The Nissan Altima is complete with a suite of 4 trims that have their own specialty to make them look distinct from one another. The Base trim, as a general principle, is loaded with relatively lower comfort and charm. The 4-Speaker Audio set, 6 Speakers Audio Unit, and 9 Speakers Audio Unit are placed from top to bottom in the musical strata. The ventilation and cabin cooling have been considered across all trim but autonomy brings the difference. The SL trim has power-assisted and heated seats inside the cabin which need no further exposition.

The Base gets the pairs of16" x 7.0" Steel Alloy Wheels which changes to 18” X 7.5” Aluminum Alloy Wheels in the SL trim. The HomeLink Garage Door Transmitter and Remote Keyless Entry are among the other sophisticated tech tools which have been integrated into it. The interior involves you with the atmosphere with its Bluetooth Wireless Phone Connectivity and Radio Data System. Thus, on the whole, one can be satisfied with the Altima’s escape from your daily routine.

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There is no point in considering the Base trim at all. Moving forward, we may encounter SV which is a mix of all which have been adorned through the trim lineage. It is manageable with its cost sheet, offers all the basic amenities which are enough for your commuting. A comfortable cabin with nice cushioning and tech features are also there. Thus, it makes it to the top of the table among all the siblings. The SL sees a little increment which is incommensurate in its price rising.  

There are two engine variants for the Nissan Altima with the descriptions of being a 2.5 L I-4 and 3.5 L V-6, which are coupled to the standard CVT in a front-wheel-drive layout. The smaller variant is available for all the trims of the Altima while the elder one exempts the Base trim. In terms of the performance curve, the former churns out the power of 182 hp at 6000 RPMs and torque of 180 lb-ft at 4000 RPMs. This even gets better and the surge ends at 270 hp of power and 251 lb-ft of torque. The data of the acceleration prowess is not available but one can vouch for simple and sober driving with its CVT around the lanes.

One of the takeaways from the spec sheet is that all of them have an FWD as a standard attached to them as this ensures negative oversteer and even in the case of any unexpected situation, the sedan will be subjected to understeering which takes less toll on the handling comparatively. Apart from that, the best figures are achieved by the Hyundai Sonata but that is not enough to conclude it as the segment leader as there are many factors which are involved in the scene like power distribution and power to weight ratio. Thus, this section goes unanalyzed.

MPG is one of those indicators through which one actually defines whether the pricing is justified or not. Well, for those who are positive in their approach to the purchase of the 2014 Nissan Altima, this specific domain may even underpin that feeling. A return of almost 27 mpg in the city, 38 mpg on the highways, and 31 mpg overall are one of the best in the segment and that is even magnified with a fuel tank of 18 gallons with which one will get accustomed to achieving 558 miles on a daily basis.  

Other rivals like the Honda Accord are also on the same level as that Altima with parallel mileage. But the range reduces to 516 miles with a comparatively smaller fuel tank. The Hyundai Sonata and Toyota Camry are also decent in their fuel economy. In the end, if it has to be just one among them, it has to be the Altima for its sheer practicality and that too with almost the same engine capacity.

The interior is a mix of everything. The Base is disappointing in comfort while the SL is equivalently pleasing. So, this section is mostly trim-specific. Though all of them have the standard bucket seat which has nice cushioning power-assisted adjustment and heating has been kept to the SL trim only. The same story goes for the steering as well. But SV starts to get the leather upholstery on the steering wheel and gear shifter. Moreover, the headliner and seats have that common cloth trimming on them. Thus, it is somewhere in the middle in its interior appeal. 

The trunk space of 15.4 cu-ft is comparable to others but it is the front row seating where the Altima really shines out. It has a nice room for any adult to sit in and seat in comfortably. This tends to get a bit opposite for the rear as it is believed to be a little cramped in its legroom. All in all, all of them have quite the same story, so we can gauge the Altima as manageable yet not satisfactory. There could be some changes inside the cabin including scrapping irrelevant holders and panels to create some extra cubic feet but that is completely on the manufacturer. Some of the features:

• Power-heated seats
• Power-assist adjustment
• Dual Zone Front Automatic Air Conditioning
• Leather Upholstery

How intuitive is the 2014 Nissan Altima’s infotainment unit?

There are three different forms of the audio unit inside the 2014 Nissan Altima, each having either 4, 6, or 9 speakers. The 5" Color Audio Display along with the Radio Data System have that much ability to bring in the interactivity with the occupants. After that, the others which knock you up are the SiriusXM and AM/FM/CD/MP3 player. It has been armed with the NissanConnect Smartphone Apps but that is particularly trim-specific and the Base misses that experience. Therefore, one can only be satisfied with it, if the trim is the higher one. Some of the features are:

• SiriusXM
• AM/FM/CD/MP3 player
• NissanConnect Smartphone Apps
• Bluetooth Wireless Phone Connectivity

The 2014 Nissan Altima is an average-looking urban model which cannot be summoned to add any further to your status quo. The proportion is not adequate throughout the silhouette. Even the rear looks bulged out. On the front, it has those black-chrome grilles which might go well with dark accents. The roofline is pretty sloppy to lower the overall height yet does not compromise the headroom inside the cabin which is a plus point. Moreover, the 18” X 7.5” Aluminum Alloy Wheels in the SL trim and 16" x 7.0" Steel Alloy Wheels are nothing more than ordinary extensions.

It is evident that they have standard figures as per their segment needs. Overall, the general dynamics one gets is a lower center of gravity and minimal body roll but can’t avoid the body leaning due to the length factor. Even, the ground clearance of each of them is sufficient keeping in mind the payload capacity of this segment. One extra benefits one has with the Altima is its low weight which improves its nose-diving phenomenon. Some of the features of this section are:

• Auto On/Off Projector Beam Halogen Headlamps
• P235/45VR18 AS Tires
• 16" x 7.0" Steel Alloy Wheels
• Body-Colored Power Side Mirrors
• Body-Colored Bumpers

The 2014 Nissan Altima is a character in its safety prowess as it champions the NHTSA crash test with an overall 5-star rating. The triumph goes on to add IIHS “Top Safety Pick” award with a “Good” rating in almost all sectors. The active features are standard ones only but the structural soundness would suffice the remaining portion of this necessity. 

Electronic Stability Control is in conjunction with the Traction Control, and 4-Wheel ABS, hence there is literally a low-level hesitance when seating inside the Altima. In the midst of all these, one should not forget that it lacks the front crash prevention unit. Yet it can be rated a decent one to own. Some of the features are:

• Electronic Stability Control
• Traction Control
• Side Impact Beams
• Tire Specific Low Tire Pressure Warning

The Nissan Altima is definitely one of the most practical and easy-going sedans available in the market. It gives tough competition to all the rivals without giving them a period of relaxation. But even if one is inclined to go for it, the Base model should be outrightly ignored. Not just the Base, one can even skip the S trim as well and choose between the remaining two.