2022 Nissan Altima

　　

2022 Nissan Altima Review

byChristian WardlawCorrespondent

　　Christian Wardlaw has worked in the automotive industry since 1994. He has written nearly 10,000 car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 2,000 vehicles over the course of his career. Chris is a correspondent at zzdcar and was the first editor-in-chief of zzdcar.com in the 1990s. He has also contributed to Autotrader, CarGurus, J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, NADAguides, New York Daily News Autos and WardsAuto. His mom claims that his first word was “car,” and Chris believes that Miata is always the answer.

　　Decades ago, the Nissan Altima was an innovative midsize sedan. Today, it's a family car with sound design and engineering but without any strong calling cards to make it irresistible in its segment.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2022 Nissan Altima 2.5 S 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl CVT) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.06 per gallon for regular unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$116/mo  for Altima 2.5 S

　　Altima 2.5 S

　　2.5 S 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl CVT) - $24,900 MSRP2.5 SV 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl CVT) - $25,900 MSRP2.5 SV 4dr Sedan AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT) - $27,300 MSRP2.5 SR 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl CVT) (Most Popular) - $26,900 MSRP2.5 SR 4dr Sedan AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT) - $28,300 MSRP2.5 SL 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl CVT) - $30,340 MSRP2.5 SL 4dr Sedan AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT) - $31,740 MSRPVC-T SR 4dr Sedan (2.0L 4cyl Turbo CVT) - $31,250 MSRP2.5 Platinum 4dr Sedan AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT) - $34,600 MSRP

　　vs

　　$165/mo

　　Avg. Midsize Car

　　For example, one unique thing about the 2022 Nissan Altima is its available variable-compression turbocharged engine, or VC-Turbo. Nissan says it worked on this technology for more than a decade, and that it delivers the power of a V6 engine with the fuel economy of a four-cylinder engine. However, you can only get it with the sporty SR trim and front-wheel drive. And frankly, it comes up short in both the power and real-world efficiency departments.

　　The 2022 Altima is competitive with other midsize cars. It has a distinctive sense of style, its front seats provide long-distance comfort, its standard engine supplies a good blend of performance and efficiency, and you can get an Altima with all-wheel drive. Plus, the Altima boasts numerous advanced driving aids such as ProPilot Assist. Unfortunately for Nissan, the Altima's rivals offer most or all of these same attributes, and often in a more compelling package.

　　Learn more about the 2022 Altima by reading our full Expert Rating for the car.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Average

　　7.6

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

7.5/10

　　How does the Altima drive? The Altima won't win you over with stellar acceleration or braking. Our test all-wheel-drive Altima had the 2.5-liter engine, and it covered 0-60 mph in an unremarkable 8.4 seconds. The CVT automatic is well tuned, however, and helps make the Altima an almost invisible partner during day-to-day driving.

　　Another bright spot is the stable handling. You'll have confidence guiding the Altima through fast, sweeping curves. But this handling prowess underscores the Altima's overly light and vague steering.

　　

Comfort

7.5/10

　　How comfortable is the Altima? The Altima is a calm place to sit out daily traffic. The front seats are generally comfortable, but some drivers might wish for more thigh support. Engine noises are commendably well isolated even under hard acceleration.

　　Less appealing is the constant stream of little impacts you'll feel when driving over rough road surfaces. The Altima's ride seems continuously busy in these instances, and larger impacts can be pretty jarring.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below