The Nissan Altima is a midsize sedan that competes with cars like the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry. The Altima has always been somewhat of an underdog in the segment, criticized for its Jatco-sourced continuously-variable transmission, as well as its reputation for being the car they give you at Enterprise when they ran out of Chevy Malibus. Despite this, Nissan still had the guts to release a new 6th generation Altima to compete with heavy hitters from Honda, Toyota, and Mazda. The last generation Altima wasn’t necessarily a bad car, but the interior was rather bland and the driving dynamics just weren’t up to the same level as some other cars in the segment. Does the new Altima have what it takes to compete in the midsize sedan class? Below are some of my impressions.
First setting off in the Altima, I can already tell that it feels very well put together compared to the last generation. Not that the last generation was bad, but the new one definitely feels like a step above the old Altima. The ride quality is smoother, the handling is sharper, the interior is nicer, the engine is quicker, and the steering is more direct. Nissan really did their homework in making this car feel competitive.
The first thing I want to touch on is the steering. It is very light at parking lot speeds, but once you’re up and moving the steering weights up decently well. The weight of the steering feels similar to the Rogue, but the response is definitely sharper and more tuned in. The Altima’s steering seems to respond right when you start turning the wheel, which I like. The steering in the last generation was a little imprecise around center, but the new one feels planted and secure. It’s a very smooth and refined steering dynamic as well. It points the vehicle in a consistent straight line very well, even at highway speeds. You feel connected to what the front wheels are doing, giving you a nice sense of maneuverability. I felt like I could really plant this car exactly where I wanted it to be. I was also impressed by the turning radius. While the Altima’s steering is light, it feels pretty sharp and precise for a family sedan. It’s something that impressed me, and I definitely wasn’t expecting to be impressed by an Altima.
Acceleration in the Altima is pretty good as well. The 2.5 liter 4 cylinder makes 180 horsepower and 188 lb. ft. of torque, which are healthy numbers for a naturally aspirated 4 cylinder engine. I will say that the throttle response and the CVT really does limit what the engine can do, though. I felt like I was driving in some sort of economy mode the whole time, even though the Altima technically has no economy mode. When you initially press the accelerator, nothing really happens. It seemed like I had to mash the accelerator a little too hard just to get the revs above 3,000 rpm. When you go to accelerate, this car defaults to giving you a slower and more economy-focused acceleration until you really put your foot down and demand more power. I felt like I had to give it at least half throttle before the car started to take off. A little underwhelming in that aspect, but when you get used to how the car behaves, the acceleration feels pretty normal for a family sedan. Nothing record breaking, but still smooth, adequate, and dare I say a little sprightly. The engine is also much quieter and sounds more refined compared to the last generation of the Altima, and the power delivery is smooth and linear. You don’t have to thrash the engine to feel some torque off the line.
The CVT is smooth and efficient. It has simulated shift points, so it doesn’t drone like a normal CVT. I felt as though the last generation had a more sprightly and engaging transmission, though. Like I mentioned, the CVT in the new Altima is almost entirely focused on economy. It doesn’t give you a good passing ratio until your foot is deep into the accelerator, and as soon as you let off even a tiny bit, the CVT immediately drops the revs. Sport mode raises the revs a little, but it hardly changes the rather lackluster dynamic of the CVT. I will say that the CVT is responsive off the line and doesn’t have nearly the same rubber band sensation as the last generation did, so it feels modern and competitive in that aspect. However, I just find that it’s not the sportiest or most intuitive transmission out there. I would be able to live with it, but I think other cars in the class have better transmission options.
Handling of the Altima is quite good. I haven’t spent much time in the new Accord, but I’d say it feels right on par with the current Camry, which is a strong point for the Altima. You can really kind of flick this car around corners without a problem. The chassis feels rigid, and body lean is kept to a minimum. The handling is definitely far better than the last generation. I was impressed with the stability at highway speeds as well. It’s a surprisingly flat and controlled handling dynamic. Overall, the Altima is more tossable than you might think. The steering feels smooth and precise, and this car inspires a good amount of confidence for a family sedan.
The interior of the Altima is a nice place to be. Everything from the seatbelts, to the window switches, to the climate control dials has a nice solid feel. The seats are very confortable as well, even the cloth seats in my base model S trim. Rear seat legroom is very spacious, and overall this interior gives you just about everything you would expect from a modern car without making things clutered and overly complicated. The Altima has a very simple yet classy interior. The infotainment screen responds to your touch pretty well, although I do think it is a slight step behind the new Accord in terms of design and touch response. I also would have liked to have seen some LCD gauges in the instrument cluster, but the analog gauges work just fine, and the center screen in the guage cluster gives you adequate vehicle information.
Ride quality is great in the Altima. It’s definitely one of the smoothest riding midsize sedans on the market. The car isn’t shaken at all by bumps or potholes. Everything feels very settled. The Altima is rather quiet as well, although some wind noise gets through on the highway. Overall, it’s a very smooth and relatively quiet car.
Visibility in the Altima is fine. The front hood doesn’t intrude at all, the side mirrors are big, the pillars are relatively thin, and the windshield is nice and tall. I will say that the rearward visibility is somewhat of a weak point, though. You just don’t see much of the road behind you.
As I mentioned above, I wasn’t crazy about the accelerator response. One weird thing I noticed when I first started driving this car, is that there is a lump in the floorboard directly underneath the accelerator. This gave a weird feeling like there was a floormat or something stuck underneath the accelerator, and I actually got out of the car when I first got it to check if there was anything there. Not a huge issue, as I’m sure you could get used to it, but it is something to note. Brake pedal response is great, though. The brake pedal is light, but you get really smooth and linear braking in the Altima. The pedal basically does exactly what you expect it to do. The brakes don’t chatter or cause any vibration in the cabin either, however that could be due to the fact that I drove a brand new Altima.
To summarize, I enjoyed my time in the Altima. I wasn’t expecting this car to be as nice as it was. It has sharp styling, a clean interior, a comfortable ride, and compliant handling. It’s not necessarily a fun car to drive, but it is a very competent commuter car. The Altima has always lost to the Accord and the Camry, but now I think this car makes a very good case for itself despite facing heavy competition in the segment. That said, I do think the Accord has better steering feel and better transmission options. The Altima’s CVT is rather lackluster, and while the handling is good, this car doesn’t have as much focus on being fun to drive like the Accord. It’s a shame that the CVT is such a weak point, because if this car used a better CVT or a traditional automatic, the Altima might have finally reached Accord/Camry status. However, it all comes down to personal preference. I personally like the styling of the Altima better than the Accord, and I think the ride quality is class leading. If you’re looking for an affordable, stylish, easy to drive commuter car with responsive handling, I’d definitely recommend checking out the Altima.