2021 Nissan Altima for Sale Nationwide

Nissan has established a strong family identity for its sedans and crossovers, starting with the bold V-Motion grille on the front of each model. The Altima wears a nice example, chrome on some trim levels and dark chrome on others, each tastefully adorned with the Nissan logo at center.

The Altima’s overall shape is attractive, with a sloping “coupe-like” roofline, rather than a notch-back, giving a sleek, aerodynamic look to its profile. The sheet metal tends more to folds than curves along the body side, which gives the body a taut, trim essence. There’s a lot of Altima hanging out ahead of the front wheels and behind the rear wheels—a mildly ungainly stance—and a short dash-to-axle distance in an age when the style is to push the wheels to the corners of the car. Perhaps this is why the Altima looks a little old-fashioned, though not exceptionally so. Modern features like standard LED lighting and 16-inch steel wheels to 19-inch alloy wheels help keep the look acceptably contemporary.

On the Altima’s plus side, fit and finish are exceptional, with deep lustrous paint and rich chrome details. Nine exterior colors are available for the Altima: White; Silver; Gray; Black; Red; Blue; Orange; Brown; and Green. Of course, they’ve got funky names like “Super Black,” “Scarlet Ember Tinticoat,” and “Sunset Drift ChromaFlair,” and a few colors are premium and cost an extra $395.

Inside the Altima, the dashboard is uncluttered and intelligently laid out. The standard 8-inch touchscreen display is mounted at the top of the center stack—right where it should be for safety and convenience. The instrument panel is shrouded by a cowl, a very nice feature that makes it easy to read in sunlight while keeping glare from interfering with the driver’s view at night. The base Altima feels a little stripped-down, but as you move up the trim levels, interior materials improve, adding stitching to the dash and seats and better hand feel all around. It’s a real example of getting what you pay for.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the Nissan Altima is the Jekyll-and-Hyde nature of its available powertrains. Most of the lineup (eight of the nine potential configurations) get a perfectly respectable naturally aspirated (non-turbo) 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with direct gasoline injection putting out 182 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque, connected to Nissan’s Xtronic CVT (continuously variable automatic transmission). Front-wheel drive (FWD) is standard, and all-wheel drive (AWD) is available (except on the base S trim level). The AWD system is biased toward the front wheels but is capable of sending up to 50% of the torque to the rear wheels when needed. With this engine, fuel-economy ratings are 28 mpg city/39 mpg highway/32 mpg combined with FWD, and 25 mpg city/35 mpg highway/29 mpg combined with AWD.

This brings us to Mr. Hyde, the VC-Turbo engine only available in the Altima SR VC-Turbo trim level model with FWD. This engine uses a mechanical system to dynamically change the compression ratio within the engine in response to demand situations—thus, variable compression or “VC.” This strategy is very rare in passenger cars, and following implementation in the Infiniti QX50, it's a first in a Nissan-branded car.

Variable compression allows for power on demand, while still maintaining efficiency of operation in lower demand times. The VC-Turbo is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with direct gasoline injection. Peak figures for the VC-Turbo are 248 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque (using premium gas). As you might imagine, with a third more horsepower and a half more torque than the 2.5-liter Altima, the SR VC-Turbo is a much livelier performer. It is available only as a FWD car, and it's rated to get 25 mpg city/34 mpg highway/29 mpg combined—almost as good as the AWD Altima.

Considering the VC-Turbo and 2.5-liter Altima models are separated by only about 200 pounds (the VC-Turbo is heavier at 3,425 pounds), the VC-Turbo is a much more engaging, fun car to drive. All Altima examples get four-wheel independent suspension (McPherson struts in front/multi-link rear) with stabilizer bars front and rear. VC-Turbo’s suspension is “sport-tuned,” but we’re not sure what that means, nor could we feel a real difference between the two systems. The Altima electric-powered steering setup provides decent feedback and feel.

The Altima comes with Nissan’s much-praised Zero Gravity front seats, which live up to the hype. On a two-hour drive, the seats were kind to our American-sized posteriors, and they induced little discomfort or fatigue. A cross-country trip in an Altima would not be out of the question. Upper trim levels get power adjustment, position memory, leather appointments, and electric heating for the seats.

The Altima’s front cabin has all of the storage and convenience features you’d expect in a modern midsize sedan. There’s a big glovebox, a big center console storage bin beneath the center armrest, two cupholders in the console, an open cubby at the bottom of the center stack, and big door pockets. The second row also gets door pockets, and a pair of cupholders in the center armrest when folded down, along with map pockets in the backs of the front seats.

