2023 Nissan Altima vs 2024 Nissan Sentra

The 2023 Nissan Altima, as a successor in a long line of family cars that included the Datsun 510 and Nissan Stanza, promised a solid presence in the sedan market even as its sibling, the Maxima, faced the end of its run. Changes for the 2023 model year included an updated front styling with a revised grille design and new wheel designs. The wheels, especially those on the higher trims, added a touch of elegance to the car's visual appeal. However, the attractive wheel design on the SL trim was prone to curb rash due to its near-flush alignment with the tire sidewalls.

The 2023 lineup was streamlined to include the base Altima S, the popular Altima SV, the sporty Altima SR, and the upscale Altima SL. A more potent SR VC-Turbo variant was also available, featuring the SL’s luxurious amenities paired with a turbocharged engine. Pricing spanned from $25,290 to $34,990, excluding a $1,095 destination charge.

Our test vehicle, a 2023 Altima SL with optional all-wheel drive (AWD) and floor mats, had an MSRP of $34,755. Overall, the 2023 Altima SL looked stylish, despite some inherent vulnerabilities in its wheel design. Inside, the cabin was appealing but marred by noticeable hard plastics, a reminder of its relatively lower base price. Choosing Gray leather upholstery enhanced the interior ambiance, providing an attractive two-tone setup. However, the faux wood trim was not very convincing, although the new double-stitched seams did divert attention from the hard plastics.

In contrast, the 2024 Nissan Sentra received a notable update in styling despite its introduction back in 2020. The grille of the new Sentra was wider, integrating seamlessly with the headlights featuring black interior bezel elements and surrounded by chrome trim. Vertical faux air vents on the front fascia edges emphasized the impression of width. Nissan's designers applied the classic "longer, lower, wider" philosophy to good effect.

While the Sentra had not been unattractive previously, the new features integrated well with existing elements like the black roof and the pronounced rear-quarter panels, giving it a balanced and wider stance. Compared to rivals, it steered clear of the quirky designs seen in the Hyundai Elantra and Toyota Corolla while offering more flair than the Honda Civic or Volkswagen Jetta.

Trim levels remained consistent with the 2023 lineup, featuring S, SV, and SR grades with a Premium Package available for the SV and SR. The base model came with 16-inch steel wheels, upgraded to 16-inch alloys in the SV with a new 2024 design. The sporty SR trim boasted 18-inch wheels and additional styling cues, including a darkened chrome trim and reshaped rear fascia. The SR trim also had the option of a black roof, which paired well with vibrant colors like Monarch Orange Metallic and Electric Blue Metallic.

Inside, the 2024 Sentra featured large round air vents inspired by the Z sports car, with a dashboard layout that framed the central touchscreen beautifully. The SR models had standard cloth seats with red-orange stitching, with leather upholstery and a moonroof available on SV models. The flat-bottom steering wheel, common in modern Nissan models, added a sporty touch. Although material quality was typical for an entry-level car, the various stylistic elements made the Sentra’s interior design distinctive.

The 2023 Nissan Altima was equipped with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 188 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque in front-wheel-drive (FWD) models. When configured with AWD, these figures were slightly reduced to 182 hp and 178 lb-ft. This engine was paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that Nissan tuned to mimic the feel of a traditional automatic transmission. The SR trim offered paddle shifters for added driver involvement. Fuel economy varied depending on wheel size and drivetrain, with official EPA ratings between 30 and 32 mpg in combined driving. Our SL AWD test model averaged 27.4 mpg.

For those seeking more spirited performance, the Altima SR VC-Turbo variant featured a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 236 hp and 267 lb-ft on regular gas, and up to 248 hp and 273 lb-ft on premium fuel. This version was paired with a paddle-shifted CVT and returned an EPA-estimated 29 mpg in combined driving.

The SR and SR VC-Turbo also included a sport-tuned suspension and additional brake-based system enhancements for better ride control. Despite being the heaviest variant, our AWD Altima SL, with the standard engine, delivered merely adequate performance and subpar fuel economy. Nonetheless, Nissan’s CVT performed admirably, offering a smooth driving experience in urban settings while losing points for its firm ride and poor rear visibility on highways.

In mountainous terrains, the Altima showed commendable grip and stability but was hampered by lifeless steering and brakes that felt loose under stress.

In contrast, the 2024 Nissan Sentra, with its sole engine option—a 2.0-liter four-cylinder producing 149 horsepower and 146 pound-feet of torque—focused more on efficiency than performance. The CVT transmission was re-engineered for 2024 to enhance smoothness and fuel efficiency, and an engine start-stop system was introduced to further improve mpg. Despite these changes, the Sentra managed to offer a pleasant driving experience, with steering that delivered impressive feedback and precision. The suspension was set up for comfort more than aggressive driving, ensuring that passengers had a smooth ride without excessive body roll in corners.

