First Drive: 2016 Nissan Altima

Like jumbo shrimp, exact estimates and known unknowns, the latest Nissan Altima is a contradiction in terms: For 2016, it’s undergone a major minor model change. As the mid-size sedan wars wage into their umpteenth year, it is no longer sufficient to whip out some new taillight lenses for a mid-generational refresh and call it a day. Like the Toyota Camry before it, the Altima has gained significant design changes, new technologies and even a trim level.

What is it?

The Altima has been Nissan’s go-to guy since 2002, when the athletic and powerful third generation came out of nowhere to challenge years of Accord-Camry rule. Until then, Toyota and Honda had defined and straddled the mid-size sedan segment with models built for four- and six-cylinder engine options. Nissan had a different strategy, with a dedicated four-cylinder model, the Stanza and the first two generations of Altima, while providing a dedicated V6 model in the Maxima.

The 2002 Altima took a page from the Toyota-Honda playbook, offering four- and six-cylinder engines, but infusing it with extra sportiness from the Maxima DNA. The Altima has been steadily climbing the sales charts since. Today, after five years of consecutive growth, it’s nipping at the heels of Accord in yearly sales, which topped 338,000 over the last 12 months (though the Camry still outsells both by a significant margin).

For 2016, Nissan aims to close that gap with its major minor model change. The more-than-a-facelift includes a new skin on all surfaces fore of the cowl and aft of the quarter panels. Typically, automakers leave what’s under the sheetmetal unperturbed during a MMC, but Nissan engineers added a host of improvements to give four-cylinder versions a stellar, class-leading, 27 city and 39 highway mpg rating.

Here’s just some of what engineers had to endure just to improve fuel economy by one mpg. Under the hood, the 2.5-liter has a higher compression ratio, new piston head coatings, and is fed by a new variable flow oil pump. New sheet metal, a reworked underbody cover, and active grille shutters reduce the drag coefficient from 0.29 to 0.26 Cd, a figure that Nissan engineers are proud to tell you are identical to a GT-R’s.

With 2016 also comes a new SR trim level, a sports appearance package available with both 2.5-liter inline-four and 3.5-liter V6 engines. With no additional power from either mill, it’s also somewhat of a contradiction in terms. Things we like about the SR are its specially tuned suspension, 18-inch wheels, and pricing that makes it the most affordable V6 and slots between a 2.5 S and 2.5 SV for the four. Things we should feel indifferent about but childishly dig include the fog lamps, dark chrome headlights, and leather wrapped steering wheel.

Things that we absolutely don’t like are the rear lip spoiler that helps bring drag back up to 0.28 Cd and its “manual” mode paddle shifters. They’re useless in a sporty offering, but they do sound like things it should have. In other words, in this age of projected imagery being more important than the actual, it’ll sell like hotcakes.

Inside and out

The Altima’s new clothes puts the “Energetic Flow” corporate face on the best selling car in Nissan’s portfolio. The design language was introduced on the Murano, then on the Maxima, and starts with the V-motion grille. Its chrome arms flow into ridges on the hood for a muscular look, flanked by “boomerang” headlights with C-shaped DRLs. New four-piece taillights bring up the rear, though designers had to keep their overall shapes largely unaltered due to constraints from the quarter panels.

The hood, trunk, fenders, and fascias front and rear were all re-sculpted in this effort toward brand consistency. We applaud the effort to define a unifying Nissan identity, rather than the product line mish-mash that shows up on some of its competitors. The result is a fresh look that instantly makes the outgoing car appear outdated. While the big bro Maxima takes Energetic Flow to a new extreme, we prefer the fact that it’s actually a bit toned down on the Altima.

Cabin-wise, the interior design remains largely unchanged. However, the dashboard is now disconnected from the center console, resulting in a marginally more spacious feel. We tested a 2.5 SR, and while we enjoyed thoughtful touches like the blue stitching that complemented its beautiful Deep Blue Pearl paint, overall the touchable surfaces felt slightly more budget than those of a Camry SE.

The biggest improvement over the car it replaces, however, was the sound, or lack of it. A new acoustic windshield, denser behind-the-dash insulation, engine mount dampers and a larger center muffler combine to quiet the cabin to tomb-like levels. At one point we were surprised to look down at the speedometer and find we were cruising at (let’s just say brisk) California freeway speeds when we thought we were going at least 20 mph slower.

The 2016 Altima also adds a suite of whiz-bang tech features that are proliferating across the segment like dandelions. The new NissanConnect app is part of a technology package that is optional on S trims and up (excluding SR). With it, you can start your car or activate the locks remotely, set speed and boundary notifications to keep an eye on your teen or your valet, or activate a trip planner that sends destinations to the car’s GPS.

On 2.5 SV and up models (excluding SR), radar-based blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic detection is available. On 2.5 SL and up models (again, excluding the SR), Nissan offers radar tricks like speed-matching cruise control, forward emergency braking and a forward collision alert that monitors two cars ahead.

Most of these driving aids are probably more necessary for the spec sheet than actual driving. Cross-shoppers would definitely notice their absence so Nissan needs them to keep up with the competition, but we’d probably opt for the 3.5 SR that has none of these bells and whistles.

Does it go?

On paper, the tweaked 182-horsepower 2.5-liter four is par for the course in the mid-size market. In practice, however, the throttle feels less responsive than a Camry SE’s due to the Altima’s continuously variable transmission. With 2016 comes a new algorithm for the CVT. Rather than hanging out at high rpms during a full-on mashed-pedal highway merge, it now steps down to mimic the shift of traditional automatic.

However, the “shift” lacks the hard transition that is expected, and instead it’s as if the entire action is happening in super slow-mo. Nissan says the change was made because customers didn’t like the high-rpm drone (and to be honest, we journalists complained ad nauseam about it as well). This solution is no better though and in fact slows the 0-60 time, though probably a negligible amount, because the engine isn’t operating in its powerband sweet spot. We never thought we’d say this, but change it back, please.

Aside from this quibble, the Altima does indeed go. The SR’s stiffer sway bars, a newly tuned suspension across the line, and higher grip tires hold the road with poise that would’ve made a sports car jealous a generation ago. A beefier rear sway bar in the SR helps the body stay as flat as Kansas during quick cornering. In particular, newly-spec’ed rear bushings. shocks and springs prevent the rear from feeling like its floating around like many front-drivers do. This also helps the nose feel deceptively less heavy, and paired with a new steering controller, overall handling confidence dramatically over the 2015 model.

Nissan says the brakes and grippier tires contribute to a stopping distance reduced by 10 percent. Our preview drive through Malibu didn’t have the opportunity to test that out, but what we can tell you is that it handled the twisty roads of the Santa Monica Mountains with nothing but the utmost composure.

Leftlane‘s bottom line

The Altima gets a host of changes for 2016, all of them good save for the CVT shifting algorithm. It is perfectly capable for any task you could throw at a mid-size sedan, and the styling is fresh. There is one last contradiction in terms here, and it’s a good one. Automakers equate V6 mid-sizers to being fully loaded. With the Altima 3.5 SR, you can finally buy an energetic V6 sedan that doesn’t force you to check off every box on the options list.

Photos by Ben Hsu.