2012 Nissan Altima Consumer Reviews

2012 Nissan Altima

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2012 Nissan Altima

Starting MSRP $20,550–$31,200

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Average Rating

4.4 out of 5
Review This Car
Comfort:3.8 out of 5
Performance:4.0 out of 5
Exterior Styling:4.6 out of 5
Interior Design:4.4 out of 5
Value for the Money:4.4 out of 5
Reliability:4.0 out of 5

41 out of 45 people would recommended this car to a friend

Consumer Reviews

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Least Reliable car I've owned.

by Altihater
from New York,NY | August 25, 2012

Rating from

(3)
Comfort: 2 out of 5
Performance: 2 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 5 out of 5
Interior Design: 3 out of 5
Value for the Money: 3 out of 5
Reliability: 2 out of 5

"In shop from day one.Noisy. Unstable.Unruly.Unenjyable to drive. Wears on you after driving a while."

I would recommend this car to a friend: No

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Just getting around


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3 out of 4 found this review helpful

Loving my new car

by First new car owner
from Rantoul, IL | August 24, 2012

Rating from

(5)
Comfort: 4 out of 5
Performance: 5 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 5 out of 5
Interior Design: 5 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 5 out of 5

"I have had my Nissan for approximately 1 month now and have been very pleased. This is the first new car I have ever bought. For a 4 cyclinder it is very responsive and handles very well. The CVT transmission is smooth. I am pleased with the size and style. It affords good visibility through the rear windshield compared to other makes and models I test drove. I am also able to see a portion of the hood, which was another important consideration for me. My only complaint would be that the seats are not as comfortable as I would have liked; a little too firm. I went with the cloth seats instead of the leather."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Work


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1 out of 2 found this review helpful

Love my Altima

by Altima Owner
from JAX, FL | August 24, 2012

Rating from

(5)
Comfort: 4 out of 5
Performance: 4 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 4 out of 5
Interior Design: 4 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 5 out of 5

"I have to say i absolutely love my Altima. I got mine as a hand me down, although it was basically new with only 2000 miles on when I got it. I was upset that I had to give up my Camry which I enjoyed driving. Now I am handing it down to my 16 year old, still with only 55000 miles its a great car. I have had to replace the battery, but that is only because it's an 08' and it was due, and the scensor under the brake that allows the car to start. It was ALL covered under the warranty, towing, replacement and ALL. I have to say I am torn, as we need another family car, my husband is 6'3", my son is 6'2", getting us all in the Altima is doable but unfortnately not that confortable for them.. :) I have been car shopping for over 2 months now, and have came back to the Nissan's - I am torn between the new 13 Altima and the Rogue- which I think we could all fit in comfortably. Nevertheless, I would recommend this to anyone. I have had nothing but great experiences with both the car and the Nissan dealership."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Just getting around


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0 out of 1 found this review helpful

Great car

by coachkevin
from pa | August 23, 2012

Rating from

(4)
Comfort: 5 out of 5
Performance: 4 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 3 out of 5
Interior Design: 4 out of 5
Value for the Money: 4 out of 5
Reliability: 4 out of 5

"Clean lines with really good pickup for a 4 cylinder car. Very roomy inside. only added feature was undercar lighting which I find is really cool."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Transporting family


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0 out of 1 found this review helpful

2012 Altima 3.5 SR with Sport and Tech Package

by Wikoli
from Tucson, AZ | August 21, 2012

Rating from

(5)
Comfort: 4 out of 5
Performance: 4 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 5 out of 5
Interior Design: 5 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 5 out of 5

"Lucked out, got 6K off msrp on a fully loaded '12 3.5 SR incl. tech pkg. (nav). Was sitting on dealer's lot for 2 weeks with a "sold" sign, but deal fell through. Last '12 on their lot. Impressive initial quality, flawless fit and finish (silver) and interior quality. Kudos to the folks at the Smyrna, TN plant. Driver's seat not as good as '13 "NASA" seat, but is fine. Brakes not as good as wife's previous '10 CX-7 GT, but acceptable. V6 & CVT good match w/ good power. 26 mpg on first tank (hand calculated), not bad, better than the CX-7. Handling is great, steering is heavy on hwy. but tracks well and lightens up in low speed driving. This is a completely different car from the 2.5 models. Very sporty, excellent value for the money. To me, competitive with higher end Infinity, Lexus, BMW, Mercedes etc. Lota bang for the buck. Actually like like the body style and interior better than the 2013, even though it's a 5 year old end of product cycle model. Body and interior very europeanish. The 17" Bridgestone touring tires do get a bit noisy on rougher roads, but otherwise cabin is pretty quiet with minimal wind noise as well. I think the door panels and sound proofing are upgraded from the base models because the car feels very sold vs. the 2.5 base models I've driven which kind of feel like tin cans. As I said, completely different car. Made in USA is a big plus too (3/12). The 5 year old scrolling menus are remedied in the 2013. You can only view one set of info at a time. for instance, you have to scroll to get the thermometer. No blind spot monitoring system (2013's got it). No separate compass from nav. (homelink mirror on 3.5 SL no compass) The 2013 is improved in many ways (they're calling it the "Camry killer"). The 2013 match for this 2012 is the SL w/ tech pkg. and rear spoiler (you have to order that separately now). Would have tried to make a deal on that '13 configuration if they had charcoal int. in stock, but would have paid at least 3k more. So far very happy and very impressed with initial quality and performance, we'll see what the long term quality is like. I like that this Altima is a lot more non-descript than the premium brands. No problem owning one of those is you've got the bucks, but if you're struggling to pay for it or have to lease to afford it, what's the point? Also, a less noticeable car is less prone to theft and vandalism and undue attention."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Having fun


