Although crossover type vehicles continue to increase in popularity in every market around the world, including in America, there is still healthy demand for traditional saloon cars. So whilst sales are not quite as buoyant as they were, with what is variously categorised as a full-sized car (by the rental car companies), or a mid-size (by everyone else), a traditional family saloon that will seat five people and take their luggage wherever they want to go something that most of the major manufacturers still include in their ranges. In the US market, the sector has long been dominated by the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, and generally for good reason, but there have been lots of other alternatives from the other volume brands that have been taking aim at the dominant duo and achieving a near miss with every successive new model. In some cases, such as with Ford’s Fusion and the Mazda 6, you could argue that their makers actually produced a better product but such as the market dynamics that neither managed to dislodge the Honda and Toyota from their sales dominance. Nissan have been trying hard for years, too, and their offering is called the Altima. It’s not a car that is known in Europe at all, as this is a US made car that is really aimed at the US market. Indeed whilst the first car to use the Altima name was based on the export version of the Bluebird (no, not the car that Europeans think of as the Bluebird, the one that preceded the Primera, as that was really an Auster in Japan) the first four generations, dating back to 1992 were only offered in North and South America, with styling from Nissan’s US design studios. Adding to the complexity that has long the hall mark of the Nissan family of products globally, the fifth generation car, whilst US developed and manufactured, was rebadged for Japan and Australasia as the Teana, a nameplate which had previously been applied to a different car, derived from the old Nissan Laurel family. Confused? Yes, once you look at the Nissan range around the world, most people are. Assessing the merits of an individual car in context, though, is generally rather easier. And that is what this report is all about.

We are now on the sixth generation Altima. This was launched at the at the 2018 New York International Auto Show in March for the North American market, and in December 2018 for the Chinese market. Its design was previously previewed by the Nissan Vmotion 2.0 Concept, which was first showcased at the 2017 North American International Auto Show in January that year. US market sales started late in 2018 as a 2019 model year car, and although it is outsold by the Nissan Rogue, it has performed well in the market, so is a common sight on US roads, and it is also an absolute staple of the rental fleets. It’s probably precisely because there are so many of them on fleet, that I’ve generally always prioritised driving something else if available, thinking I would save the Altima for a day when there really was not much choice of anything I had not already driven. That day came at the end of my first stay in Los Angeles as part of the Spring 2022 trip, as whilst there were lots of cars available, there was nothing that piqued my interest. I did look at large numbers of Altima models parked up, trying to optimise spec and also get a photographically friendly colour. There was a mix of S and SV trims, and most of them were white, silver, grey or black. I ended up with a 2021 model year SV car, perhaps the doyen of rental fleets above all else, with the possible exception of the Chevy Malibu.

All sixth generation Altima models are a four door saloon. The coupe model that Nissan offered a couple of generations back was not a strong seller, and so the format was abandoned, just as all Nissan’s rivals have done, so what you get now is a traditional saloon with contemporary styling and engineering. Based on Nissan’s D Platform, that means standard front wheel drive with the option of all-wheel drive in higher spec models, a four cylinder engine, with the former V6 model, as well as the slow-selling Hybrid consigned to history and a range of trim options which go from a bit basic, to really quite plush. The sixth generation car added a whole load of tech and safety features in an effort to keep up with rivals and market expectation. Like its predecessors, at launch, the US press reacted quite positively to the car, saying it was a significant improvement on the model it replaced and was now vying for class honours, but the sales reality is that Altima has basically done no better than holding is ground relative to the Carmy, Accord, Malibu, Fusion, Sonata, Optima and others. With this test I wanted to see what I thought.

Most Altima models that are sold, and certainly those in the rental fleets, come with a 2.5 litre four cylinder engine which puts out 188 bhp, bang on class average. You also get a CVT transmission, Nissan persisting with this type of gearbox despite trenchant criticism of the way it works in the past. Reflection of the expectations of the market, perhaps, you now get keyless starting even in rental car spec. The engine is now very smooth, refined and pretty quiet in operation. Performance is decent but undramatic, with the Altima having good acceleration when you most need it, feeling decently eager. When I first got the Altima I fell to wondering if in fact it had a traditional auto box, as the bugbears of CVT transmissions, of jerkiness and a feeling of a disconnect between the accelerator pedal and the gearbox were notably absent, but no, this is indeed a CVT. A decent one, as I found it did deliver on the promise of always being in the right ratio for the speed being achieved.  Previous Altima models have always impressed me with their outstanding fuel economy. This one did not appear to do as well, but then, it may have started out as “rental car full”, so it has hard to know if my overall figure of 37 mpg is a true reflection

I had high hopes for the driving experience of the Altima, as I know that the car was honed on the Angeles Crest Highway, as I personally saw camo-ed up prototypes being tested on that very road back in 2017. Needless to say, that is where I took my test car. Certainly, the steering has good feel. Not quite in the Ford or Mazda class, but at least as good as its other rivals, the system is light for when you need it to be, such as parking up but does give you some good clues as to what the steered wheels are going to do when you get to the swooping curves of the canyon roads. The handling is much the same. Pretty decent, but not quite up to class best standards. There is plenty of grip and whilst the car will ultimately tend towards understeer, I was able to tackle the bends with a level of gusto that was perhaps less than those development car test drivers would have done but certainly enough to have a bit of fun. In SV spec, the Altima rides on 215/45 R17 wheels, these being the middle-sized option, as the S comes on 16” and the top spec cars have 18”s, and I would say that the balance here between comfort and riving dynamics is about right. This is, after all, a family salon first and foremost, and so comfort is important, and that is what this Altima is, even on some of the worse surfaces of Southern California’s roads. There were no issues with the brakes which remained effective even on those enthusiastic descents back down towards the valley. Visibility is also as good as you get these days, with a number of technology aids such as a reversing camera, and a Blind Spot Warning system. Nissan have added a whole raft of other safety aids to this generation of Altima including the questionable Lane Keep Assist. Luckily, you can turn it off.

