Along with top-ranking rivals like the Honda Accord($26,785.00 at Truecar) and Toyota Camry, the Nissan Altima has been a perennial top pick in the midsize sedan segment. But thanks to sharp styling and innovative tech, traditionally trailing contenders such as the Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata($27,560.00 at Truecar), and Kia Optima($36,615.00 at Truecar) have started to overtake it. That's why a midcycle refresh for the 2016 Altima comes at an opportune time, bringing much-needed exterior updates, improved performance and fuel economy, enhanced connectivity, and advanced safety features. Unfortunately, it's still not enough to keep the car at the head of an increasingly competitive pack.
Pricing and Design
The 2016 Nissan Altima ($32,115.00 at Truecar) is available in five main trim levels: base, S, SR, SV, and SL. Each trim is differentiated by a 2.5 designation if it comes with a 182-horsepower, 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, or 3.5 with a 270-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6, which is exclusively available on the SR and SL trims. All versions come with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that drives the front wheels.
The Altima 2.5 base trim starts at $22,500 and includes 16-inch steel wheels, halogen headlights, body-colored power side mirrors, active grill shutters, Nissan's Easy Fill Tire Alert system, a tilt and telescoping steering wheel, keyless entry and ignition, air conditioning, cloth upholstery, power windows and doors, a six-way manually adjustable driver seat and four-way front passenger seat, 60/40-split folding rear seats, an illuminated steering wheel-mounted audio controls, Bluetooth for phone and audio, and a four-speaker AM/FM/CD stereo with an aux-in jack.
The 2.5 S trim starts at $22,900 and adds automatic headlights, cruise control, Siri Eyes Free for iPhone owners, a 4.3-inch LCD instrument panel, a rearview camera, a 5-inch in-dash display, and a six-speaker audio system with a USB port and the NissanConnect smartphone app integration system.
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The new SR trim starts at $24,470 with the 4-cylinder engine and $27,990 with the V6. It adds 18-inch alloy wheels, daytime running lights, fog lights, a rear spoiler, sport-tuned suspension, steering wheel paddle shifters, sport seats, and an eight-way power adjustable driver seat with two-way power lumbar. The SV trim starts at $25,460 and comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, an eight-way power driver seat, remote engine starting, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, dual-zone automatic climate control, and satellite radio.
The 2.5 SL we tested starts at $28,570. This top-of-the-line trim adds leather upholstery, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, rear air vents, a four-way power front passenger seat, ambient interior lighting, and a Bose nine-speaker sound system. Our test car also had an $800 power moonroof and $210 tacked on for carpeted floor and trunk mats. It also came with a $1,700 Technology Package that includes forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, a 7-inch touch-screen display, Sirius Travel Link, navigation, and the Nissan Connect telematics system. With a $835 destination charge, the total sticker came to $32,115. The 3.5 SL starts at $32,090 and adds 18-inch wheels, LED headlights, and front and rear parking sensors.
The combination of new headlights and taillights and a V-shaped grille give the exterior of the Altima a sharper exterior look. The interior has barely changed from the previous model. Subsequently, cabin materials are subpar compared with most competitors.
Connectivity, Interface, and Technology
The 2016 Altima has the combination of onboard and brought-in connectivity that we recently experienced in the 2016 Nissan Titan XD —and is equally frustrating to use. The embedded portion consists of the NissanConnect system that provides all the usual telematics services: automatic collision notification, emergency roadside assistance, stolen vehicle location, and more.
A companion NissanConnect smartphone app is also typical in that it can remotely lock or unlock the doors, flash the lights, and sound the horn, but also allows you to set alerts for curfew, speed, and maintenance reminders. The telematics services as well as traffic, weather, movie, stock, fuel, and sports info are subscription-based after a free three-month trial period, while the remote app is free for the first three years of ownership.
Six apps are part of the NissanConnect smartphone-based infotainment system and don't require a subscription. They include Pandora and iHeartRadio for streaming music, Facebook and Twitter social network feeds, and local search through Google and TripAdvisor. As with the Titan, even after we jumped through the digital hoops to register the car with the NissanConnect server, many of the apps still didn't work. The Altima SL's 7-inch screen is on par size-wise with competitors, but the system suffers from a lack of customization, and a control scheme that is simply difficult to use.
Our test vehicle came equipped with a full complement of driver assists, with some standard (like blind spot warning and rear cross traffic alert) and some as part of the Technology Package option (adaptive cruise control and forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking). It also has what Nissan calls Predictive Forward Collision Warning that not only keeps tabs on the vehicle directly ahead, but also the vehicle in front of that one in case it stops suddenly. Nissan's Easy Fill Tire Alert system is also handy since it flashes the lights and beeps the horn to signal when the tires reach the correct pressure, which means a pressure gauge is never necessary.
Performance and Conclusions
The Nissan Altima has regularly been one of the top performers in the class, especially with its V6 offering. The 182-horsepower, 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine in our test car had only adequate acceleration, and the pedal often needed to be floored to get it up to highway speed, with plenty of noise and vibration in the process.
With its simulated stepped gears to mimic an automatic, the Altima's continuously variable transmission cuts down on some of the engine drone that plagues CVTs in competitor cars. The Altima has long held an edge in handling and is largely composed on most roads and surfaces.
Ultimately, the refreshed 2016 Nissan Altima adds some needed styling and tech updates, and overall makes the vehicle more competitive. But compared with segment leaders like the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry, and strong up-and-comers like the Ford Fusion and Mazda 6 ($33,395.00 at Truecar) , it still lags behind in the build and tech departments. It's a step forward, but the Altima still has a ways to go to regain traction in the midsize sedan segment.
Although a refresh of the 2016 Nissan Altima brings exterior updates, enhanced connectivity, and new safety features, it's not enough to keep up with increasingly competitive rivals in the midsize sedan segment.
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