Logo
No matching results

Recent Articles

Popular Makes

Body Types

10 Things You Need to Know About the 2016 Nissan Altima

Christian Wardlaw
by Christian Wardlaw
November 12, 2015
5 min. Reading Time
fallback

While consumers increasingly choose crossover SUVs for their rugged image, greater utility, taller seating positions, and all-wheel-drive capability, the midsize car remains a popular choice for Americans, and the 2016 Nissan Altima is one of the best-selling vehicles in the segment.

How important is the Altima to Nissan’s bottom line? To date in 2015, the Altima accounts for 26 percent of the automaker’s annual sales in the U.S. market, which makes it Nissan’s top-selling model and the most critical product in the company’s portfolio.

To ensure that car buyers continue to choose the 2016 Altima over other midsize vehicles, Nissan makes numerous changes to its family-sized sedan in order to keep it competitive until a redesigned model arrives for 2018 or 2019. On the pages that follow, we’ll tell you the ten most important things you need to know about the new 2016 Nissan Altima.

The 2016 Nissan Altima Offers Choice

When deciding which Altima to buy, your first consideration is whether or not you want the 182-horsepower, 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine in the Altima 2.5 or the 270-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 engine in the Altima 3.5.

After that, you’ll need to select a trim level. The Altima 2.5 comes in base, S, new SR, popular SV, and luxury-themed SL trim levels. The Altima 3.5 is offered only in sporty SR and upscale SL trim. Some versions are available with option packages that enhance the standard equipment list, and all versions can be fitted with a number of factory- or dealer-installed accessories.

Prices range from $23,325 for an Altima 2.5 stripped down to the figurative metal, while a loaded Altima 3.5 SL runs $36,775 with all of the factory-installed options and accessories.

fallback

The 2016 Nissan Altima has “Energetic Flow”

Restyled from the windshield forward, the 2016 Altima displays Nissan’s “Energetic Flow” design language, which debuted on the current Murano crossover SUV and Maxima sports sedan. It works well on the Altima, the boomerang headlights and the “V-Motion” grille expressed in a more conservative and, to my eye, more appealing fashion.

fallback

The 2016 Nissan Altima is Exceptionally Comfortable

Returning from last year, the Altima’s “Zero Gravity” seat designs continue to supply outstanding comfort in a roomy interior. Based on science rooted in National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) research, the Altima’s front and rear seats are sized, shaped, and padded to feel like they’re not even there.

Seated within a spacious, airy cabin, the Altima’s driver and front passenger enjoy deeply padded door and center console armrests. Rear-seat passengers have plenty of leg and foot room, and sit high in the car for a good view out and excellent thigh support.

fallback

The 2016 Nissan Altima is Quieter Inside

In addition to being comfortable, the 2016 Altima is quieter inside. New engine mounts and a larger muffler contribute on this front, along with a new acoustic glass windshield, increased sound insulation, and revised tire selections. The Altima is also more aerodynamic than before, its coefficient of drag dropping to 0.26 from 0.29. Credit the car’s new styling, active grille shutters, and new underbody panels.

Based on a brief test drive of an Altima 2.5, the result of these changes is a substantial reduction of engine, wind, and road noise, especially under hard acceleration, such as when merging onto a freeway. In turn, from the driver’s seat, the Altima feels like a more upscale and substantial automobile.

fallback

The 2016 Nissan Altima is Better Connected

Every 2016 Altima (except for the base 2.5 model) now comes standard with NissanConnect with Mobile Apps technology, which includes a 5-inch touchscreen display, a hands-free text messaging assistant, access to Internet radio and popular social media platforms, and more. Siri Eyes Free is added for 2016, making it easier to issue voice commands when an iPhone is paired to the system.

An upgraded version of NissanConnect is optional for the 2.5 SV and 2.5 SL models, and is standard for the 3.5 SL model. It includes a larger 7-inch touchscreen display, a navigation system, voice recognition technology, real-time traffic information, and more.

