2012 Nissan Altima Reviews

2012 Nissan Altima

2012 Nissan Altima Reviews-Nissan's midsize Altima is available in both coupe and sedan body styles. The coupe's powertrain offerings are similar to the sedans, but the coupe has unique styling elements. The coupe's main competitor — the Accord coupe — is larger overall.

There are many advantages to owning the 2012 Nissan Altima. Not a lot is new with the Nissan Altima. The 2012 Nissan Altima is available in three trims: 2.5, 2.5 S and 3.5 SR. The upscale 3.5 SR trim adds a sport-tuned suspension, a V6 engine, a sunroof, mirror-mounted turn signal repeaters, dual-zone automatic climate control, 17-inch alloy wheels and heated side mirrors. The Technology package adds digital music storage, a hard-drive navigation system and Bluetooth.

The 2012 Altima is a front-wheel drive vehicle. Two engines are available. All Altima sedans come standard with a continuously variable transmission or CVT. The 2.5 Altima with a CVT transmission has a fuel economy rating of 23 mpg in the city, 32 mpg on the freeway and 27 mpg combined; the 3.5 Altima with a CVT has a fuel economy rating of 20/27/23 mpg.

Even without the Technology package, though, the Altima is a nice enough vehicle. In terms of roominess and comfort, the 2012 Nissan Altima fares pretty well. At 15.3 cubic feet, the trunk on the Altima is wonderfully roomy. Coupe versions of the Altima have trunks that offer just 8.2 cubic feet of space.

The 2012 Nissan Altima has fared quite well in government crash tests. It comes standard with traction control, stability control, side curtain airbags that cover rows, antilock brakes and front seat side-impact airbags. All in all, the 2012 Nissan Altima is a very nice car for the money.

The Altima is available as a practical sedan or a sporty coupe. Coupe versions of the Altima are lower and shorter, and feature unique styling that really set them apart from their more serious sedan siblings. Under the hood, both the coupe and sedan share two engine options: a 175-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder and a 270-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 that comes with the 3.5 SR trim. The Altima sedan features an Xtronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) with manual mode, although coupe versions are also available with a six-speed manual for a more engaged driving experience.

For those who like to carry their music with them wherever they go, the Altima can be outfitted with a Music Box hard drive that stores over 9 GB of music.

The 2012 Nissan Altima takes safety seriously with an electronic stability system, antilock brakes, six airbags, and traction control all standard. The NHTSA gave the Altima four-stars overall for its performance in crash tests.