The second row of seats in the Altima is pleasantly roomy for two adults, and even three for a short ride—if the three are close friends. The second row folds flat in a 60/40 split to allow trunk access into the front cabin. The trunk on its own can swallow up to 15.4 cubic feet of junk.

Nissan always does a good job of including basic tech features as standard equipment. Nissan Intelligent Key with pushbutton start is standard on all models, along with remote engine start, Bluetooth, cruise control, HomeLink, rear-view camera, Siri Eyes Free, Google Assistant Voice Recognition, streaming audio/hands-free phone with Bluetooth and more. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on all but S models.

The base touchscreen display is 7 inches on S, 8-inch NissanConnect touchscreen on all others. A 5-inch multi-function display is at the center of the instrument panel on S, while all other models get a 7-inch advanced Drive-Assist display. The S model gets on USB port and an auxiliary audio input, while other models have two USB ports, two USB-C ports, and an aux input.

SiriusXM satellite radio is standard with a three-month subscription included on all but the S model. A Bose audio system is standard on the SL and Platinum. Active Noise Cancellation is included with the VC-Turbo engine, a system that feeds oppositely corresponding sound waves into the cabin to negate unwanted sounds from intruding.

Nissan Door to Door Navigation with five-year trial access to Premium Traffic is standard on Platinum, optional on other trim levels (except S). NissanConnect Services are included with a three-year trial to Select and a six-month trial access to Premium and Premium Plus packages on Platinum. This includes services like WiFi hotspot, emergency crash notification, and more.

Safety is such a big concern for everyone that carmakers have branded their solutions to make sure we know what they offer. Nissan’s brand is “Nissan Safety Shield 360,” and it includes a comprehensive suite of active and passive driver-assist and safety features, standard on every Altima SV and above. Nissan Safety Shield 360 includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, rear automatic braking, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot warning, lane-departure warning, and high-beam assist.

ProPilot Assist is an available suite of features to help out with highway driving. The driver is still required to remain alert while using this system, with both hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. When used properly, ProPilot Assist can take a lot of the tension and stress out of highway driving and make your travel safer. It includes intelligent forward collision warning, intelligent lane intervention, traffic sign recognition, intelligent driver alertness, and adaptive cruise control that can keep a set distance from the car in front of you in traffic.

An Intelligent Around View Monitor is also available on upper trim levels. It’s designed to make parking easier by constructing a virtual composite 360-degree overhead view of your car, and uses sonar to detect objects in your path while parking, and gives you a visual warning before you make contact.

The 2021 Nissan Altima received a five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and a Top Safety Pick + rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Pricing for the 2021 Nissan Altima starts at $24,300 for base S FWD models (AWD is not available on the base S models). This is the model with steel wheels, the lowest levels of tech and safety, and few luxury options. SV models with FWD start at $25,400 and add Nissan Safety Shield 350, 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, and more. Add $1,400 for SV AWD ($26,800). SR FWD models start at $26,200 and get 19-inch alloys, paddle shifters, and more. Add $1,400 for SR AWD ($27,600). SL FWD models start at $29,990 with NissanConnect Services, Bose Premium Audio, ProPilot Assist, and more. Add $1,400 for SL AWD ($31,390). Platinum AWD models start at $34,100 (no FWD model available) and feature 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, around-view monitor, ProPilot Assist, leather seating appointments, and much more. Let’s not forget Mr. Hyde, the Altima SR VC-Turbo FWD, which starts at $30,650. This is the only model with the VC-Turbo engine.

For most drivers, the middle of the lineup SR FWD would be a good choice, starting at $26,200. Even better would be stepping up to the SL FWD, starting at $29,990, to take advantage of the included ProPilot Assist, Bose Premium Audio, and NissanConnect Services, all of which can greatly enhance your ownership experience. While we always appreciate AWD, we’d invest the $1,400 in a set of good winter tires and wheels, and swap out the shoes when snow threatens, as FWD with good snow tires is a great setup for a majority of conditions.

If the Altima existed in a vacuum, it would be easy to recommend it. But Altima must contend with the 800-lb gorillas of the mid-size sedan class, the Honda Accord (starting at $24,970) and the Toyota Camry (also starting at $24,970). Additionally, the Mazda6 (starting at $24,325) beats them all in terms of driving experience. The new Kia K5 (starting at $23,590) replaces the Optima this year, and it appears to have the goods, too. And if AWD is a desire, it’s hard to overlook the Subaru Legacy, which starts at $22,895 and comes with standard AWD.

In many respects, all of these vehicles are very closely matched, which makes a definitive recommendation very challenging. For many, it will be a matter of taste and feel – how does the Altima feel when you sit in, when you drive it, and how does it make you feel when you look at it? If the 2021 Nissan Altima floats your boat, you’ll have a very pleasant cruise.