However, the updated CVT in our test Sentra exhibited a mild acceleration surge past 45 mph. This unexpected behavior might have been a pre-production vehicle anomaly, potentially differing in cars sold to consumers.

The interior of the 2023 Nissan Altima was marked by user-friendly features and a straightforward layout, characterized by matte black controls and analog gauges. Comfort was a highlight, courtesy of Nissan’s Zero Gravity seats designed based on research from astronaut support in space. Our Altima SL test vehicle featured leather upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control, a power sunroof, heated front seats and steering wheel, and a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat. The front passenger seat, however, lacked height adjustability, making entry and exit somewhat difficult.

Rear seat comfort was commendable with adequate legroom, foot room, and headroom, but rear AC vents were only available on the SR VC-Turbo and SL trims. The interior storage was adequate, although some design choices, such as the difficult-to-detach floor mats, could pose a challenge. The trunk space measured 15.4 cubic feet, with a useful shape for luggage but lacked grips for easy closure.

The 2024 Sentra provided decent interior space, particularly for the front row where headroom and legroom were on par with top competitors like the Honda Civic and Hyundai Elantra. However, rear legroom lagged compared to rivals. Despite this, the Zero Gravity seats for the driver and front passenger offered exceptional comfort. The dashboard and low window sills provided excellent forward visibility, though thick rear roof pillars somewhat hampered rearward vision.

Modern compact cars like the Sentra managed to avoid the cramped feel associated with smaller sedans. It offered well-organized central storage, including cupholders, a phone slot, and a change compartment. The All-Weather Package on SV and SR trims added comfort features not available on the Altima’s base trims.

The Sentra’s trunk had 14.3 cubic feet of space, less than the Altima but more than most competitors like the Mazda 3 and fractionally more than the Hyundai Elantra. The 60/40 split-folding rear bench seat helped with loading longer items.

The 2023 Altima S base model was lacking in terms of technology, featuring only a 5-inch display with basic functionalities like Bluetooth streaming. However, upgrading to the SV or SR trim introduced an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wired Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and SiriusXM satellite radio.

New for 2023 was a 12.3-inch touchscreen available on SV and SR and standard on SL and SR VC-Turbo trims. This system included wireless Apple CarPlay, wired Android Auto, navigation, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and a wireless charging pad. NissanConnect Services, accessible via an active subscription, added remote engine start, smart home integration, and an SOS call button.

The Bose nine-speaker system, standard on SL and SR VC-Turbo, delivered average performance, excelling with certain music genres but lacking with others. The 12.3-inch touchscreen, however, represented significant improvement, boasting a better user interface and more responsive voice recognition, though it didn’t support climate control commands.

For the 2024 Sentra, base S models had a 7-inch touchscreen and a basic 4.2-inch display in the instrument cluster. SV and SR trims upgraded to an 8-inch touchscreen and a 7-inch display, with more gauges and a six-speaker audio system. These trims also introduced additional USB ports and optional Wi-Fi connectivity with the Premium Package.

Despite the larger screens, the graphics looked dated compared to those in competitors like the Hyundai Elantra and Kia Forte. The interface was functional and easy to use, but the overall experience lagged behind more advanced systems in rival cars. The physical volume and tuning knobs remained a positive feature for ease of use.

The 2023 Nissan Altima came with Safety Shield 360 which included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a driver monitoring system. SV trims and above also included rear automatic braking, with the SR adding automatic high-beam headlights.

ProPilot Assist, optional on SV and standard on SL and SR VC-Turbo, integrated adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist. While effective, it needed more refinement for smoother operation. The SL and SR VC-Turbo editions boasted a surround-view camera system to aid with rear visibility, courtesy of a high-mounted rear deck.

The Altima received a five-star overall rating from NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ from IIHS for the 2022 calendar year, though it earned a Poor rating in the updated side-impact test.

For the 2024 Sentra, IIHS ratings were a mixed bag. It received a top “Good” rating in the original side-impact test but only “Acceptable” in the updated version. It scored “Advanced” for daytime pedestrian detection but only “Basic” at night and had a “Poor” headlight rating. NHTSA ratings were incomplete, with five stars in rollover and side crash tests but unavailable for frontal crash and overall scores.

Standard in the Sentra was the Safety Shield 360 suite: forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, and automatic high beams. Higher trims added adaptive cruise control, and the Premium Package included a 360-degree camera system.