Nissan Altima

Overview: Is the Nissan Altima a Good Midsize Sedan?

The Nissan Altima blends comfort, efficiency, and available all-wheel drive confidence for wide appeal. Offered mainly as a front- or all-wheel drive four-door sedan (a coupe was also offered for several years), newer Altimas employ proven four-cylinder engines paired with a continuously variable transmission. Standard features span the lineup, from base S trim through sporty SR and premium SL grades. Ample passenger room matches the smooth, quiet road manners, keeping it competitive in the crowded midsize sedan segment.

Although the Altima has been part of Nissan’s lineup for over three decades, this overview looks at more recent examples:

• Fourth-generation Nissan Altima: 2007-2012
• Fifth-generation Nissan Altima: 2013-2018
• Sixth-generation Nissan Altima: 2019-Current

The Altima competes with the Honda Accord, Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Sonata, Kia K5, and Subaru Legacy,

Note: Equipment, features, and trims can vary by model year. Always confirm these details when looking for used Nissan Altima cars for sale.

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Related: Nissan Altima Pros and Cons: What To Know When Weighing Your Decision and Are Nissan Altimas Good Cars?

Key Features

The Nissan Altima offers:

• Four-door midsized sedan body style (a coupe was sold from 2008-2013)
• Four-cylinder and V6 engines, including the 2.0-liter VC-Turbo engine (varying by year)
• Xtronic continuously variable transmission (CVT)
• Front wheel drive (FWD) or all wheel drive (AWD) (varying by year)

Trims

The S, SV, and SL represent core Altima trims over most model years, with an unnamed base model and a sporty SE appearing for a few years. More recently, Nissan added the SR to spice up the range with the top-tier Platinum offered for a few years. The latest Altimas are available as S, SV, SR, and SL grades.

Comfort, Technology & Cargo

The Altima offers generous space up front, while most passengers will find the second row at least adequate. Entry-level trims are focused on basic technology among older models. Still, more recent Altimas are available (or come standard) with a touchscreen infotainment system, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, remote engine start, NissanConnect telematics, and LED headlights. Nissan Safety Shield 360 offers advanced driver aids like automatic emergency brakes, lane departure warning, and blind spot monitoring. Altima trunk space is average for a midsize sedan.

Review: Nissan Altima Top Speed: How Fast Is It?

How It Drives

With a base four-cylinder engine, the Nissan Altima drives like most budget family cars: adequate during acceleration and acceptable handling while cornering. Get an Altima with a V6 or turbocharged variable compression four cylinder (the VC-Turbo engine), and this Nissan becomes playful and engaging.

Safety

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 's safety scores for the Nissan Altima vary by generation. The fourth-generation Altima received a four-out-of-five overall safety rating, while the fifth and sixth editions achieved a five-star rating.

Reviews

Consumer reviews for the Nissan Altima on Kelley Blue Book start strong with the fourth generation. Owners give these cars a solid average rating of 4.5 out of 5. However, the fifth generation drops to 4.1, with consumers still praising the Altima’s reliability and comfort. It gets worse for the sixth-generation Altima, with an average score of 3.9. These poor results are primarily due to concerns about quality and performance.

Learn More: Here Are The Nissan Altima Years To Avoid and Which year models of Nissan Altimas are safe to buy used?

FAQs

Which is better, the Nissan Altima or the Nissan Sentra?

The Altima is significantly larger than the compact Sentra, offering greater passenger and cargo space. Altima models also pack more powerful engines and available all-wheel drive for extra capability.

What's the cheapest Nissan Altima?

The Nissan Altima price begins at $26,000 for a new base S trim and rises to over $34,000 for a loaded Nissan Altima AWD via the SL trim. Extra Nissan Altima horsepower via the VC-Turbo trim starts closer to $36,000. According to the CoPilot marketplace, an older Altima with higher mileage begins at $3,000.

Is the Nissan Altima cheap on gas?

Yes. Newer Altimas are rated for up to 32 MPG combined and 39 MPG on the highway.

Which Nissan Altima has a turbo?

The sixth-generation Nissan Altima Platinum and SR is available with a 2.0-liter variable compression turbo (VC-Turbo) engine producing a stout 248 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque.

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