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2015 Nissan Altima Review and Quick Spin

Christian Wardlaw
by Christian Wardlaw
October 1, 2014
6 min. Reading Time
2015 Nissan Altima 2.5 SV Cayenne Red Front Quarter Right ・  Photo by Christian Wardlaw

2015 Nissan Altima 2.5 SV Cayenne Red Front Quarter Right ・ Photo by Christian Wardlaw

You’re looking at one of the best-selling cars in America, the 2015 Nissan Altima. Three years have passed since the Altima’s last complete redesign, and this midsize sedan competes within the largest and one of the most fiercely contested segments of the automotive market. Though it is aging and ready for its midlife refresh, the 2015 Altima holds its own by virtue of the fact that it checks off every box on the family sedan must-have list.

Fuel economy? Check. Comfort? Check. Safety? Check. Style? Check. Modern technology? Check. Decent-sized trunk? Check.

The Altima, it would appear, possesses the traits people want in their mainstream midsize car. The question, then, is whether or not such a pragmatic approach is good enough in a segment where greatness is almost a pre-requisite to consideration.

I spent a week using the 2015 Altima as a suburban family shuttle to find out if the car’s sum is as impressive as its parts.

About Our Test Car

For this test, I sampled the Altima 2.5 SV model, one of the most popular configurations. Painted Cayenne Red over Beige cloth, my test car included the following options:

  • Convenience Package ($1,350 – power sunroof, auto-dimming rearview mirror, HomeLink universal remote, rear air vents, trunk net, automatic down/up front windows, LED side mirror turn signal indicators, mood lighting)
  • Technology Package ($1,090 – 7-inch touchscreen infotainment display, navigation system with real-time traffic, SiriusXM Travel Link, Blind Spot Warning, Moving Object Detection, Lane Departure Warning)
  • Floor and Trunk Mats ($210)

The sticker price came to $28,180, certainly reasonable for a nicely equipped family car, and after deals and discounts the Altima is even more appealing. But is it good looking? That’s up to you to decide.

Personally, I think the Altima looks best with the 18-inch aluminum wheels that are exclusive to models with the V-6 engine, because they serve to fill the car’s flared wheel wells. I also think Nissan needs to tone down the width of the chrome trim surrounding the grille and lining the trunk, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to black-out the rear lower valence panel.

Otherwise, this latest fifth-generation Altima continues to evolve the groundbreaking third-generation Altima design. That might be why some people think it’s boring. They’ve seen this before, and for more than a decade.

 Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Comfort and Cargo

Comfort is always a subjective call, dependent on your height, weight, and personal preferences. In attempting to craft a sedan that most people will like to spend time in, Nissan looked to NASA and space exploration for inspiration.

As a result, the Altima’s Zero Gravity seat designs are modeled after NASA research that demonstrates the body’s natural posture in the weightlessness of space. Count me as a fan, because I find the Altima incredibly comfortable, supplying excellent thigh support, a firm cushion, and plush cloth upholstery. The overall effect is somewhat like weightlessness in that the seat almost feels like it’s not even there.

Nissan has adopted this same approach in other models, such as the redesigned Rogue crossover suv. However, I still think the Altima does the best job in this regard, most likely because the cabin is so roomy.

The Altima’s back seat is really comfortable, too, passengers sitting high with excellent thigh support and a good view out, and the optional Convenience Package includes useful rear air conditioning vents. Also, not that starting with the 2015 model year, Nissan supplies black carpet and floor mats with the beige interior, which looks great and hides dirt.

I will say, though, that if you’ve got little kids, you might want to skip the beige cloth seats. My own children really thrashed this Altima, leaving footprints everywhere, though I must admit that everything easily washed off with a wet towel. Except for one spot on the middle of the bottom cushion. I don’t know what caused it, but I’d bet I couldn’t see it on a black seat.

Pop the Altima’s trunk and you’ve got 15.4 cubic feet of storage space. That’s about average for midsize sedans, but the nice thing is that you can fit a compact folding stroller wheels first or lengthwise. You can even stack a full-size suitcase on its side. Plus, my test car included a small cargo net to the left side of the trunk, and it really came in handy for hauling milk and juice home from the store.

To expand cargo space, straps release the rear seat backs, and both sides fold down in a 60/40 split. When you’re done loading, though, don’t bother looking for a grab handle on the inside of the trunk, because there isn’t one. Instead, put your fingers on the grimy exterior and slam it shut.

 Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Features and Controls

Though available with lots of features, a Nissan Altima isn’t complicated, and I really like that about this car. The gauges are models of clarity, and the buttons and knobs on the center portion of the dashboard are logically arranged and grouped.

My test car had a NissanConnect infotainment and navigation system with a 7-inch color touchscreen display. Again, simplicity rules the day, and NissanConnect is easy to understand and use. Unfortunately, the screen is susceptible to sun glare.

Here's another thoughtful feature that Nissan includes for all Altima models: an Easy Fill Tire Alert system. Maintaining proper tire pressure is critical to maximize fuel economy and to ensure proper tire grip, and this system makes it really easy for the Altima's owner to add air without worrying about getting the pressure right or using a tire gauge.

 Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Safety Matters

Equipped with a 5-star crash-test rating from the NHTSA and a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the Altima does a great job of protecting its driver and his or her passengers. Better yet, for 2015, Nissan expands availability of its safety technologies to the mid-grade SV models.

They’re part of the optional Technology Package, packaged with navigation and including a blind spot warning system, a lane departure warning system, and a moving object detection system, which is essentially the same thing as rear cross-path detection. They combine with the SV model’s standard reversing camera to provide the safety systems you need, unless you’re the type who pays more attention to your smartphone than what’s happening on the road ahead.

As usual, I found the lane departure warning system’s regular beeping irritating after awhile, so I shut it off using the appropriate NissanConnect menu. I never shut blind spot warning systems off, but I think Nissan ought to relocate the warning light to the mirror itself, since that’s where the driver is looking when switching lanes.

 Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Photo by Christian Wardlaw

What's Under the Hood

Nissan offers a choice between a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine and a 3.5-liter V-6 engine. Altimas equipped with the former wear a 2.5 badge while the latter models are equipped with a 3.5 badge. My test car is the Altima 2.5.

This 4-cylinder engine is impressive, and so is the continuously variable transmission, or CVT, that it’s attached to. Horsepower measures 182, on par with other midsize sedans, and the CVT does a good job of providing power when needed, and working quietly in the background at all other times.

During a week of driving, I averaged 27.8 mpg. That’s less than the 31-mpg result that the EPA thinks I should have gotten, but honestly, I was satisfied with that number. The Altima 2.5’s fuel gauge needle drops slowly, which means fewer trips to the station, and that makes any driver happy.

 Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Driving Impressions

Right up front, let me get my biggest criticism of the Altima out of the way. I really dislike the way the electric steering is tuned. Similar to other recent Nissan products I’ve driven, the Altima’s steering wheel feels heavy, leaden, disconnected, and completely unnatural the majority of the time. And because you’re gripping the steering wheel every time you drive the car, it becomes a constant source of dissatisfaction.

Oh, I suppose you acclimate to it over time. And honestly, maybe this is just one of those dumb auto journalist observations that the typical car buyer never even notices. All I can tell you is that this particular trait really dampens my enthusiasm for the car.

That’s too bad, because this is an otherwise impressive package. The CVT does a great job of extracting usable power from the 4-cylinder engine, and while flooring the accelerator doesn’t really help to hasten the car, part-throttle response is quite agreeable. Occasionally the CVT drones, but for the most part it behaves as though it wants to drop engine revs as soon as is possible in order to conserve fuel and restore quietude to the cabin.

Once upon a time, Nissan was known as the performance-oriented brand from Japan. The company has since ditched this marketing approach, but the Altima remains better connected to the road, almost stiffly so, than some midsize family cars. The suspension is also tuned to control body roll in corners, and despite the modest 17-inch wheels and 215/55 tires, the Altima provides decent grip and very little tire squeal. The brakes are impressive, too, feeling terrific underfoot and performing well under a variety of driving conditions.

 Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Final Thoughts

As I said at the outset, Nissan has checked off all of the important boxes while creating and building its mainstream family sedan. Roomy, safe, fuel efficient, appealing inside and out, and in most respects good to drive, the Altima should have me writing with a more effusive tone.

For some reason, though, I’m not terribly thrilled with this car. There’s nothing about it that inspires passion, or draws ire, or makes you glad to be behind its wheel. The Altima is an appliance, one that is entirely capable and competent, and if you decided to buy one I sure wouldn’t steer you away from it.

But it’s also not the first car that springs to my mind if you’re looking for a recommendation.

Nissan provided the 2015 Altima 2.5 SV for this review

2015 Nissan Altima 2.5 SV photos by Christian Wardlaw

 Photo by Christian Wardlaw

Photo by Christian Wardlaw


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