Toyota Camry vs. Nissan Altima
When deciding between the Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima, you have two competitive sedans focusing on comfort, safety, fuel efficiency, and decent starting prices. The Toyota Camry continues to be one of the best-selling models in the segment, while the Nissan Altima has become a rival in recent years. Both models come from Japan and have had to adapt and redesign to stay popular among young and older drivers. When asking which sedan is better, the Toyota Camry vs. Nissan Altima, there's much to learn before making final decisions. This post should help clear things up, so stay tuned!
Overview of Both Cars
The Toyota Camry vs. Nissan Altima debate has been a hot-ticket discussion for years, as these two sedans are close in their details, size, and specs. For instance, the Camry starts at just over $28,000 new and features a perky, 202-301 horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder or 3.5-liter V-6 engine, as well as seeing up to 28 city / 39 highway MPG. For the Nissan Altima, its starting MSRP falls around $26,000, and it boasts two engine options: a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder or the 2.5-liter 4-cylinder, producing 188-248 horsepower and having fuel estimates of up to 27 city / 39 highway MPG.
The Camry is better known for its fuel economy. At the same time, the Nissan Altima is cheaper and is often more popular among people who want speed, luxury, and performance, so both will have advantages.
Interior and Cargo
Looking inside the Toyota Camry vs. Nissan Altima models, you have modern cabins between either sedan and plenty of tech and infotainment to keep all possible five passengers busy. The Nissan Altima is known to be more spacious in the back row, while the Camry is often criticized for having narrow doors, which is something to remember.
Toyota Camry
The Toyota Camry is a simple, modern choice for those needing something safe for up to five people. The vehicle features leather and metal accents that feed its historically minimal aesthetic. Its rear doors are narrow, which can make tasks like fitting a car seat more challenging. Additionally, the front area inside the Camry is a standout, offering a user-friendly, easy-to-navigate cockpit, especially in sportier trims like the SE and XSE, which include options such as bold red leather interiors and large infotainment screens. Standard interiors are not eye-catching, while upgraded models have more things to keep you occupied.
Interior Dimensions:
- Headroom w/o Moonroof (Front/Rear): 38.3 / 38 inches
- Headroom w/ Moonroof (Front/Rear): 37.5 / 38 inches
- Shoulder Room (Front/Rear): 57.7 / 55.7 inches
- Legroom (Front/Rear): 42.1 / 38 inches
Nissan Altima
Moving into the Altima, Nissan has added a personalized touch inside the front and rear seating areas. Specifically, this sedan has a V-shaped grille motif mirrored in the dashboard's metallic accents and comfortable seating with faux carbon weave and orange stitching. The back doors of the Altima swing open nearly 90 degrees, allowing bigger things, like car seats, to fit in better than the Camry. Overall, the Altima has a more notable interior.
Interior Dimensions:
- Headroom (front/rear): 39.1 inches / 36.9 inches
- Shoulder room (front/rear): 58.2 inches / 57.1 inches
- Legroom (front/rear): 43.8 inches / 35.2 inches
Cargo Space: The Altima will have roughly 15.4 cubic feet of trunk space, compared to the Camry's 15.1 cubic feet. You also feel more space inside the Nissan Altima, per driver reviews.
Exterior
For the exterior specs and standouts of the Toyota Camry vs. Nissan Altima, you see two recently refreshed nameplates boasting rounded front ends and generally class-following elements. The Nissan Altima has a more aggressive, wide hood and grille, while the Camry has a softer design surrounding its Toyota emblem. Of the two, you might feel more luxury coming from the Altima if you shop newer-year models. Both cars have LED lighting, refreshed grilles, upgraded wheels, and sleek frames, so you can't go wrong with the Camry or Altima.
Size-wise, here are the dimensions per sedan:
Nissan Altima
- Wheelbase: 111.2 inches
- Length: 192.9 inches
- Width: 72.9 inches
- Standard Height: 56.8 inches
Toyota Camry
- Wheelbase: 111.2 inches
- Length: 192.1 inches
- Width: 72.4 inches
- Standard Height: 56.9 inches
Engine and Performance
Regarding the engine and performance of the Toyota Camry vs. Nissan Altima, you have pretty consistent engine types. Both brands give drivers an additional, faster second option for anyone willing to upgrade. Specifically, the Toyota Camry offers a 2.5-liter inline-4 engine with 202 horses or a 3.5-liter six-cylinder engine available in the XSE and XLE trims or standard on the performance-tuned TRD model. You also see up to 301 horses and 267 pound-feet from the V6 engine.
Underneath the Nissan Altima's hood, you will find either a standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine making 188 horsepower or the available turbocharged 2.0-liter making 248 horses. Even then, the Camry's available V6 outperforms the turbocharged Nissan engine by 50+ ponies, which is something to consider.
- Toyota Camry Engine: 2.5-liter inline-4 / 3.5-liter V-6
- Toyota Camry Horsepower: 202-301 horses
- Toyota Camry Torque: 182-267 pound-feet
- Nissan Altima Engine: 2.5-liter four-cylinder / turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder
- Nissan Altima Horsepower: 188-248 horses
- Nissan Altima Torque: 180 to 273 pound-feet
Fuel Economy and MPG
Another thing to mention is the fuel economy per nameplate when comparing the Nissan Altima to the Toyota Camry. Of the two, Toyota sees better overall fuel specifications and ratings from the EPA thanks to its hybrid offering.
- Toyota Camry: Up to 32 combined MPGs, 28/39 city/highway
- Nissan Altima: Up to 32 combined MPGs, 27/39 city/highway
Safety and Driver-Assistance Technology
You see decent standard and available specs per sedan for the safety and driver-assistance technology between the Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima. Here's what both models look like from a safety standpoint:
- Toyota Camry: The Camry is equipped with Toyota's Star Safety System and, in higher trims, Toyota Safety Sense, offering a comprehensive suite of safety features and driver-assistance technologies. These include adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and automatic emergency braking. This model also receives a five-star safety rating from the NHTSA.
- Nissan Altima: The Altima features Nissan Safety Shield 360, which boasts safety features including automatic emergency braking, blind-spot warning, and rear cross-traffic alert. Both vehicles received a five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Infotainment and Connectivity
Lastly, we have the infotainment and connectivity inside the Toyota Camry vs. Nissan Altima. You have decent options in both cars at a standard and higher-trim level, so there's plenty to choose from in these tech-savvy sedans.
- Toyota Camry: The Camry comes with a standard 9.0-inch infotainment screen, with options for even larger displays in higher trims. It includes features like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa compatibility.
- Nissan Altima: The Altima offers a 12.3-inch touch screen and a 7.0-inch multi-function information display. Like the Camry, it includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration.
Get Your Next Camry or Altima at Tim's Truck Capital
With this comparison finished, there is no better used car dealership to shop for the Toyota Camry or Nissan Altima than Tim's Truck Capital. We're located in Concord, NH, and will be here to get you keys for a test drive. See you soon!
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