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2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Great Car For The Money

by valueshopper
from Central PA | August 18, 2012

Rating from

(5)
Comfort: 5 out of 5
Performance: 4 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 4 out of 5
Interior Design: 4 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 4 out of 5

"Got a great deal on this 2012 Altima S - I believe they were try to clear the lot to push the new bigger and more expensive 2013 redesigned model. I sold my previous car, a 2006 Mazda6 since the Nissan dealer wouldn't give me much as a trade and I sold it for the asking price easily. The Altima has more safety features and has a quieter and smoother ride than the Mazda and I purchased an extended warranty as well although I usually don't but they gave me good deal on that too. So far, so good!"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Just getting around


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1 out of 1 found this review helpful

new altima

by manloz
from anaheim, ca | August 6, 2012

Rating from

(4)
Comfort: 4 out of 5
Performance: 4 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 5 out of 5
Interior Design: 3 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 5 out of 5

"The dealer went out of the way to find what we wanted. The car is a little more refine than the 2011we traded in."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Transporting family


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1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Best mainstream sedan other than Maxima!

by Range Rover Sport Supercharged
from Huntsville, AL | July 25, 2012

Rating from

(5)
Comfort: 4 out of 5
Performance: 5 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 5 out of 5
Interior Design: 5 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 5 out of 5

"My 12 Altima 3.5SR had a lot to stand up to long before it ever rolled down the assembly line in Tennessee, as it was set the replace my 12 Mercedes C250 & LexIs350 The car still amazes me with it's performance when equipped with the CVT & V6! I must say, I do wish Nissan had done more to the top-of-the-line-Altima to distinguish it from the mainstream-4 cylinder Hertz rental car model.I love this car and I would not consider spending my money on ANY of it's current rivals! The camry and Accord may be well built but those cars better suit my 75+yr old grandparents than myself. I feel that the Altima's interior is actually more refined than both japanese rivals. I haven't driven the new Passat but it is the only car in this category that may best the Altima when it comes to interior materials and finish. I am on the fence about the BOSE system however. At first I noticed an odd sound coming from the rear when playing bass at low volumes, it sounds like the speakers are hitting their covers or something, but at high volumes this isn't noticed and the BOSE system hits hard and sounds great- never seeming to back down to a little higher volume and more bass. Better than most of the premium cars that I've owned. I regret not getting the Nav System for another 3k-should have forked it up if for the larger reverse camera screen alone (6.5" vs. standard 4.3")Had to get used to the CVT! I did not fully appreciate this cars CVT and power while test driving but now everything else I drive feels slow and clunky. Before getting to know the CVT it always felt like the car needed to upshift. Great steering feel for a FWD car, however, the ride is very firm and I can feel most imperfections in the road. Get a Maxima if you want the styling to match the V6's pep! For me, the Maxima wasn't worth the extra money. I love the tan leather interior. I never thought of it as being drab! It's real leather! That's more tha most 3 series and C-Class owners can say! When making this purchase, I had it down to this car or a USED 2010 Infiniti G37 sedan base. I certainly would have chosen the Infiniti if it weren't for it having been the base model (no heated seats, no BOSE stereo, skimpy wheels, NO sunroof, no Bluetooth, no Rev. Cam) the Altima had so much more feature wise and was brand new so I decided to listen to my brain instead of my heart- and 6,500 miles later I can say I'm certainly happy with that decision! I only paid around $26,000 (New!) after rebates and negotiating for a fully loaded 2012 3.5 SR w/ premium and sports packages that had a sticker price of over $32,000 (due to the release of the new body style). The 2013 model takes this segment to another level! I didn't care for the Altima until it's 2002 model year redo when the 3.5 SE model was introduced with 240hp powered by a traditional automatic trans and I haven't lost interest in Nissan or The Altima 3.5 V6 since!"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Commuting


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1 out of 3 found this review helpful

Driver's car

by Maggie
from Hot Springs, AR | July 24, 2012

Rating from

(5)
Comfort: 5 out of 5
Performance: 5 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 5 out of 5
Interior Design: 5 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 5 out of 5

"I've owned Toyotas and Nissans (Datsun once) for most of my driving life... I love both. I bought the Nissan Altima Coupe SR3.5 V6 because I wanted a dramatic change. THIS CAR DOES IT! I LOVE driving it. I take it into the mountains and delight in her handling. I've got every conceivable option and am just learning how to use some of them. Nav is a blast-always know where I am and what's happening around me. Sound system (Bose) is great- playing all my favorites(Mostly from 60's/70's) in style. I feel like I'm back in touch with the road. Car handles VERY well, CVT provides flawless acceleration, and I still feel in control of it all. The coupe is like my cocoon. I'm protected and SO comfortable. Perfect blend of all the safety features and all the stuff that makes it a perfect touring car!I'm hitting the road next month and can hardly wait! With the wise advise/suggestions of my brother, and my own research, I've found my perfect car! I'll keep this one for a LONG time."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Just getting around


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2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Outstanding City/HWY Ride

by BASTION
from FORT RILEY, KS | July 3, 2012

Rating from

(5)
Comfort: 4 out of 5
Performance: 5 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 5 out of 5
Interior Design: 5 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 5 out of 5

"Strong 2.5 Engine Smooth CVT Transmission Very Quiet Interior Plenty of Bells and whistles in my 25th Anniversary Edition . Came with Bluetooth, 6 Speaker, Excellent MPG Every after 12 months this car still drives like new and excellent Cash Value."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Transporting family


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2 out of 2 found this review helpful

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