In the affordable sedan segment, the Nissan Altima is a good option. For this year, Nissan carries forward everything from the previous year. There are two engines that will determine your trim: a 2.5 liter inline-4 and a 3.5 liter V6. The front-wheel-drive is the only available drivetrain.

The interior of the sedan is quite basic, and by that, we do mean you get the basics. Here is where the affordable part of the sedan comes in, but it is fairly spacious and comfortable. Nissan priced the affordable sedan at an MSRP of 20,550, which brings it into direct competition with the Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, and the Ford Fusion.

We recommend buying the 2.5 S trim which comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, killers ignition, a sick speaker sound system, and many more available packages that help in customizing the sedan. We do not recommend getting the 2.5 because it is very basic and actually lacks features.

2013 Nissan Altima SL

SL 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl CVT)

Earlier Price: $7,995 (12 Nov 2024)

2013 Nissan Altima S

S 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl CVT)

Earlier Price: $4,995 (16 Oct 2024)

Jerry Morese Auto Sales

2013 Nissan Altima SL

SL 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl CVT)

Earlier Price: $3,900 (22 Aug 2024)

2013 Nissan Altima SL

SL 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl CVT)

2013 Nissan Altima SV

SV 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl CVT)

Earlier Price: $7,948 (8 Nov 2024)

2012 Nissan Altima SR

SR 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl CVT)

2012 Nissan Altima User Reviews

Overall Rating: 3.5 (2 Reviews)

Kaylee Dodd

2012 Nissan Altima

••3.5

Posted On: May 17, 2024

2012 Nissan Altima A Reliable and Efficient Sedan That Exceeds Expectations

Pros
1. Stylish Design: The 2012 Nissan Altima boasts a sleek and modern exterior that turns heads wherever it goes. Its bold lines and confident stance give it a sporty and sophisticated look, making it aRead more

Cons
1. Limited Cargo Space: One drawback of the 2012 Nissan Altima is its limited cargo space. While the seating area is comfortable and spacious, the trunk space is not as generous as some of its competiRead more

The 2012 Nissan Altima is a reliable and efficient car that has exceeded my expectations in many aspects. In terms of performance, the Altima delivers a smooth and comfortable ride. The 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine provides sufficient power for daily commuting and highway driving. The car handles well and offers a responsive steering system, making it easy to maneuver in tight spaces. One of th... Read more

Lisa Nephew

2012 Nissan Altima

••3.5

Posted On: February 5, 2024

Great family car

Pros
Gas mileage, Very stylish

Cons
Audio system, Cvt transmission

Overall this car is a great car, it is very fuel efficient, drives great on the highway and in the city. This car is very stylish. I have 20 inch racing wheels and it still handles great. Maintenance cost is low. I can just always jump in it and it always starts right up, even when i needed to change 2 coils it would still start right up. I have owned quite a few vehicles and this one is definite... Read more

2012 Nissan Altima Review

Pros

Many available features
Good performance

Cons

Lack of features in base trim
Available features all available as packages (can get expensive)

Overview

Pricing and Features
9.0/10

The 2012 Nissan Altima comes in three trims, the 2.5, 2.5 S and 3.5 S are. The 2.5 trims feature a 2.5 L four-cylinder and the 3.5 trim feature a 3.5 L V6 engine. Both engines are paired to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and come with a front-wheel-drive as standard. The options are available in the form of packages that can be added on when you buy the car.

Trim	2.5	2.5 S	3.5 SR
MSRP	20,550
Key Features	Air-conditioning	Adds to 2.5 trim	V6 engine
	Trip computer	17” alloy wheels	17” alloy wheels
	16” Steel wheels	Keyless ignition	Heated side mirrors
	Keyless entry	6-speaker sound system	2.5 S convenience package
	Cruise control	CD player	Available 3.5 SR sport package
	Pre-wired for 4 speakers	Aux jack	Available technology package
	Available value package	Available value package
	Available special edition package	Available special edition package
		Available SL package

We recommend

Engine and Performance
8.3/10

The Nissan Altima is powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder (inline-4), which makes 175 hp and 180 foot-pounds of torque. The 3.5 trim is powered by a 3.5 liter V6 which makes 270 hp and 258 foot-pounds of torque. Both engines are paired to a CVT (continuously variable transmission), which directs all the power to the front wheels.

In the performance tests, the Nissan Altima 2.5 trims does the 0 to 60 sprint in 7.5 seconds and the standing quarter-mile in 15.8 seconds, and will achieve a top speed of 115 mph. The Nissan Altima 3.5 does the 0 to 60 sprint in seven seconds and will achieve a top speed of 147 mph.

