By Cars.com Staff
Cars.com National December 18, 2008Vehicle Overview
Nissan's midsize Altima is available in both coupe and sedan body styles. The coupe's powertrain offerings are similar to the sedan's, but the coupe receives unique styling elements. Four-cylinder Altima sedans come in 2.5 or 2.5 S trim levels, while the 3.5 SE and 3.5 SL have V-6 power. Coupes are available in 2.5 S and 3.5 SE guise. A gasoline/electric Altima Hybrid sedan is also offered. Competitors include the Chevrolet Malibu, Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.
The Altima Hybrid sedan is covered separately in the Cars.com Research section.
New for 2009
All Altimas get a new automatic power door lock feature. Base 2.5 models now have standard power mirrors and air conditioning with a filtration system.
Exterior
The grille includes a subtle notch in the center that Nissan calls its "T" shape. The Altima's flared fenders and sculpted headlights resemble Nissan's 350Z sports car.
The Altima sedan measures 189.8 inches long, 57.9 inches high and 70.7 inches wide. Overall, the Altima is on the smaller side of the midsize sedan market.
Compared to the sedan, the Altima coupe is shorter in both length and height, and it also has a unique grille, headlights and taillights. The coupe's main competitor — the Accord coupe — is larger overall.
- 16-, 17- or 18-inch wheels
- Power mirrors
- Dual exhaust (sedan)
- Available sunroof (excluding base 2.5)
- Available automatic headlamps and fog lamps
Interior
Both the coupe and sedan can seat five people. The rear seatback is split and can be folded down when long items need to be carried inside the car. There's 100.7 cubic feet of passenger volume in the sedan, which makes the Altima competitive in its class.
The sedan's trunk volume measures 15.3 cubic feet, which beats the Camry (15.0), Malibu (15.1) and Accord (14.0). The coupe's cargo area measures 7.4 cubic feet, which is smaller than the Accord coupe's.
- Cloth or leather upholstery
- Air conditioning
- Power windows, locks and keyless entry
- Push-button start (excluding 2.5)
- Available heated front seats (excluding 2.5)
- Available nine-speaker Bose audio (excluding 2.5)
- Available navigation system (excluding 2.5)
Under the Hood
- 175-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder with 180 pounds-feet of torque
- 270-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 with 258 pounds-feet of torque
- Available six-speed manual or continuously variable automatic transmission
Safety
- Side curtain airbags
- Side-impact airbags
- Standard active head restraints
- Standard antilock brakes
- Optional electronic stability system and traction control (3.5 SE, 3.5 SL)
- Optional rearview camera (excluding 2.5)
Additional Reviews
Cars.com Expert Reviews
| Cars.com Staff | Cars.com National | December 18, 2008 |
Affiliate Reviews
| Kristin Varela | Mother Proof | October 1, 2009 |
| G. Chambers Williams III | Star-Telegram.com | June 19, 2009 |
| Scott Burgess | The Detroit Newspapers | April 4, 2009 |
| G. Chambers Williams III | Star-Telegram.com | March 20, 2009 |
| G. Chambers Williams III | Star-Telegram.com | October 18, 2008 |
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