Eric's Auots: 2025 Nissan Altima

Nissan's Altima sedan has been around for more than 30 years. It will probably not be around after the end of the 2025 model year -- following its sibling, the Maxima, into oblivion.

There are many reasons why, the chief one being that sedans as a class have fallen out of favor -- in favor of crossovers that offer more interior space and especially more cargo space in a vehicle that has about the same footprint.

But there are a few good reasons to consider an Altima as an alternative to its handful of remaining rivals.

What It Is

The Altima is a midsize family sedan that competes with the dwindling number of others in the class that are still available, principally the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord. It differs from them in that it does not come standard with -- or even offer -- a hybrid powertrain or a turbocharged engine, which is one of the reasons why it costs less than both of those two.

Prices start at $27,000 for the base 2.5 S trim. There are also 2.5 SV ($27,430) and 2.5 SR ($28,830) and top-of-the-line SL ($33,330) trims. All come standard with the same 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a continuously variable transmission and front-wheel drive.

All-wheel drive is available optionally on all trims except the base S.

What's New for 2025

Nissan has discontinued the previously available turbocharged engine that was optional last year.

Other than this -- and the addition of a Special Edition Package for the SV that bundles a panorama sunroof, a larger (12.3-inch) LCD touch screen, wireless charging and 17-inch wheel/tire package -- the Altima carries over into what will probably be its final model year unchanged.

What's Good

-- Standard 2.5-liter engine is big enough to not need a turbocharger to make adequate power.

-- Less expensive than rivals like the Camry and the Accord.

-- AWD is available -- but optional.

What's Not So Good

-- 2.5-liter engine is the only available engine.

-- Camry -- with its standard hybrid drivetrain -- offers much higher gas mileage.

-- CVT is the only available transmission.

Under the Hood

The Altima standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine is not a small four that needs a turbo to make up for its lack of size. It makes 188 horsepower -- about the same as the 192 horsepower made by the Honda Accord's standard (and much smaller) 1.5-liter four, which needs a turbo to make about the same power. Put another way, if the Honda's 1.5-liter engine did not have a turbo to boost its power, it would not have enough power. But that power comes at a cost -- in the form of a higher MSRP for the Accord -- and (probably) higher over-the-road maintenance costs and repair costs.

On the downside, the Altima's four burns a lot more gas than the Toyota Camry's hybrid-assisted 2.5-liter four, which gets 53 mpg in city driving and 50 mpg on the highway.

The Altima rates 27 mpg city, 39 mpg highway, which isn't bad mileage. But the Toyota's is much better -- so much so that it erases the higher buy-in cost of the Camry after two or three years of driving (and saving on gas).

You can still get AWD as an option -- and this gives the Altima better grip on wet/snow-slicked roads.

On the Road

The Altima is still a nice-looking car, but it's no longer the exciting car it used to be. But boring has its virtues too. The Altima is a fine family car. It has enough power to get to 60 mph in about 7.5 seconds -- which isn't slow (even if it's not quick) -- and the ride is comfortable for long trips.

The Altima's CVT has its upsides too. Acceleration is electric car-linear -- and smooth -- because the CVT does not upshift or downshift. Floor the accelerator and the car accelerates -- without any back-and-forth "snap" at each gear change, because there aren't any. You can hold a cup of coffee to your lips -- with your lap underneath the cup of hot coffee -- and none will spill and burn unless you let go of the cup.

Drivers who like a snappy car don't like CVTs, of course. But the Altima is no longer trying to appeal to those drivers.

At the Curb

The 2025 Altima looks very much the same now as it has for the past five years -- which is also not a bad thing in that change for the sake of change is sometimes not a good thing. It still looks like it might be an exciting-to-drive car, though -- and that might lead to some letdowns.

Though the V6 and the turbo four are gone, the flat-bottomed steering wheel, sport buckets with hug-you-in-place lumbar supports, carbon fiber trim (SV grade) and racy-looking analog gauges are reminders of the Altima's former sportiness. SR trims even come with paddle shifters and a leather-trimmed gear selector.

On the upside, none of the foregoing is unattractive or objectionable in any functional way.

And the straightforward controls are anything but objectionable. Everything secondary to actually driving the car -- such as adjusting the cabin temperature or fan speed -- does not interrupt actually driving the car. There is a touch screen for some things, but most things are controlled via knobs and switches that are ergonomically superior to the foolish fad of trying to control everything via the touch screen, as if a car were just an oversized.

The Rest

One of the few things worth a gripe is that Nissan won't let you buy several desirable options -- including AWD or a sunroof or heated seats or rear USB outlets -- unless you pony up for the SV trim first.

But it's a small gripe -- because the SV is priced only a few hundred bucks higher than the base S. The only reason not to get the SV is that it comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels.

The Bottom Line

The Altima's not Mr. Excitement.

But maybe that's not what you're looking for in a family car.

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Eric's latest book, "Doomed: Good Cars Gone Wrong!" will be available soon. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.