Despite the surge in popularity surrounding crossovers, midsize sedans are still a relatively popular segment for a wide range of buyers. The Nissan Altima is one of the sedans still fighting for a slice of that market, and it received a thorough redesign for the 2019 model year. Apart from the styling changes, one of the most important additions to the Altima, especially for winter-prone states, is all-wheel drive.
It’s a feature that Nissan could tout over the Toyota Camry, since when this generation launched Toyota’s midsize sedan didn’t have all-wheel drive. Now, though, things have changed, and buyers can choose a Camry with power going to all four wheels as well. So, that puts this 2020 Nissan Altima back on level ground fighting against the most popular sedan in America — but is Nissan’s offering a worthy contender? Roman and Tommy find out in this buddy review.
2020 Nissan Altima: By the numbers
Since the redesign just hit for 2019, the 2020 Nissan Altima carries on with small but important changes. Nissan Safety Shield 360, the brand’s suite of safety features, now comes standard across the range. That includes frontal automatic emergency braking, through a front and rear automatic braking system is available on SR and above trims.
Another key element of the 2020 Nissan Altima is its 248 horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. It’s a substantial upgrade over the base 188 horsepower 2.5-liter unit, but it’s only available on the front-wheel drive models. If you want all-wheel drive, you will have to stick with the base engine, though you can get it with the more luxurious trims. Other changes for 2020 include more piano black interior trim on SV, SL and Platinum trims.
At just over $32,000, the 2020 Nissan Altima really isn’t badly priced for the equipment you get. Its fuel economy isn’t bad either, if you can accept a continuously variable transmission as your only option. We have a hard time seriously recommending most because of their performance drawbacks, but that said the new Altima does offer a comfortable and smooth driving experience in most conditions.
Check out the video above for more in this buddy review, and stay tuned for more news, views and real-world all-wheel drive car reviews.
