2023 Nissan Altima vs 2023 BMW 7 Series

The 2023 BMW 7 Series introduced a bold new design language, marking a significant departure from its predecessors. Its front-end styling featured an oversized beveled grille and split lighting elements, with thin LED accent lights giving the car a focused squint. While initially jarring, the design grew on observers over time. The 7 Series offered two style themes: the standard M Sport with chrome accents and the M Sport Professional with a more aggressive blacked-out look. The profile maintained the classic 7 Series silhouette, though the black plastic recessed door handles seemed out of place on lighter paint options. Inside, the 7 Series boasted a modern, minimal interior with a broad horizontal layout and high-quality materials. The leather seat upholstery added visual interest, and the available light gray cashmere wool-blend upholstery provided a cozy feel. The rear seats exuded luxury, especially with the optional Rear Executive Lounge Seating package, which included a reclining seat and a theater screen.

The 2023 Nissan Altima, with its updated front styling, new wheel designs, and fresh paint colors, aimed to maintain its presence in the family car segment. The Altima SL trim, with its 19-inch wheels, offered an improved visual presence, though the wheels appeared vulnerable to damage. The Altima lineup included the base S, popular SV, sporty SR, and luxurious SL trims, with the SR VC-Turbo offering a more powerful engine. The Altima SL's interior was appealing, though hard plastics reminded drivers of its lower base price. Opting for Gray leather added a high-contrast two-tone appearance, while the new simulated wood dashboard trim was less convincing. Despite these drawbacks, the Altima's interior was simple, comfortable, and easy to use, with Nissan's Zero Gravity seats providing exceptional comfort.

The 2023 BMW 7 Series offered two powertrains initially. The base 740i featured a 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engine with a 48-volt mild hybrid system, producing 375 horsepower and 383 pound-feet of torque. It was paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, allowing the rear-wheel-drive 740i to accelerate to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds. The all-wheel-drive 760i xDrive upgraded to a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, delivering 536 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque, reaching 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. The V8-powered 760i xDrive impressed with its quick and fluid response, offering a sporty yet comfortable ride. The handling was sportier than the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, with a slightly stiffer ride quality. Sport mode enhanced cornering and steering responsiveness, making it an excellent choice for performance-oriented drivers.

The 2023 Nissan Altima, except for the SR VC-Turbo, came with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). The engine produced 188 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque in front-wheel-drive models, while all-wheel-drive models had slightly lower figures. The Altima SR VC-Turbo featured a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with a variable compression ratio, delivering up to 248 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque on premium fuel. The Altima's CVT mimicked a traditional automatic transmission, and the SR trim included paddle shifters for added engagement. Fuel economy ranged from 30 to 32 mpg in combined driving, with the SL AWD averaging 27.4 mpg. The Altima's ride was firm, and road noise was noticeable at highway speeds. While the Altima offered commendable grip and flat cornering, its steering felt lifeless, and the brakes showed signs of heating up during spirited driving.

The 2023 BMW 7 Series offered power-operated doors, though they could be frustrating to use. The front seats were generously padded with numerous power adjustments, heating, and ventilation. The rear seats were spacious, accommodating tall passengers with ease. The lounge seating option added a reclining passenger-side rear seat with massage functions. A 31.3-inch rear entertainment screen folded down from the panoramic sunroof, though its central placement could cause neck strain. The trunk offered 13.7 cubic feet of cargo space, with a wide and deep design for easy loading. Interior storage was adequate, with a wireless charging pad, cupholders, and small door pockets.

The 2023 Nissan Altima's interior was simple and comfortable, with controls laid out logically. Nissan's Zero Gravity seats provided exceptional comfort, though the leather upholstery could be sticky. The Altima SL featured dual-zone automatic climate control, a power sunroof, heated front seats, and a 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat. Rear seat comfort was good, with ample legroom and headroom. Interior storage was reasonable, with door panel trays, a large tray forward of the shifter, and a good-sized center armrest bin. The Altima's trunk measured 15.4 cubic feet, with a usefully shaped space, though it lacked a grip or handle for easy closing.

The 2023 BMW 7 Series featured iDrive 8, the latest version of BMW's infotainment system. It could be operated via touchscreen, central dial, or voice commands. While basic functions were easy to use, deeper menu navigation was complicated. Voice controls helped mitigate this, though they interrupted audio playback. The standard 18-speaker Bowers & Wilkins Surround Sound System provided excellent audio quality. The optional theater screen had inconsistent touchscreen inputs, and the iDrive system felt bloated compared to previous versions.

The 2023 Nissan Altima offered a modern infotainment system, with the base S trim featuring a 5-inch display and Bluetooth. The SV and SR trims included an 8-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and SiriusXM satellite radio. A new 12.3-inch touchscreen was available, offering navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. The Bose nine-speaker premium audio system was available on SL and SR VC-Turbo trims, though its performance varied. The 12.3-inch infotainment system represented a significant improvement, with a superior user interface and voice recognition technology.

The 2023 BMW 7 Series had not been crash-tested by NHTSA or IIHS. Standard safety features included frontal collision warning, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, and more. The optional Driving Assistance Professional package added a hands-free automated driving system for highways. The adaptive cruise control was smooth, and the highway driving assistant reduced driver fatigue on long trips.

The 2023 Nissan Altima came with Nissan Safety Shield 360, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, and more. ProPilot Assist, available on higher trims, added adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist. The Altima received a five-star overall rating from NHTSA, though the front passenger frontal impact safety rating was four stars. IIHS awarded the Altima a Top Safety Pick+ for 2022, though it received a Poor rating in the updated side-impact test.