For better or worse, the Nissan Altima is a fixture on American roads. Even if you aren’t a car person, you probably know about the Altima and the aura around it. No need to say more. However, it sure seems that the Altima won’t be here forever. Recent comments from high-ranking Nissan brass suggest it will be riding into the sunset, but despite recent reports, the Nissan Altima isn’t dead yet.
In an interview with Wards Auto, Nissan’s head of North American product Ponz Pandikuthira stated that “The entry-level Versa and premium Maxima sedan are gone, and the midsize Altima will soon depart, since the new, more ‘grown-up’ Sentra is intended to satisfy Nissan’s remaining sedan demand.” Naturally, this resulted in speculation over when Nissan would discontinue the Altima. The answer, it seems, isn’t now.
In fact, Nissan is gearing up the Altima for the 2027 model year, the ninth for the current-generation car. Details are scarce, but given how the two-liter turbocharged engine option has already bowed out, expect it to soldier on with a 188-horsepower 2.5-liter naturally aspirated inline-four. Still, if the Altima were to end production after the 2027 model year, it would be putting an end to a long and complex 34-year legacy.
When the Altima first launched, it wasn’t even officially just called “Altima”, instead going by “Stanza Altima” because “Stanza” was the name of its predecessor, and the Datsun-by-Nissan thing roughly a decade earlier smoothed out that transition nicely. With the soap-bar look of the ’90s and power from Nissan’s venerable KA24DE 2.4-liter inline-four, the original Altima was perfectly fine family transportation. The second-generation model was more of the same, but the Altima really made a splash for 2002.
If you want a flashpoint for the midsize sedan wars of the 2000s, the third-generation Altima was it. Larger in every dimension than its predecessor, its bold styling hinted at what might lie under the hood. The 2002 model year Altima received its first-ever V6 engine, and it was a big deal. We’re talking about the VQ35DE. At 3.5 liters of displacement, it tipped the scales a half-liter bigger than the overhead cam V6 engines in the Camry, Accord, and Taurus. What’s more, it made serious output: 240 horsepower and 246 lb.-ft. of torque. That might not sound like much now, but not only did the 2002 Camry V6 only make 192 horsepower, the 2002 Mustang GT was only 20 ponies ahead at 260 horsepower. With a standard manual gearbox, the V6 Altima was the rocketship of the family sedan class, an instant sensation that seemed to set Nissan up for success. Then some strange things happened.
Firstly, Nissan started targeting subprime customers who either couldn’t get financing from many other automakers’ captive finance arms or would face much higher rates. This had the effect of selling Altimas to buyers who couldn’t necessarily afford all of the upkeep of a car on top of new-car payments – maintenance, full insurance coverage, that sort of stuff. Secondly, the fourth-generation Altima swapped out a range of traditional automatics for continuously variable transmissions. This didn’t go particularly well, as earlier examples became known for poor longevity. That sort of Achilles’ heel can sour a car to the Consumer Reports set of customers who would typically gravitate towards Japanese midsize sedans.
As a result, the Altima gained a reputation for being a bit of a rogue missile on the roads, spinning across highways on bald tires that some owners can’t afford to replace and often being spotted with body damage that some owners can’t afford to fix. It’s seen high fleet volumes and depressed resale values that made used Altimas an appealing choice for buy-here-pay-here dealers who finance customers who wouldn’t normally qualify, and you’ve probably heard all the resulting Altima jokes by now.
This all means that when the Altima bows out, it won’t be exiting on the most glamorous of terms. However, this all raises a bigger question: What’s going to replace the Altima on American roads? The Rogue? The Kia K5? Possibly the Sentra that’s set to effectively replace it in showrooms? Only time will tell. For now, we’ll just have to wait for the Altima’s demise to finally arrive.
Top graphic image: Nissan
MORTICIAN: Bring out your dead!
NISSAN: Here’s one — nine pence.
ALTIMA: I’m not dead!
MORTICIAN: What?
NISSAN: Nothing — here’s your nine pence.
ALTIMA: I’m not dead!
MORTICIAN: Here — he says he’s not dead!
NISSAN: Yes, he is.
ALTIMA: I’m not!
MORTICIAN: He isn’t.
NISSAN: Well, he will be soon, he’s very ill.
ALTIMA: I’m getting better!
NISSAN: No, you’re not — you’ll be stone dead in a moment.
