Head to Head: Honda City RS vs Nissan Almera VL

These two subcompact sedans are all-new and refreshed for the 2024 model year. In a stunning turn of events, we get two new models from two of the biggest brands in the Philippines today, seemingly simultaneously. Both models are facelifts, but which one is the better? 

The Honda City is one of the kings of the hill, as far as its widespread adoption. However, Nissan’s Almera is a wildcard in the segment, as it looks good, has a lot of tech, and has a surprisingly powerful engine, all hallmarks that have—at one point or another—also defined the Honda City. 

With that in mind, the Almera has come to play the City’s game, but was either facelift enough to trump the other? Or are both equally good? Let’s find out in this Head to Head comparo for the Nissan Almera VL and the Honda City RS. 

Both models get facelifts, both feature a new design, and both expand on the look that their pre-facelift models established in the Philippines. However, one brand does take a more radical approach to its facelift compared to the other.

For many avid shoppers in the subcompact sedan segment, the Honda City’s design has since been etched into the hearts and minds of consumers since it was introduced as a fifth-generation model a few years ago. Now in its mid-cycle refresh, Honda did a modest job updating some aspects of the City to bring it into the next phase of its product lifecycle. What we get is an updated RS badge, bumper, rear diffuser, and grille along with a few other small details. There is no doubt that the City is already good-looking, but the facelift expands on that just a bit more, not that the City needed it anyway. Oh, and we also get a new Obsidian Blue Pearl if you like blue. 

Meanwhile, Nissan takes the not-so-subtle approach for the 2024 Almera. Gone is the silver/chrome bar that makes up the V-Motion grille. Now, we get a new grille that features multiple slats that give the Almera a much bigger and more aggressive look compared to before. On top of that, the headlights are also in a slightly different shape, the rear gets a new diffuser, and the model also features a new color that we’re also in love with, which is Moon Pearl Grey with a black roof. Other than the design, the two cars in their top-of-the-line trims are pretty neck and neck. 

Though, throwing numbers at you, both have 16-inch wheels, both have black accents, both look great, and both are subcompact cars, but what about the size? Well, in terms of length, width, and height, the City is bigger than the Almera, but not by much. Separated by about 50 mm in length and under 10 mm in width and height, you’d be hard-pressed to say that the City is definitively bigger than the Almera. Nissan only takes it in the size department when wheelbase is concerned, with the Almera being longer than the City by 20 mm. 

So which one wins? If you ask us, it really depends. The team is split between the two. On the one hand, we like the City’s design ever since, on the other, Nissan brings a lot to the table with this facelift. So which one wins? Let’s just say that Nissan’s paint job is very interesting. The new color catches the light well, and we think that it will be a hot seller at the dealer. Other than that, the black roof is a nice touch and the facelift does look like a rather big overhaul compared to the City. For this reason, it feels like Almera has warranted a win, though not by much. 

Winner: Nissan Almera VL 

Both manufacturers added a splash of color to their models, but who did it better? In one corner, we have more red, and in the other we have more blue. However, will adding a splash of color on either be enough to net a win in this category? 

The Honda City has one of the best interiors in its segment. The use of premium materials in key areas is only one of the ways that Honda’s subcompact wows consumers across the country, especially in the RS trim. Equipped with leather seats and a dashboard that looks like its lifted straight from the Honda Civic, the City evokes a sense of premium, and doesn’t feel like it’s on a budget. The model does well to balance sport and luxury in the same package with the RS trim and that sporty RS character has been refined and expanded upon in the refresh. 

Having opted for more blue, the Nissan Almera presents a rather different take with the use of premium materials. The interior of the Almera shines by being subtle, yet still being able to catch your attention with premium trimmings. The dashboard looks like it twas lifted straight off the Nissan Terra, and that’s something to write home about. The plastics and the leather is good, and the seats are also color-matched just like the City. 

Quality and looks are quite neck and neck, though if we did need to crown a winner, it would have to go to the City, as it just does a little bit better than the Nissan. However, where the City pulls ahead is in terms of its rear legroom and its trunk space with 519 liters for the City, and 474 for the Almera. Though there is a difference, it’s only slight, but the City does take the win here. 

Winner: Honda City RS 

When it comes to tech and safety, both brands are leveled up and are setting the bar in the subcompact sedan segment. Both come with eight-inch infotainment systems, and both are well-equipped on the safety front, but there are some things that one does better than the other. 

