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Nissan Altima vs Toyota Camry



  • thegraduatethegraduate Posts: 9,731
    More recent cars don't raise a ruckus like your old Infiniti does; our Odyssey that asked for premium ran with no noticeable difference in economy, or power (although technically it lost 5 horses according to the manual).
  • wwestwwest Posts: 10,706
    That's exactly why most new cars have 6(9-10)(***) speed automatic transmissions, some now even with 8(12), increases the range of speeds and roadway conditions wherein a more optimal gear ratio can be used to avoid knock/ping due to lugging.

    With one of these new 8(12) speed transmissions the FE difference between preminum and regular may not even be measureable.

    *** Six "real" gear ratios plus 3 or 4 more using the lockup clutch to take the torque converter's "gear" reduction, and POOR efficiency, out of the loop.

    Not to address the issue of CVT's having an infinite number of gear ratios.

    But now everyone seems to be complaining about how often the transmissions "shift" gears.

    Gas is above $4.00 and headed north, rapidly, live with it.
  • wwestwwest Posts: 10,706
    Those 5 horses are lost only when compared with PEAK engine performance. At the lower RPM/throttle openings required for typical roadway cruising speeds the HP/torque difference may very well be negligible.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Posts: 9,731
    Pretty much what I said; no noticeable difference. ;)
  • gregd1gregd1 Posts: 38
    Has anyone done research on the Nissan Altima hybrid vs Toyota Camry hybrid ?
    In the states that have Altima hybrids they seem to have lots.
    Camry hybrids seem to be rare everywhere.

    Any ideas if you can get an Altima hybrid shipped to a non "allowed" state?
  • nhmtnbkrnhmtnbkr Posts: 2
    Hi all - last year I bought the Altima SE 3.5 after test driving practically every V6 midsize on the market and found that the Altima was vastly superior. Better fit and finish, handling, braking, acceleration, the whole nine yards. When I drove the Camry I found the handling very vague, the braking dangerously poor and the acceleration very inconsistent, something very suprising after driving Camry's in past test drives. Read a lot of posts that the Camry had major issues with the transmission not shifting, esp. in hard pushes. I also found the seats very short for a tall person like me at 6ft 3in.

    By comparison I found the Altima to be quiter, with better braking and neck snapping acceleration if you're so inclined. I have nearly 16K miles without any problems other than an occasional glitch with the power seat not tracking 100% perfectly. My biggest beef with the car is the crappy OEM Bridgestone Turanza's, I'd love to see nissan put Goodyear Tripletred's on instead.

    I highly recommend using at least midgrade gas, as I noticed a drop in mileage by about 4mpg when I tried regular and some noticeable HP drop too, despite having added a K&N air filter in.
  • i drive a infiniti G35 which i believe is built on the nissan altima platform. Its really nice, good handling, but the worst thing about it, its very load, alot of road noise and infiniti is supposed to be a little better quality, its still loud. I sold toyotas for a long time, my favorite is the 4 cylinder camry xle. its very quiet, good handling and excellent resale value, with nissan on the other hand, they are merging with dodge, so resale values of nissan will probably go down with years to come.

  • madpistolmadpistol Posts: 126
    Hmmmm.... You're comparing a 4 cyl Camry XLE to an Infiniti G35?!?!? Can you get any more different in terms of what cars are built for?

    Camry: Calm, comfortable cruiser that has rock solid reliability and usability. It's usually considered a car that's "easy on the eyes" and the wallet, but it doesn't generate excitement when you drive it. It's affordable and easy to maintain. It's a great "grandma" car.

    G35: Quick and exciting sport sedan. The G35 was built to handle curves with poise that is usually only beaten by BMW's 335i. The G35 also has a 306HP V6 with a 7500 RPM redline. The car is very fast, no matter what the conditions are. However, it was NOT engineered to be quiet and comfortable like the Camry. Adding extra sound deadening adds a lot of extra weight to the car. This would take away from the driving experience drastically. You can't get the thrills OR technology offered on the G35 on a Camry.

    There's a reason the G35 costs more than a Camry. It's an apples to oranges comparison.

