The 2024 Nissan Altima Has Barely Changed, and That's a Good Thing
No matter how you cut it, the 2024 Nissan Altima still a relative bargain.
If you were hoping for getting more value out of a 2024 Nissan Altima, it kind of depends on what you value most. The good news is that the price is less than $300 more than it was in 2023 across the board, and you do get a trial membership for NissanConnect Services. The bad news is that, if you're concerned over the safety of your rear occupants, you can do better.
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The 2024 Nissan Altimais still a bargain for those of you looking for technological content in a mid-size sedan. The headlights are now LED as standard for all trims, you get an available 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless versions of both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless phone charging pad, a WiFi hotspot, and Nissan's Safety Shield 360 as standard on all Altimas. Also included as an option for 2024 is NissanConnect Services, a telematics feature that works with the MyNissan app and includes remote door lock/unlock, remote engine start/stop, vehicle health report, emergency calling and Nissan Skill for Amazon Alexa. Those that do opt in for the service will get three years of activation for free. After that trial, the plan currently cost $20 per month.
Still A Bargain, But With Caveats
When you consider the standard features included on the Altima, the base price for the FWD S of only $26,825 (which is only $240 more than the 2023 model) seems like a deal. It's also available as an AWD model starting at $29,125. Factor in that we consider the Altima to be a relatively well-designed machine since its previous refresh. But a concerning IIHS test rating for rear seat occupants, dated infotainment screen, and awful transmission tuning might also give you pause.
That transmission, a CVT, continues to dissapoint. "What a horrible CVT experience this is," road test editor Chris Walton said as he struggled to even maintain a constant speed with the transmission constantly rising and dropping the engine's revs. The CVT can be slow to respond on the road, too, and occasionally surges awkwardly.
While the Altima's 12.3-inch display is large and usefully mounted, Nissan's in-house menus and icons look as if they are rendered in a lower resolution than the screen itself. We also noticed a low-res backup camera with severely impaired visibility in low light or bad weather. The screen itself is great, but the Nissan parts of the infotainment experience can feel sluggish, outdated, and unresponsive. As such, we found ourselves sticking to CarPlay.
Marginal Safety
But it's the IIHS' rating—"marginal" for rear-seat safety—that might be the most concerning aspect of the Altima (and, to be fair to the Altima, many of its midsize sedan competitors). In the case of Altima, IIHS tests only indicated a "moderate risk" to the head and neck for the rear passenger. Like the 2023 Toyota Camry, the Nissan Altima earned a "Marginal" rating for rear passenger chest injury measures. However, it got a "Poor" rating for rear passenger restraints and kinematics, likely due to the submarining and shoulder belt moving. If you're willing to spend a little more for added safety, then the Subaru Outback and Honda Accord might be more up your alley.
2024 Nissan Altima Pricing
Having experience in many forms of the automotive industry, Justin Banner has done more than just write about cars. For more than 15 years, he's had experience working as an automotive service technician—including a stint as a Virginia State Inspector—service advisor, parts sales, and aftermarket parts technical advisor (a fancy way of saying he helped you on the phone when you had trouble fitting your brakes over your aftermarket wheels and the like). Prior to his tenure as a full-time editor, Justin worked as a freelance writer and photographer for various publications and as an automotive content creator on YouTube. He’s also covered multiple forms of motorsports ranging from Formula Drift, drag racing, and time attack, to NASCAR, short course off-roading, and open desert racing. He's best known for breaking down complex technical concepts so a layperson can more easily understand why technologies, repairs, and parts should matter to them. At MotorTrend, Justin is part of the news team covering breaking news and topics while also working as a judge for MotorTrend Of the Year events and other major comparison tests.
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