The Honda City expands upon the tech update that it got a few years ago and upgrades them in a meaningful way. First off, the eight-inch infotainment screen actually receives a better panel than before. A clearer and more vibrant screen is available for the sedan, and you also get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto now standard throughout the lineup. Honda also updated the gauge cluster of the City, as it now comes with a more comprehensive 4.25-inch display in the center of the gauge cluster. It’s not all digital since you have two analog gauges still flanking the display, but it’s now bigger and better than before. Apart from that, there is a new and improved reverse camera that pairs well with the improved screen. Though, Honda did make it a point to put adaptive cruise control in the City lineup as standard, along with collision mitigation braking, lane-keeping assist, road departure mitigation, lane departure warning, auto high beam, and lead car departure notification, all great features to have and all available throughout the lineup. 

Meanwhile, Nissan has also done a number of upgrades to the technology suite found in the Almera, which also includes a new smartphone pairing app in the form of Nissan Connect Services. This app allows you to access your car’s data, lock and unlock it, start the engine, locate the vehicle, and even get its health status. All of this can be done thanks to the service, and it’s something that Honda hasn’t yet offered in the Philippines. On top of that, you also get the Nissan Intelligent Mobility suite, which includes the intelligent around-view monitor, forward collision warning, intelligent emergency braking, blind-spot warning, and rear cross-traffic alert. 

Looking at the two, it’s kind of hard to determine a winner. Other than what we’ve just mentioned, both models get about the same number of passive safety features in their spec sheet with the standard slew of ABS, airbags, and more. On the other hand, you may like the adaptive cruise control function, a feature that the City has and the Almera doesn’t. You may like the around-view monitor, a feature that the Almera has and the City doesn't. Maybe wireless charging is one of your priorities, which is a feature that the Almera has and the City doesn't. Perhaps you’d prefer wireless Android Auto or Apple CarPlay instead of hooking your phone up to the car, a feature that the City has and the Almera doesn’t, or perhaps you’d like the added security that Nissan Connect Services brings to the table, again, a feature that the Almera has and the City doesn’t. It’s too close to call here with the two models trading blow for blow. It’s too close to call in this round, hence it is a tie. 

TIE 

Here’s yet another perplexing round to cover. One car has the most powerful engine in its class, the other has the torquiest motor in its class. Take your pick. 

The Honda City is advertised as the most powerful in its class, that class being the subcompact sedan segment in the Philippines. It nets this achievement through a 1.5-liter naturally-aspirated dual-overhead cam engine that produces 119 hp and 145 Nm of torque and it is mated to a CVT. 

Meanwhile, the Nissan Almera gets a turbocharged 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine that makes 99 hp and 152 Nm of torque mated to a CVT. Nissan doesn’t advertise that it is the torquiest motor in its class, however. 

So which one wins? Again, hard to say. Torque is valuable, but so is power. Power is great to have, but how often do you use it? The City will shine on the highway, the Almera more in the City, ironically. It’s hard to say without driving the two side-by-side, but it really depends on your preferences as a driver. Do you like a torquey motor or do you prefer having lots of power up top? For us, it’s a dead heat in this head-to-head round. 

TIE 

So when it comes to price, the City and Almera are both quite close to one another. On the one hand, Honda charges extra for the Platinum White Pearl paint job, while Nissan doesn’t go a centavo over the SRP, but ultimately, one is more expensive than the other. 

Nissan charges P1,149,000 for the Almera VL while Honda charges P1,128,000 for the City RS. If you want it in Platinum White Pearl, however, that’s going to cost you P1,148,000. 

So which one wins? Ultimately, a thousand pesos is a rather small price to pay when it comes to cars, but that applies if you want a color that is similar to white or otherwise. The City wins if you want to buy the other colors in the lineup, but the Almera wins if you want white plus a black roof to boot. While it may seem like we’re grasping at straws here, the way that color premiums are setup here is another topic of conversation given how picky some owners can be about the hue that their car comes in. It’s really too close in this regard, so we end it in a tie for this round. 

TIE 

This is one of the rare instances where we have a tie all the way to the end. It’s so evenly matched that you would likely have no qualm about going with one or the other, though, that’s just comparing specs. The thing is, both of these cars drive differently from one another, and while one feature set may be more impressive to you, it could be more impressive to another buyer. 

We feel that the Nissan Almera brings a lot to the table, but the City is just extending its lead as one of the best subcompact sedans out in the market. Will the Almera stack up to the rest of the competition? That will remain to be seen, though this 2024 Almera does bring it ever closer to being the best value out there today. Though, the City does have its loyal fan base, that much needed to be said. 

Either way, for the 2024 model years of both these cars, and hopefully beyond, we’re delighted to say that the Honda City and the Nissan Almera are both fierce competitors, packed to the gills with features, and neck-and-neck with each other. While neither of these cars wins, the consumers win since years of competition resulted in a tie as close as this in the subcompact sedan segment. You can’t go wrong with either, now the question is, which one will you choose? 

Overall: TIE