    Also, Nissan is NOT merging with Dodge. They're partnering together to engineer new vehicles much the same way Toyota and Pontiac partnered to create the Toyota Matrix and the Pontiac Vibe.

    Furthermore, when I was testing new vehicles, I tested both the Camry and the Altima... I bought the Altima. The Camry is a good car, but lets face it. The Camry is about as interesting as a log in the middle of a road; it's there and there's no way to avoid it. Go drive a Camry and an Altima on curvy roads and you'll quickly see why the I bought the Altima. The Altima is far and away the more competent handling sedan. Not to mention Nissan's 2.5L/CVT engine easily outpaces Toyota's 2.4L/5-speed automatic. There's no comparison.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Posts: 9,731

    The revised 2010 Camry (due in early 2009) will feature the 2.5L I4 engine that is currently in the 2009 RAV4. It produces 179hp in that application.

    Just thought I'd pass that on. :)

  • That is totally awesome news. :) I hope the 2010 camry is even better :)

    Once, I pay off my 2008 Rav4 I'd eventually like to get an Altima.
  • madpistolmadpistol Posts: 126

    That's only in the SE model. The I4 LE will only produce 169hp.

    However, I'm interested in what Toyota will bring to the table with the introduction of this new engine. I may have to test drive one of these when they hit the sales floor in a couple of months. :)

    However, the big IF on this car is will the SE model inherit good steering feel like a proper sport sedan? If it doesn't, It's still a lost cause. Throwing more power at a car with numb steering only leads to one thing.... a powerful car with numb steering. :P

    If that's the case, I'll keep my Altima.
  • wwestwwest Posts: 10,706
    "..a powerful car with numb stearing..."

    With a powerful FWD you have only two choices, "numb" stearing or torque stearing that will yank the stearing wheel from your grasp.
  • madpistolmadpistol Posts: 126

    Or, you can buy an Altima/Maxima which can be equipped with either a 270HP or 290HP V6, and feel no torque steer at all. However, the steering wheel is still fully responsive and gives you plenty of road feel as well. That's another option. ;)
  • wwestwwest Posts: 10,706
    "...and feel no torque stear at all.."

    Many modern day FWD cars with high HP/torque engines are overcoming/alleviating torque stear by automatically derating the engine via DBW in low gear ratios or in an accelerating tight turn.

  • smarty666smarty666 Posts: 1,503
    I do agree both Lexus, Toyota, and Nissan use OEM Bridgestone Turanza's on their vehicles and they are indeed the crappiest tire on the market. I can vouch for that because my 2008 TL came with OEM Bridgestone Turanza's EL400 and they were the worst tire I have every had. Those tires were really loud, gave a bumpy and lousy ride quality to the vehicle and worst of all, anything above 50 mph gave terrible shimmy/vibrations through the steering wheel and seats of the car. Had a front wheel alignment done and still had the vibrations. Also, these tires gave virtually no traction or grip in wet weather. I wouldn't want to even imagine what they are like in snowy weather. Contacted bridgestone and was able to make a deal and have the top of the line Bridgestone serenity's put on the car. Only got Bridgestones because that was the only way we could get a deal because the OEM's where practically brand new with only about 2000k miles on them. THAT MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE!! The vibrations stopped at higth speeds and they are a lot quieter than the OEM Turanza's. The serenity's are nice but they are a really expensive tire (for a Acura TL they are about $245 a tire). Would never have Bridgestones on a sedan ever again. Better off with Michelin, Goodyear, or Yokies!!

    Nissan has finally gotten their act together and are starting to put Michelin Primacy's on all versions of the altima except the SE which has the crappy OEM Turanza's EL400 still. While the Primacy's aren't the best tire they are ten times better than the OEM Bridgestone Turanza's. If you get a camry or a lexus opt for the OEM Michelin Energy's if you can rather than the OEM Bridgestone Turanza's. The Michelin Energy's isn't a great tire either but it is the better of two evils. Avoid OEM Bridgestone Turanza's EL400 at all cost!!!!!!
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