$14,995
Huntington Beach, California
Category
Sedan
Mileage
43576
Posted Over 1 Month
The 2014 Nissan Altima remains one of the family sedans that we recommend most highly--but the reasons have changed over the years as the Altima itself has grown up and matured. Going back a couple of decades, the Altima was always the scrappy upstart with tight handling and enjoyable roadholding, against the blander and more predictable Toyota and Honda models against which it competed. Fast forward to the last redesign, however, and the Altima is a more comfortable car, a far more mainstream option, and a safer pick for more buyers. A dressed-up cabin that includes new infotainment systems, and exceptionally comfortable seats, the Altima strikes a better balance between handling and ride comfort. tHIS car addresses all of its predecessors' weak spots, and the result has been steadily increasing sales--and the emergence of the Nissan Altima as a tough competitor for Toyota, Honda, Ford, Chevy, and Hyundai among volume mid-size sedans. The latest Altima begins life with a new shape, which Nissan says comes from an emotional take on styling, and some advanced manufacturing techniques that enable some complex surfaces on the attractive new body. The front end wears some of the angled, arrowed cues of other Nissans and Infinitis at the headlamps and taillights, while the side glass tapers gradually to a tasteful backstop. The fenders swell out in ways that recall Nissan's compact Juke crossover. The interior's a big contrast: it's conservatively drawn, with straight lines dividing off the center stack of controls from the driver and the passenger. There's also more space left for larger LCD screens for more advanced infotainment systems, a selling point where the Altima's lagged behind the Koreans and Americans. The Altima sedan's still a five-seater, riding on the same 109.3-inch wheelbase it did in the 2012 model year, 191.5 inches long in all. There's not much more room in any direction, and that's fine--the Altima was large enough for almost any family. Nissan's spent quality time on the seats, and it's paid off in very comfortable chairs that hold up for hours on end, at least for the front-seat passengers. On this models, the front seats are adjustable six ways for the driver, four for the passenger. The rear seats are split 60/40 and fold down to expand access to the trunk. The Altima sedan will continue to ride on an independent suspension, and it's upgraded to Sachs shocks for better ride control and a more luxurious feel, Nissan says. They've hit that goal--and coupled with a switch to fancy electrohydraulic steering, they've polished the Altima's road manners to a quiet gloss. The Altima now has excellent compliance over most every surface, but the tightly controlled ride and eager feel dialed into the old hydraulic-only steering have gone AWOL. We miss the more immediate feel already, because it's long disappeared from cars like the Honda Accord. The standard powertrain is a 182-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Tuned here for higher mileage than ever, Nissan's aiming for an EPA highway rating of 27 miles per gallon city, 38 miles per gallon highway, putting it on par with some hybrids and above leaders like today's standard Hyundai Sonata, rated at 35 mpg highway. It's plenty of power for the point-A-to-point-B school of driving, though the drivetrain can be loud at the higher reaches of its range. With safety as strong a selling point as fuel economy in the Altima's class, Nissan's updated the sedan's technology to include all the advanced features on the shelves of suppliers The IIHS has already given the Altima its Top Safety Pick+ accolade (with top scores in all but the new small overlap test), while the NHTSA gives it five stars overall for crash-test performance
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