Front angle view of white 2022 Toyota Camry, showing that cheap used cars costing under $20K are rare

Battle of Equals: the Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima Are so Similar on Paper It’s Hard to Choose

The Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry are super similar. But does one have a slight edge over the other?

by Dan Mayfield

Published on May 31, 2023 11:49 pm

3 min read

Two of the most competitive cars on the market today have to be the Nissan Altima and the Toyota Camry. If you’ve looked at family sedans at all, you’ve probably started to cross-shop these two as they’re close on price, close on features, and close on size, and really either could be the best in the class. But does one make a better family sedan than another?

The 2023 Toyota Camry has more power

The Altima has a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 188 horsepower, and 180 lb-ft of torque. It’s a good engine and the car’s CVT, or continuously variable transmission makes for smooth acceleration, if not rapid acceleration. The big news for the Altima is the availability of a 248-horsepower V-6 that helps this car scoot.

The Toyota Camry, however, has a similar 2.5-liter four-cylinder that makes 15 more horses, for a total of 203 and 184 lb-ft of torque. But the Camry gets a quick-shifting eight-speed automatic that makes it feel faster as it engages real gears. The Camry’s upgraded V-6 engine makes a beefy 301 horsepower, however, and it makes this car feel more like a sport sedan.

These two get very similar gas mileage. The base 203 Nissan Altima base gets 27 mpg city and 39 mpg highway, however, the 2023 Toyota Camry gets 27 mpg city and 38 mpg highway.

How reliable is the 2023 Nissan Altima?

2023 Toyota Camry midsize sedan drving on a racetrack — 2023 Toyota Camry | Toyota

Toyotas are renowned for their reliability. The 2023 Toyota Camry gets a “great” rating of 84 of 100 at J.D. Power. But that’s not to say the Altima isn’t reliable either. On the same scale, owners reported very few problems to J.D. Power and the Nissan Altima gets the same “great” rating of 84 of 10.

J.D. Power said the Altima should reliably last 250,000 to 300,000 miles. According to iSeeCars, the Camry, too, should last 200,000 to 300,000 miles. Make sure you like your car because it could take years to drive that many miles.

They both have state-of-the-art safety systems.

A white 2023 Nissan Altima, a good family car, sitting in front of a green lined wall on pavement. — 2023 Nissan Altima | Nissan Motor Corporation

They both have safety systems and all-wheel drive is an option on each. The Altima gets Nissan Safety Shield 360, as well as ProPilot assist, which means you get front, side and rear safety warnings, emergency braking, lane departure and blind-spot warnings, and more.

With Toyota’s Safety Sense 2.5+ in the Camry, you get a pre-collision system, road sign assist, and more like lane-keeping assist. Higher-level trims get differing versions of dynamic radar cruise control.

You can order either with all-wheel drive. The Altima’s Intelligent AWD adds $1,500. The Camry AWD adds $1,400 to the price.

The Camry and Altima compete well on so many little things, too

2023 Nissan Altima front interior space — 2023 Nissan Altima | Nissan

The Nissan Altima has 15.43 cubic feet of cargo space. The Toyota has 15.1 cubic feet of cargo space. That’s a negligible difference that you probably won’t notice. The base Camry comes with a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. So does the Altima.

Is a Camry more expensive than an Altima?

the interior of the Camry Nightshade Edition — Camry Nightshade Edition interior | Toyota

The base Altima S starts at $25,490. The upgraded SL trim starts at $32,190 and it adds several upgraded styling touches the base cars don’t have. The base LE Altima starts at just $170 less than the Altima, and it’s similarly equipped. The XSE trim with the V-6, however, moves into near Audi territory with a base price of $36,745.

On many levels these two cars are very similar. The big difference is the styling. The Camry was completely upgraded with new styling in 2018 while the Altima was refreshed in 2019. To many, the Altima’s styling didn’t change considerably from the previous generous that was launched in 2013, while the Camry’s styling looks fresh. Combined with its more powerful motor, and slightly cheaper pricing, the Camry may come out on top in this battle of equals.

Writer - Sedans & Coupes

Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.