A perfectly adequate family sedan with sharp looks, a spacious cabin, - 2023 Nissan Altima Review
2Overview
The 2023 Nissan Altima is a perfectly adequate family sedan with sharp looks, a spacious cabin, and available all-wheel drive. For power, the Altima has two different four-cylinder engines to choose from: a 182-hp base engine or a turbocharged variable-compression unit with 248 horsepower. However, that’s as far as the Altima pushes the envelope. No matter how you spec it, it comes with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and delivers a drive that’s more polite than perky. With an EPA-estimated 39 mpg for highway driving, though, the Altima is impressively fuel efficient for a non-hybrid vehicle. A roomy interior, comfortable seating, an optional 12.3-inch infotainment screen, and a solid offering of standard safety features make this sedan easy to live with—even if it lacks the soulfulness of the Honda Accord or the refinement of the Toyota Camry.
What's New for 2023?
Nissan updates the Altima’s appearance for 2023 with new wheels, a redesigned front fascia with new LED headlights and the automaker's new logo. There are two new paint options as well: Gray Sky Pearl and Garnett Pearl Metallic. Besides these minor visual tweaks, the top Platinum trim level has been renamed SL. The inside of the Altima gets a new 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen that comes standard on SL and SR models, but is available for SV as optional equipment. Nissan has expanded the standard safety features within its Safety Shield 360 driver-assistance technology. New standard safety gear includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, rear automatic braking, lane departure warning, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert, and high-beam assist.
Unlike the Accord and Hyundai Sonata, the Altima offers two features they don't: all-wheel drive and that unique VC-Turbo engine. While the benefits of the latter are hard to quantify, the $1400 all-wheel-drive system might attract sedan shoppers who live in the Snowbelt. Still, we'd choose the SR trim level and skip both options. Along with a sport-tuned suspension and 19-inch wheels that make this family sedan more fun to drive, the SR has a host of desirable features that include an eight-way power driver's seat, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an upgraded digital gauge cluster, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and more. We'd also spring for the Premium package that adds heated mirrors, heated front seats, and a sunroof.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
The Altima has a standard 188-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that pairs with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). The optional turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder makes up to 248 horsepower with premium fuel and also uses a CVT. While Nissan touts the innovative variable-compression technology, only the 2.5-liter engine can be had with all-wheel drive. The standard four-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive had predictable, albeit unremarkable, acceleration. The engine grew noisier the harder we pressed the gas pedal, but the four-cylinder Camry we tested was equally loud at times. The VC-Turbo engine makes the Altima significantly quicker. Despite the unconventional turbocharged engine and uncommon all-wheel drive, the Nissan is not as fun to drive as the Accord. The Altima SR receives a sport-tuned suspension and 19-inch wheels that make it more entertaining on twisty sections of road. However, these upgrades also reduce the ride quality found on regular Altima models. Surprisingly, the top-of-the-line SL (formerly known as Platinum) model we drove had more cornering grip than the 2019 BMW 330i xDrive we tested. The Nissan also had a comfortable ride that prevented any shudders over undulating pavement. Its steering system was precise by family-sedan standards and doesn't add effort to emulate steering feel. The Altima's brake pedal had linear feedback and prompt responses to our input.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
The Altima doesn't offer a fuel-saving hybrid or eco-friendly plug-in-hybrid model as do many of its rivals, but its two gasoline engines have lofty fuel-economy ratings and even better real-world results. When equipped with front-wheel drive, the base 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine gets an EPA-estimated 28 mpg city and 39 highway. With all-wheel drive, those EPA estimates drop to 26 mpg city and 36 mpg on the highway. The turbocharged 2.0-liter gets an EPA estimated 25 mpg city and 34 mpg on the highway. On our 75-mph highway fuel-economy route—part of our extensive testing regimen—the all-wheel-drive Altima achieved an impressive 41 mpg; the VC-Turbo version recorded a notable 37 mpg. The most fuel-efficient (nonhybrid) Accord and Camry earned 38 mpg and 45 mpg, respectively. For more information about the Altima's fuel economy, visit the EPA's website.