2023 Nissan Altima Review Highlights:

• 2023 Nissan Altima ($25,290 – $34,990)
• Top Safety Pick + — IIHS
• Pros: The 2023 Nissan Altima offers turbocharged power, the option for AWD, and plenty of standard safety features.
• Cons: The turbocharged Altima is not offered with AWD, and the infotainment system is a little ho-hum.

The Nissan Altima is a stalwart in the midsize sedan segment, and for 2023, it sees a few upgrades that allow it to be competitive. In addition to these minor updates, the Altima brings a lot of value to the table. However, there are a few areas where it’s lacking.

We drove the 2023 Altima around for a week and felt its styling, unorthodox turbocharged engine, and spacious interior make it a unique choice in the segment.

What’s new for 2023?

Nissan updated the Altima’s front end with new LED headlights, a revised front fascia, and a new logo. There are a couple of new paint options, in addition to renamed trim level – from Platinum to SL. A new 12.3-inch infotainment screen joins the list of available features, while a few safety features are now standard equipment.

Which 2023 Nissan Altima trim level is best for you?

Shopping for a 2023 Nissan Altima is pretty straightforward, as there are five trim levels to choose from:

• S — $25,290
• SV — $26,090
• SR — $27,490
• SL — $31,990
• SR VC-Turbo — $34,990

An all-wheel drive system can be added to each trim level – except the SR VC-Turbo – for an extra $1,400. Our test car for the week was an Altima SR VC-Turbo in Deep Blue Pearl. The price, as tested, was $36,440, which included the $1,095 destination charge and an extra cost of #65 for floor mats, a trunk mat, and cargo nets.

How does the Nissan Altima drive?

One of the main features that sets the 2023 Nissan Altima apart from the rest of its class is the available variable compression, turbocharged engine. The variable compression part of the engine technology means that the engine has the efficiency of a four-cylinder at the lower RPM range and the power of a V6 when you bury the throttle pedal. In our real-world testing, the engine came alive in the middle of the powerband as a surge of turbo-induced power pushed us back in the seat.

We found the CVT to be a minor hindrance, however. The single-geared nature of the CVT makes the car feel lazy upon initial acceleration, which makes the car feel slow from a dead stop. Once it gets, though, the Altima feels pretty robust. Performance aspects aside, the Nissan Altima provides a comfortable and quiet drive – even at freeway speeds.

Around town, the Altima feels composed. Its steering effort is light and somewhat numb, but it’s easy to park and maneuver in tight spaces. Of course, the 360-degree camera helps. Also, the visibility out of the front and sides of the car is excellent, but rearward visibility is lacking due to the car’s slightly raised rear end.

Is the Altima comfortable?

When it comes to interior comfort, the Nissan Altima delivers. There’s plenty of leg and headroom in both rows, and the NASA-inspired “Zero Gravity” seats are supportive in all ways except one. We wish the front seat bottoms were a little longer to provide more thigh support. The rear seat area is comfortable as well, even the middle seat — although there’s a hump in the middle, which hinders the legroom back there.

Additionally, the controls on the center console are easy to reach, and we didn’t notice any weird glares on the infotainment screen or the instrument panel in front of the driver.

How’s the tech in the Altima?

The 2023 Nissan Altima provides plenty of tech features. The base trim level is equipped with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a USB-A port, and Apple Carplay/Android Auto smartphone integration. Stepping up to the SV trim level adds an 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, a larger 8-inch infotainment screen, and a Type-C USB port.

The SV Premium package adds a moonroof, wireless Carplay, a 12.3-inch infotainment system, Wi-Fi, and navigation. The SR Premium package adds leather-wrapped heated seats. Lastly, the SR VC-Turbo includes the most tech-savvy features like a 360-degree camera system, dual-zone auto-climate control, adaptive cruise control, and a 9-speaker Bose audio system.

What is the 2023 Nissan Altima powered by?

All base (S, SV, SR, and SL) Nissan Altima trim levels are powered by a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter engine that produces 188 hp and 182 lb-ft of torque in front-wheel-drive guise. Adding all-wheel drive drops those numbers to 182 and 178, respectively. Regarding fuel efficiency, the lower-trim Altimas can achieve up to an EPA-estimated 28 mpg in the city and 39 mpg on the highway. However, opting for an all-wheel drivetrain drops those numbers by 2 and 3 mpg, respectively.

The SR VC-Turbo trim is only available with the turbocharged 2.0-liter engine. This potent powertrain puts out 248 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque that solely goes through the front wheels. As for fuel economy, this trim level achieves an EPA-estimated 25 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway. After a week of testing, we were able to average 29 mpg, which is on par with the EPA’s combined mileage estimation.

Every Nissan Altima is equipped with a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

How safe is the Altima?

The 2023 Nissan Altima was given a five-star safety rating by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It was also awarded a Top Safety Pick + award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). But if those ratings are enough to impress buyers, they can at least rest assured that the Altima is stacked with safety features.

Those features include rear automatic braking, intelligent lane intervention, and the ProPilot Assist package, including adaptive cruise control and steering assist.

MotorBiscuit awards the 2023 Nissan Altima with an official rating of 7.8 out of 10

The editors at MotorBiscuit rate the 2023 Nissan Altima with an overall rating of 7.8 out of 10. Although the Nissan Altima has a revised front end and aesthetics that set it apart from the rest of the cars in the segment, it falls a little short. Rivals like the Hyundai Sonata, Honda Accord, and Toyota Camry bring more to the table regarding tech features and fuel efficiency. However, we’re confident buyers looking for a different kind of mid-size sedan could like what the 2023 Nissan Altima offers.