to 188 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque. You’ll also achieve an EPA-estimated 28 city MPG and 39 highway MPG when equipped with this powertrain.¹

Performance Engine Options

If you’re looking to enhance your vehicle’s performance, you’ll want to upgrade to their available performance engines. The Kia Optima boasts an impressive 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. This engine enhances your speed with up to 245 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque.

To really enhance your performance, the Nissan Altima is here with an available 2.0L VC-Turbo™ 4-cylinder engine. This fine-tuned powertrain is designed to offer exceptional acceleration with up to 248 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque.

2020 Altima vs 2020 Optima: Remote Start Technology

If you're looking for optimal convenience, then the 2020 Altima is your better bet. The Nissan Altima has a Remote Engine Start System if you'd like to start your car from inside your home on a cold or warm day. The best part about this feature is that your vehicle will automatically choose heat or air conditioning based off the climate outside.

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to make use of this feature aboard the Kia Optima.

Advanced Driver-Assistance Features

So, you’ve got a long drive ahead and you’re looking to stay comfortable while on the highway. With the Kia Optima, you’ll have an available Smart Cruise Control system, which is designed to help you keep up with the pace with traffic. Turn this system on and your vehicle will maintain a set speed while still slowing down to leave space for traffic ahead.

In order to further enhance your comfort, the Nissan Altima is going to be much more well equipped. In fact, it offers available ProPILOT Assist, which helps reduce your overall driving inputs. This system keeps up with the pace of traffic while automatically guiding your steering wheel along with the lane markers to provide a much more easy-going driving experience.

Premium Cabin Features

Inside the Nissan Altima and the Kia Optima, you’ll enjoy blasting your favorite tunes with their premium sound systems. This technology uses advanced sound engineering to provide you with an enhanced listening experience. If you’re looking to keep you and your passengers entertained the whole drive, you’ll love the high-fidelity audio offered by these vehicles.

In order to help isolate your cabin from outside noise, the Nissan Altima is designed with Active Noise Cancellation. Your music won’t be drowned out from road noise thanks to the smart acoustics of this vehicle.

Is the Nissan Altima or Kia Optima Safer?

One of the best parts of the Nissan Altima and the Kia Optima is that they’re both equipped with active safety features. These features help to either keep you informed or react to accidents sooner, so you can avoid collisions with ease.

If you’re coming up fast on another car, these sedans are both equipped to bring you to a stop with their Automatic Emergency Braking functions. Your vehicle can engage the brakes preemptively to help you avoid collisions.

What the Nissan Altima has—and the Kia Optima doesn’t—is Traffic Sign Recognition. This system uses cameras along your vehicle’s body to read road signs. When your car has detected a sign, it’ll display it on your cluster display, so you can easily read it on the go.

Nissan vs Kia: Transmission Options

There’s nothing quite like a good drivetrain to enhance your performance in almost every aspect. The Optima provides us with a standard 6-speed automatic transmission that gives us very smooth shifts due to its high number of gears.

If you want to ensure you have the right gear every time, though, you’ll want to learn more about the Nissan Altima. This vehicle features a standard Xtronic CVT®, which does away with gears altogether and uses a belt to achieve shifting. With this feature, you’re able to gradually shift, so you always have the ideal transfer of power for the situation.

2020 Altima vs 2020 Optima: All-Wheel Drive

For many drivers, you’ll have to drive through the snow on occasion. The Nissan Altima and the Kia Optima both feature some solid traction with their standard front-wheel drive systems. However, in order to provide you with even more traction, the Nissan Altima offers drivers an available Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system.

This impressive AWD technology is designed to improve your fuel economy by only applying torque to the rear wheel as needed. The Altima is equipped to monitor your wheels for slippage, so it can apply torque to the wheels that need it. When the roads are clear, the Altima will drive in a front-wheel drive mode to enhance your fuel economy.

Should I Get the Nissan Altima or Kia Optima?

When it comes to getting the most out of your daily drive, the Altima and the Optima certainly have quite a bit to offer. However, the Altima offers better performance and handling due to its more powerful and fuel-efficient engines and available Intelligent All-Wheel Drive.

If you’re a driver in the Avon, Plainfield, or Danville areas, come to Andy Mohr Avon Nissan to test drive a Nissan Altima today.

 

¹ 2020 EPA Fuel Economy Estimates 28 City/39 Highway/32 Combined for Altima® S, SV, SL FWD; 26 City/36 Highway/30 Combined for Altima S, SV, SL AWD; 27 City/37 Highway/31 Combined for Altima SR, Platinum FWD; 25 City/35 Highway/29 Combined for Altima SR, Platinum AWD; 25 City/34 Highway/29 Combined for Altima SR, Platinum, Edition ONE VC-Turbo FWD. Fuel economy estimates based on 87-octane fuel. Actual mileage may vary with driving conditions. Use for comparison only.