Model	Nissan Altima	Hyundai Sonata	Kia Optima	Ford Fusion
MSRP	$20,550	$23,195	$21,000	$20,705
Engine	2.5/Double Overhead Cam (DOHC)/16/Inline 4	2.4/Double Overhead Cam (DOHC)/16/Inline 4	2.4/Double Overhead Cam (DOHC)/16/Inline 4	2.5/Double Overhead Cam (DOHC)/16/Inline 4
Drivetrain	front-wheel-drive	front-wheel-drive	front-wheel-drive	front-wheel-drive
Transmission	Continuously variable-speed Automatic	6-speed shiftable automatic	6-speed shiftable automatic	6-speed Manual
Power	175 hp @ 5600 rpm	200 hp @ 6300 rpm	200 hp @ 6300 rpm	175 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque	180 lb.-ft. @ 3900 rpm	186 lb.-ft. @ 4250 rpm	186 lb.-ft. @ 4250 rpm	172 lb.-ft. @ 4500 rpm
0-60mph (sec)	7.5	8.1	7.9	8
Quarter-mile (sec)	15.8	N/A	16.1	16.1
Top Speed (mph)	115	131	120	125

The most powerful of the above cars is the Hyundai Sonata and the Kia Optima, both making 200 hp. Following this is the Nissan Altima and the Ford Fusion, both making 175 hp. In the 0 to 60 sprint and the standing quarter-mile, the record is set by the Nissan Altima with times of 7.5 seconds and 15.8 seconds, respectively.

Fuel Economy
7.0/10

The Nissan Altima gives 23 mpg in the city, 32 mpg on the highway, and a combined mpg of 27. Nissan equips the Altima with a 20-gallon fuel tank, allowing it to have a range of 460 miles in the city, 640 miles on the highway, and a combined range of 540 miles. The 3.5 SR trim with its 3.5 liter V6 gives us 20 mpg in the city, 27 mpg on the highway, and a combined mpg of 23. With the same capacity fuel tank included in this trim as well, the range is slightly lesser but still shows good numbers.

Model	Nissan Altima	Hyundai Sonata	Kia Optima	Ford Fusion
MPG (city)	23	24	24	22
MPG (Highway)	32	35	35	32
MPG (Combined)	27	28	28	25
Fuel Capacity (gallons)	20 gal.	18.5 gal.	18.5 gal.	17.5 gal.
Range (city/highway/combined)	460/640/540	444/648/518	444/648/518	385/560/437

The Nissan Altima has the most range of the above cars, giving a combined range of 540 miles. The Hyundai Sonata and the Kia Optima follow with 518 miles, and then comes the Ford Fusion with a combined range of 437 miles. When comparing the fuel economy, both Kia and Hyundai stand better than the other two rivals by providing a combined mileage of 28 mpg.

Interior
7.9/10

The interior of the Nissan Altima is simple, and the material used are of good quality. The front seats are manually adjustable with cloth upholstery in the 2.5 trim. The 2.5 S trim features the same but comes with much more options, which allows it to have more customizations and better features.

Leather upholstery is available with the 2.5 SL package; it also adds heated front seats and rear air conditioning vents. The Convenience package adds a power driver's seat while the Convenience Plus package adds dual-zone automatic climate control. The SR trim includes all of the above packages. The Nissan Altima comes with a 15.3 ft.³ of trunk space, which can be expanded by folding down the rear seats.

Model	Nissan Altima	Hyundai Sonata	Kia Optima	Ford Fusion
Seating Capacity	5	5	5	5
Front Row (Head/Shoulder/Legroom)	40.6/55.7/44.1	40.0/57.9/45.5	40/57.3/45.5	38.7/57.4/42.3
Rear Row (Head/Shoulder/Legroom)	36.8/55.5/35.8	37.8/56.7/34.6	37.6/55.7/34.7	37.8/56.5/37.1
Cargo Capacity	15.3 cu.ft.	16.4 cu.ft.	15.4 cu.ft.	16.5 cu.ft.

Of the above sedans, the front legroom is similar, except for the Ford Fusion, which offers slightly less. However, in terms of real legroom, the Ford Fusion offers the most legroom, with the Nissan Altima offering more than the Hyundai and Kia. When comparing the cargo capacity, Ford Fusion offers the most of 16.5 cubic feet. Major interior features include-

Manually adjustable seats
Cloth upholstery
Available heated front seats
Available rear air conditioning vents
Available dual-zone climate control

How intuitive is the Infotainment unit?

