2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI vs 2024 Nissan Altima

The 2024 Nissan Altima, a familiar name since 1993, continued to carry its sixth-generation design largely unchanged since 2019. A new grille introduced in 2023 added a more imposing look, but the overall styling remained conservative. The Altima was available in four trim levels: S, SV, SR, and SL, with most models featuring front-wheel drive, though all-wheel drive was an option for the SV, SR, and SL trims. The SR trim could also be equipped with the more powerful VC-Turbo engine. Our test vehicle, an Altima SL with AWD, sported Garnet Pearl Metallic paint and 19-inch alloy wheels, offering a nice appearance despite its conservative styling. The interior, while comfortable with impressively soft yet supportive seats, felt outdated with some cheap plastic parts. However, the Altima provided practical features like a wireless phone charger and well-placed cupholders and cubbies.

The 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI, available only as a five-door hatchback, offered a more expressive design than its predecessor. The wide-mouth grille, standard LED headlights, and a light strip on SE and Autobahn models added creative touches, though the low placement of these elements gave the car odd proportions. The 380 special edition package, standard on all manual-transmission models, marked the end of the manual GTI and included gloss black 19-inch wheels and a black roof. The GTI's interior combined classic styling with modern tech, featuring a digital instrument cluster and a large infotainment screen. The front seats, with the GTI’s signature plaid upholstery, were heavily bolstered yet well-cushioned. However, the steering wheel design seemed borrowed from the VW Atlas, and the haptic controls on SE and Autobahn models hindered functionality.

The 2024 Nissan Altima was equipped with a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, delivering 182 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque. This setup provided adequate performance, with a 0 to 60-mph time of approximately 7.5 seconds. For those seeking more power, the Altima SR VC-Turbo offered a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine producing 248 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque. However, this engine was not available with AWD, which could be a drawback for those in snowy regions. The Altima's AWD system, tested during a Boston winter, delivered power to the rear wheels as needed, contributing to an EPA estimated 26 mpg city, 36 highway, and 30 combined. The Altima's steering felt light, but its low center of gravity minimized body roll, and the brakes were predictable. The continuously variable transmission (CVT) managed power well, though it produced a droning noise under heavy acceleration.

The 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI featured VW’s EA888 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, generating 241 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. It offered a choice between a six-speed manual transmission and a DSG seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. The GTI's front-wheel-drive setup included a standard electronically-controlled limited-slip differential and optional adaptive damping. The driving experience was precise and stable, with the GTI smoothing out rough edges and providing excess grip. While the GTI excelled as a daily driver, it lacked the excitement of a typical hot hatch, with linear powertrain response and no turbo lag. The GTI was quiet and comfortable, especially with adaptive dampers, making it a great compromise between performance and everyday usability.

The 2024 Nissan Altima offered impressive interior space, with front seats providing more room than competitors like the Honda Accord and Subaru Legacy. The rear seat, with 35.2 inches of legroom, matched the Kia K5 but fell short of the Accord and Camry. The Altima's trunk space measured 15.4 cubic feet, outclassing the Legacy and Camry but not the Koreans or the Accord. The wide trunk-lid opening facilitated loading bulky items, and the 60/40-split folding rear seat maximized cargo space. Overall, the Altima was easy to live with, thanks to its comfortable seats and smartly placed storage solutions.

The 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI, with its hatchback body style, offered 19.9 cubic feet of cargo space, expandable to 34.5 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. This practicality surpassed rival sedans like the Honda Civic Si and Hyundai Elantra N. While the GTI had slightly more second-row headroom than competitors, it offered less first-row headroom than all but the Civic Si. The GTI's interior featured heated front seats, automatic climate control, and ambient lighting as standard. SE and Autobahn models added a sunroof, keyless entry, and leather upholstery. However, the haptic controls on these models hindered functionality, making them difficult to use while driving.

The 2024 Nissan Altima came with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, except for the base S trim, which had a 7-inch screen. Our test car featured a 12.3-inch display, standard on the SL and SR VC-Turbo trims. This larger screen offered crisp graphics and excellent resolution, with static icons for easy navigation. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay were standard, with wireless versions available only on the largest screen. The available nine-speaker Bose stereo was underwhelming, and the SiriusXM interface appeared cluttered. NissanConnect, standard on the SL and SR VC-Turbo, allowed remote access via the MyNissan app.

The 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI's base S trim featured an 8.25-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless charging, and a six-speaker audio system. SE and Autobahn models upgraded to a 10-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi connectivity, and a nine-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. The infotainment system was generally user-friendly, though satellite radio information took time to display. The 10.25-inch Digital Cockpit Pro instrument cluster offered four configurations, but the design seemed cheesy, and the fuel gauge was hard to read. The GTI's focus on larger screens detracted from the driver-centric experience expected in a hot hatchback.

The 2024 Nissan Altima received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with excellent side-impact and rollover crash test results. However, it scored four stars in frontal crash tests, and the IIHS did not award it a Top Safety Pick+ due to poor side-impact test performance. The Altima came equipped with Nissan Safety Shield 360, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and more. ProPilot Assist, available on SV trims and standard on SL and SR VC-Turbo, offered semi-autonomous driving capabilities.

The 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI had not been fully tested by the IIHS or NHTSA at press time. It received top "Good" scores in some IIHS tests, but headlights were rated "Acceptable" or "Marginal." Standard safety features included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. The GTI also featured Intelligent Crash Response and Emergency Assist on DSG models. Additional options included park distance control, park assist, and traffic sign recognition.