Nissan has long been a brand of contradictions. On one side you have fun to drive vehicles with class-leading performance: the Z series, GT-R, Maxima, and for us older enthusiasts, the legendary 510. On the other you have vehicles that have lived on the value end of the equation, a mainstream brand that offered more for less than Toyota and Honda: Sentra, Rogue, and the car I drove this week, Altima.
Here’s the problem. Altima may cost a few hundred dollars less than a comparably equipped Accord or Camry, but it ain’t a bargain. That’s largely due to the rise of KIA and Hyundai, whose K5 and Sonata offer more features, better performance, and plenty of style for the same price or less. Let me be clear, Altima isn’t a bad car. There are very few of those on the road today. There are just several cars in this class that happen to be better.
Interior hits and misses
The interior is roomy with reasonable rear seat leg room for six footers. It was easy to find a comfortable driving position thanks to the 8-way power adjustable drivers seat and tilt/telescoping steering wheel. There are nice touches on this SR AWD model, like a leather wrapped shift knob and contrast stitching on the contoured cloth seats with leatherette trim. Surfaces are clean and overall the feeling inside is understated, but not cheap. Historically SR has been Nissan’s sporty model, and this gives that vibe, but let’s be clear this is not a sports sedan.
Seeing as SL is Altima’s second highest trim level, with only SL above it, I was surprised by the lack of standard comfort and technology features. Heated seats, adaptive cruise control, a 12.3-inch touchscreen, automatic dual zone climate control, wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay are optional – only available when you tack on the $2,890 Premium Package. This runs the total price with destination to $32,860. The package also gets you a power moonroof, leatherette seats, and faux carbon fiber trim. For comparison everything but the moonroof (a feature everyone buys but nobody uses) is included in the KIA K5 GT Line for a total of $31,240.
Designed To Fit In
Altima is a handsome sedan, with a clean silhouette. The optional 19-inch bronze colored aluminum alloy wheels ($670) are a big improvement over the standard painted shoes. It wears low-profile Bridgestone all season tires, which are fine in most conditions. Even with all-wheel drive, I’d opt for winter tires once the thermometer drops.
The SR is finished with a dark chrome version of Nissan’s signature V-Motion grille, a unique rear diffuser color, exhaust finisher, black side mirror caps, body color door handles, and a rear lip spoiler, which all add to its appeal. It’s a sharp, sporty looking car. But that’s where Altima’s sporting pretensions end.
A Stolid Performer
Altima SR All-Wheel Drive features a transverse mounted, naturally aspirated, 2.5-liter, four cylinder engine that generates a competitive 182 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque. This direct injected engine is smooth and unobtrusive, revving quickly, but it has been neutered by a CVT transmission that makes launches feel like you’re driving through mud. From a dead stop, you’ll hit 60 miles per hour in a soporific 7.8 seconds. It does yield competitive fuel economy, 25-city and 34 highway. Steering feel is non-existent, but that’s true of most other cars with electronic power assist steering. The sport suspension doesn’t compromise ride, but doesn’t really deliver a true sporting feel, with a bit of body roll in the corners. Bottom line, if you love to drive, this is not your car.
The Trim To Buy
If you must have an Altima (and who am I to talk you out of it), then I’d recommend the SV Special Edition which is new for 2025. This trim level is loaded with the most desirable content – a 12.3-inch HD color display, wireless phone charging pad, wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto, 19-inch gloss black alloy wheels, a black rear spoiler, leather-appointed seats and Bose Premium Sound System with 9 speakers. At $28,520 plus destination, this feels like a better value. It looks good without pretending to be a sports sedan, so it’s a more honest representation of the line.
