The 2010 Nissan Altima ranks 10 out of 21 Affordable Midsize Cars. This ranking is based on our analysis of 81 published reviews and test drives of the Nissan Altima, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.The Nissan Altima is as practical and functional as the top midsize family sedans, but adds a dose of fun most of them lack. It’s no match for sports cars, but its crisp handling and lively acceleration make for entertaining commuting. However, Nissan's complex options lists might frustrate shoppers.
You’re never going to beat a V8 Mustang in a drag race driving the family car, or out-corner a Mazda Miata on a winding road in something that can keep the four adults in your carpool comfortable in a traffic jam. Family sedan buyers understand that.
Still, some would like a daily driver that they can occasionally enjoy driving -- not necessarily something that’s capable of illegal things, but something that makes the sort of legal, around-town driving that must of us have to do every day a little more fun.
Nissan builds the Altima with those people in mind. Sure, it’s a reliable transportation device. But, Popular Mechanics notes, "More important, at least to enthusiasts, is that the Altima is in some ways the sportier choice compared to the best-selling Toyota [Camry] and Honda [Accord]. Nissan estimates that 65 percent of Altima buyers are male (as opposed to roughly the same proportion of female buyers for the Toyota Camry), and its bolder styling and more subdued interior reflects an adherence to its somewhat masculine personality."
Make no mistake, it’s no 370Z. But it offers one of the sportiest rides available in an affordable midsize car. Only a handful of rivals -- the Ford Fusion and Mazda6, for instance -- handle with the same confidence the Altima does. And while both of its available engines offer almost exactly the same amount of power as the powerplants in the Toyota Camry or Chevy Malibu, the Altima sends thrust through a Continuously Variable Transmission that puts down the power smoothly, giving it sprightly acceleration. It feels a little faster than those cars, even while putting up fairly similar performance measures in the sort of track testing that auto enthusiast magazines conduct.
The Altima is also available as a sporty-looking coupe. In the affordable midsize car class, only the Honda Accord and the Altima offer two-door options.
In previous years, some shabby interior materials might have kept buyers away from the Altima. But Nissan has upgraded the fabrics and plastics inside the car for 2010, and made changes to the sheetmetal that give it a more muscular look.
One knock against the Altima hasn’t changed, however. The base model is a fairly Spartan car with few features, so few buyers will want it. But it isn’t easy to add features to an Altima. Most are available only as part of expensive options packages that drive the price up quickly. It’s possible to buy a cheap, stripped down Altima or an expensive, full-featured one. If you want something in the middle, or something you can configure to meet your own needs without spending a fortune -- well, you should probably test drive that Fusion.
Sedan buyers should note that the four-door Altima is no longer offered with a manual transmission. The CVT is now your only option. A manual is available on the coupe, but reviewers say it’s a rubbery one, and the CVT actually outperforms it.
The 2010 Nissan Altima sedan is available as a stripped-down base 2.5 model, a well-equipped 2.5S, or a V6-powered 3.5SR. Coupe editions are available only in 2.5S or 3.5SR trim -- and a 3.5SR edition runs nearly $30,000 before you start adding options. That price could send some buyers into the upscale small car class instead.
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