The base trim does not come with any infotainment system or even a stereo or radio, a pre-wiring for a 4 speaker sound system is installed. The 2.5 S trim gets a 6-speaker sound system with a 6-speaker sound system. There is a premium audio package on 2.5 and 3.5 which adds a 9-speaker Bose stereo with satellite radio and iPod interface.

The 2.5 S and 3.5 SR get an optional Technology package, which includes a hard-drive for the navigation system, navigation with real-time traffic and weather updates, and Bluetooth streaming audio. Few key features include-

Pre-wiring for a 4-speaker sound system (base)
CD player
6-speaker sound system
Available 9-speaker sound system
Available navigation with real-time traffic
Available Weather updates
Available Bluetooth streaming audio capability

Exterior
8.0/10

The exterior of the Nissan Altima is simple. There are not many fancy features on the exterior. The base trim on the features aspect is actually base, its main feature is 16” steel wheels. The 2.5 S trim adds 17” wheels, and you can opt for automatic headlights, fog lamps, and a rear spoiler.

The 3.5 SR trim comes with heated mirrors and the optional extras on the 2.5 S trim. On this trim, the options include xenon headlights and a sunroof.

Model	Nissan Altima	Hyundai Sonata	Kia Optima	Ford Fusion
Curb weight (lbs)	3180 lbs.	3316 lbs.	3223 lbs.	3285 lbs.
Length (in.)	191 in.	190 in.	191 in.	191 in.
width (in.)	71 in.	72 in.	72 in.	72 in.
height (in.)	58 in.	58 in.	57 in.	57 in.
Ground Clearance (in)	5	6	5	6
Wheelbase (in.)	109 in.	110 in.	110 in.	107.4 in.

In terms of dimensions, all the above cars are similar to one another and the only difference would be a couple of inches here and there but that's about it. The big difference is between the curb weight where the Nissan Altima is the lightest on the Hyundai Sonata is the heaviest. Major exterior highlights of the sedan are-

16-inch steel wheels
17-inch alloy wheels (2.5 S)
Heated mirrors (SR)
Available automatic headlights
Available fog lamps
Available rear spoiler

Safety
8.8/10

The federal safety testing agency NHTSA has given the Nissan Altima an overall four-star safety rating out of a possible five stars. The IIHS has given the Nissan Altima decent scores with Good and Acceptable scores in the tests but has failed to get a top safety pick award. That being said, the Altima comes with a number of safety features. Some of them are:

Anti-locking brake system
Electronic brake force distribution
Brake assist
Side impact brands
Front and rear crumple zones
Multiple airbag system
Traction control

Final Verdict

The 2012 Nissan Altima is a good car with a good engine and good range. The interior is simple and the options are available but at the higher trim, this is even for the technology in the form of safety and infotainment. We recommend buying the 2.5 S trim if you consider buying the car, we definitely say to keep this an option.

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About 2012 Nissan Altima

2013 Nissan Altima SL

2013 Nissan Altima S

2013 Nissan Altima SL

2013 Nissan Altima SL

2013 Nissan Altima SV

2012 Nissan Altima SR

2012 Nissan Altima User Reviews

2012 Nissan Altima A Reliable and Efficient Sedan That Exceeds Expectations

Pros1. Stylish Design: The 2012 Nissan Altima boasts a sleek and modern exterior that turns heads wherever it goes. Its bold lines and confident stance give it a sporty and sophisticated look, making it aRead more

Cons 1. Limited Cargo Space: One drawback of the 2012 Nissan Altima is its limited cargo space. While the seating area is comfortable and spacious, the trunk space is not as generous as some of its competiRead more

Great family car

ProsGas mileage, Very stylish

Cons Audio system, Cvt transmission

2012 Nissan Altima Review

Pros

Cons

Overview

Pricing and Features9.0/10

Engine and Performance8.3/10

Fuel Economy7.0/10

Interior7.9/10

How intuitive is the Infotainment unit?

Exterior8.0/10

Safety8.8/10

Final Verdict

Saved Cars

Pros
1. Stylish Design: The 2012 Nissan Altima boasts a sleek and modern exterior that turns heads wherever it goes. Its bold lines and confident stance give it a sporty and sophisticated look, making it aRead more

Cons
1. Limited Cargo Space: One drawback of the 2012 Nissan Altima is its limited cargo space. While the seating area is comfortable and spacious, the trunk space is not as generous as some of its competiRead more

Pros
Gas mileage, Very stylish

Cons
Audio system, Cvt transmission

Pricing and Features
9.0/10

Engine and Performance
8.3/10

Fuel Economy
7.0/10

Interior
7.9/10

Exterior
8.0/10

Safety
8.8/10