NissanConnect Services is new for 2016, available only with SL trim and only with a subscription following a free trial period. This feature equips the Altima with emergency calling, automatic collision notification, a vehicle locator to help find the car in a parking lot or if it has been stolen, remote engine starting via smartphone, and much more. This system also provides the parents of teenaged drivers extra peace-of-mind through curfew, speed, and boundary alerts.

fallback

The 2016 Nissan Altima is Safer for Families

While redesigning the 2016 Altima’s front end, engineers took the opportunity to upgrade the underlying structure with added high-strength steel. The objective? Improve the Altima’s small overlap frontal impact crash-test rating as assessed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

In addition to the car’s more robust architecture, the 2016 Altima is now available with adaptive cruise control, a predictive forward collision warning system, and an automatic emergency braking system. That last feature is necessary to earn a “Top Safety Pick+” rating from the IIHS, which is almost certainly one of the goals of the Altima’s mid-cycle refresh. To get the automatic emergency braking system, however, you must buy the top-of-the-line Altima SL, and upgrade the car with a Technology Package.

fallback

The 2016 Nissan Altima is More Fuel Efficient

In 2016, you are likely to see advertising promoting the new Altima as the most fuel-efficient vehicle in its class. That’s because the Altima 2.5 is rated to get 39 mpg on the highway, compared to 38 mpg last year.

The disclaimer is that Nissan is comparing the Altima 2.5 to other midsize sedans equipped with their standard 4-cylinder engines. In reality, a 2016 Kia Optima LX 1.6T matches the Altima’s highway rating, and a 2016 Mazda Mazda6 Grand Touring with i-ELOOP technology is EPA-rated to return 40 mpg on the highway.

Several midsize sedans are also available with hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, which deliver superior efficiency.

fallback

The 2016 Nissan Altima is More Fun to Drive

Every version of the 2016 Altima boasts steering, suspension, braking, and transmission improvements that are designed to make the car more fun to drive.

From my perspective, the most important change is to the electric steering, which delivers more precise on-center feel and quicker off-center response. The changes make a huge difference, and the 2016 Altima is far more pleasurable to pilot as a result.

For the redesigned suspension, Nissan claims to have benchmarked the ride and handling characteristics of European sports sedans. New shocks, springs, bushings, stabilizer bars, and tires are intended to deliver greater lateral stiffness and improved body control combined with a plush, comfortable ride quality.

I did not observe this, because I tested the new Altima SR trim level, which includes a sport-tuned suspension that is 20-percent stiffer than other versions of the car. If you want a cushy ride, don’t get this sportier version of the Altima, because you’ll be unhappy. If you want something fun for taking the long way home, the Altima SR is the way to go.

Nissan has also upgraded the Altima’s brakes, claiming that the car stops better in wet weather. A new Active Understeer Control system selectively uses the front brakes to tighten the Altima’s line through a corner when the driver enters a turn with too much speed, creating a brake torque vectoring effect that makes the car feel more athletic.

Finally, for 2016, the Altima’s standard continuously variable transmission (CVT) adds new “D-Step” programming logic designed to make it sound more like a traditional automatic transmission under hard acceleration. The goal? To reduce the steady droning that is common to CVTs when the driver is accelerating. Based on my test drive, Nissan has succeeded, and the Altima sounds more natural when the driver stomps on the accelerator pedal.

fallback

The 2016 Nissan Altima Lacks Key Features

As comfortable as the 2016 Altima is, there is room for improvement. The front passenger’s seat needs a height adjuster, and Nissan should offer ventilated front seats and heated rear seats as an option. Currently, the 2016 Altima lacks these three comfort-enhancing features.

Additionally, the NissanConnect infotainment system needs to offer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration capability. Both platforms are increasingly available in the Altima’s competitors, and are likely to prove appealing to younger, tech-savvy customers.

fallback

The 2016 Nissan Altima is Almost Always on Sale

Remember how we explained that every fourth vehicle that Nissan sells in America is an Altima, and how important this car is to the company’s financial health and success?

What we didn’t tell you is that the Altima is the third best-selling midsize car in the U.S., that Nissan wants to own 10 percent of the entire North American vehicle market, and that the company understands that in order for the Altima to assist in meeting that goal the car must conquest sales from other automakers.

Translated, this means that the Nissan Altima is almost always on sale, available with big rebates, factory-to-dealer incentives, and favorable loan and lease rates. Nissan and its dealers really, really, really want you to drive home in a new 2016 Altima. Keep that in mind when negotiating a deal.

fallback

`

Interested in Getting a New Car?

Used Cars Near You

No Data Available

Powered by Usedcars.com
©2024 AutoWeb, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Some content provided by and under copyright by Autodata, Inc. dba Chrome Data. © 1986-2024.