MORTICIAN: Oh, I can’t take him like that — it’s against regulations.
ALTIMA: I don’t want to go in the cart!
NISSAN: Oh, don’t be such a baby.
MORTICIAN: I can’t take him…
ALTIMA: I feel fine!
NISSAN: Oh, do us a favor…
My first car was a 1995 Altima I bought off my mom in 2004. Couple of enjoyable years driving it from my home in the GTA to work sites all across Northern Ontario. The third gen was when it went from an also ran to joining the big leagues. Then CVT issues pushed it back down. I’ll always have a soft spot for them.
Plus around here they don’t seem to be driven by maniacs, it all seems to be young guys driving elantras that are the wild ones.
The Rogue mentions, both in the piece and the comments, make me wonder: is there a different owner profile between the two?
You’d think perhaps not given their similar relative price points, but I rarely see Rogues driven in crazy the way Altimas tend to be. I even remember Mercedes being somewhat surprised by her appreciation of the Rogue.
The earlier-gen ones that still move under their own power are menaces in the Philly area
The Altima is dead. It died when they gave up on having a fun-to-drive version. After that, it was just a droning zombie fit only for rental fleets and sub-prime buyers.
no comment from Jatco Xtronic CVT yet 😛
The Altima is a good car but without the higher prices of an Accord or Camry “Toyota/Honda Tax” but can still survive tough driving conditions.
Subarus would never survive that shit.
Subarus be like “help I have mismatched tires so I shredded my differential”
Before the demise of the Chevy Malibu I summed up the choice between it and the Altima as “Do you want to look like a state employee on official business, or like you get surprise visits from one?”
If there’s an Altima and a Malibu parked in front of the same place, someone’s peeing in a cup while someone else watches.
COTD please
seconded!
I got stuck with one as a rental last week. A steaming pile of meh, but ultimately inoffensive. But I like it better than the horrificness that is the Rogue.
I don’t mind renting Altimas. The seats are all-day comfy, they get good gas mileage, and they’re easier to just get into and drive than the Hyundai/Kia sedans you’d otherwise get that are trying to be trendy with flashy tech (and obnoxious nannies and dead steering, also areas where the Altima’s bar is at least a little further off the floor).
Second-owner Camries in that 3-4 year old range are starting to accumulate that Big Altima Energy around here. The step below that would be a late-model Optima with peeling white paint and Monster Energy slashes. I’m sure the K5 will step up as well.
The Rogue is just the Talltima already, it’s the natural successor.
Altima Goonies never say, “die”
They just cut you off in traffic while going approximately 35 mph over the speed limit while nearly wrecking into multiple cars
What would be the European equivalent (in spirit) to an Altima? A C5 Aircross perhaps?
Wow. To think the Altima will live on only in legend… as stories told to scared campers around campfires during the summer.
A spooky counselor holds a flashlight to his face.
“The wife pleaded to her husband. She knew she had seen an Altima with a hook instead of a tire. She knew it was behind the phone calls. He looked at her with terror on his face. ‘The call… from the Altima with the hook… WAS FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE!”
Campers scream.
Who will survive and what will be left of them?
“The C’Altima”
Crashing into a theater near you this Halloween.
I like to think that “campers” refers to living, personified camper trailers.
In parking space, no one can hear you scream.
I will always be grateful to Stef Schrader for introducing the term “Failtima” to my lexicon.
At the Autopian meet at Lime Rock there was a brownish/beige thrid gen Altima at the tail end of the parade lap of cars…I think I made a joke to someone there that “it’s a good thing the Altima is last, no one would want to be behind it…”
But, but, how will Houstonians tell each other that they have terrible credit, no liability coverage, and no idea how to properly register a vehicle?
I’m sure it will be replaced by a 4-door CUV with a three-cyl. and a CVT
The could even call it the Talltima!
That’s COTD material right here.
The Rogue is the new Altima. Just needs to lose a cylinder and you are there.
you can get rogues with 3 cylinders in other markets
I believe Qashqais are only available with four cylinder engines.
The only way to get a Rogue without a 3-cyl is to get the PHEV. They’ve been 3-cyl only for a few years now.
The Altima shall ride eternal, shiny and chrome…with bumpers held on by duct tape, a headlight out, and temporary tags that expired 2 years ago as it terrorizes the roads of hell