The perceived quality of interior of this Altima is a big step up from the last version, and whilst this is still no Audi or Volvo (bit then, it is not priced like them), it does feel rather nice for a humble rental car spec machine. The use of leather on the door casings definitely helps here and even though there is a plastic moulded steering wheel it proved pleasant enough to hold. The overall design is one of relative simplicity which not only makes it all easy to use but gives an uncluttered look. There is a simple instrument cluster with two large analogue dials for speedometer and rev counter which have smaller fuel level and water temperature gauges inset in their lower portions, all being clearly marked and easy to read. A pair of chunky column stalks for indicators, wipers and lights which have an auto function proved pleasant to the touch in operation. The steering wheel boss has cruise control and audio repeater buttons. The 8” infotainment touch screen is mounted quite high on the dash, where it is easy to see and reach. It is quite basic in functional terms, though you do at least get Satellite XM radio as well as Apple Car Play and Android Auto. There is a six speaker audio system which is up to par. Lower down on the dash there are two rotary dials and a series of buttons for the air conditioning. There are no surprises in the whole set up and it proved very easy to use, something that no doubt the many rental car users of an Altima will appreciate, even if it does feel a bit lacking in luxury features.

In the SV spec of the teat car, seat upholstery is all cloth, as you would expect and I thought this one of the nicer materials of its type. There is electric adjustment for the driver’s seat but the passenger has to do it all manually. There is a good range of travel in all directions and with both height adjustable seat belts (not always a given, even in this class of car), and a telescoping steering wheel which goes in/out and up/down, it proved easy to get the driving position I wanted. The Altima feels spacious, with headroom being particularly generous.

The same comments apply to the rear seats. There is plenty of legroom, even with the front seats set well back, and there is lots of headroom. Whilst there is not that much of a central tunnel, the centre console unit is quite bulky and it does extend quite well back, so a middle seat occupant would have to sit with their legs to either side of this, but this is not uncommon in man cars these days. If there are only two people sitting here, they can take advantage of the drop-down armrest which has cupholders in its upper surface. Additionally, there are a pair of USB ports as well as map pockets on the back of the front seats and bins on the doors. Whilst the materials quality here is less impressive than it feels for those in the front, this would score well for practicality and usability as a family car, which, of course, is the point.

The Altima has a very spacious boot, which is both long front to back and also particularly wide once clear of the rear wheel arches. There is a notable sill over which you will have to haul your luggage and as this was the last car of my stay in Los Angeles, that included my suitcase. There are asymmetrically split folding rear seat backrests which simply drop down to create a much longer load platform should this be needed. Inside the cabin, there is good provision for odds and ends. The glovebox is a decent size, though nothing like as big as you used to find on Nissans a couple of generations back, and as well as the bins on all four doors, there is a deep cubby under the central armrest and there is an area in front of the gearlever.

The 2021 Nissan Altima is a midsize sedan available in five trim levels: S, SV, SR, SL and Platinum. The Altima’s standard engine is a 2.5-litre four-cylinder unit putting out 188 bhp and 180 lb/ft of torque) that drives the front wheels via a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Optional for the SV, SR and SL, and standard on the Platinum, is an all-wheel-drive powertrain that reduces engine output to 182 bhp and 178 lb/ft. Looking for more a little more oomph? The SR offers a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder with 236 bhp and 267 lb/ft on tap which rises to 248 bhp and 273 lb/ft on 93 octane petrol. This engine is paired exclusively with front-wheel drive. The S base trim is indeed pretty basic, but it offers: 16-inch steel wheels, remote engine start, keyless entry and ignition, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, a 60/40-split folding rear seat, a 7-inch touchscreen, a six-speaker audio system, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming and a single USB port. Safety features on the base S include: Forward collision warning (alerts you of a possible collision with the car in front), Automatic emergency braking (warns if a front impact is imminent and applies the brakes if you don’t respond in time). Lane departure warning (alerts you if the vehicle begins to drift out of its lane) and Driver attention warning (issues an alert if sensors determine you are becoming fatigued). A number of features are available via the Driver Assist package which adds: Power-adjustable driver’s seat, Blind-spot monitor (alerts you if a vehicle in the next lane over is in your blind spot),  Rear cross-traffic alert (warns you if a vehicle behind you is about to cross your vehicle’s path while you’re in reverse), Rear automatic braking (brakes if sensors detect an imminent collision with an object behind the vehicle) and rear parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible behind the vehicle when parking). The SV builds on the base S equipment by adding a Driver Assist package, 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, 8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility,  Satellite radio and an additional USB-C port up front and two rear USB ports. The SV also has an optional SV Premium package which consists of: Heated mirrors, sunroof, heated front seats, adjustable lumbar support for the driver’s seat, a Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob and Nissan’s ProPilot Assist system which comprises  Adaptive cruise control (adjusts speed to maintain a constant distance between the vehicle and the car in front) and Lane keeping assist (steers the Altima back into its lane if it begins to drift over the lane marker). The SR is the Altima’s sport-themed trim. On top of the SV features, it adds 19-inch wheels, Sport-tuned suspension (front-wheel-drive models only), Transmission paddle shifters, unique exterior and cabin styling elements and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. The optional SR Premium package consists of everything from the SV’s Premium package, with the exception of ProPilot Assist. Selecting the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine automatically adds this package. The SL builds on the SV features, adding: Heated steering wheel, Dual-zone automatic climate control, Power-adjustable passenger seat, Leather upholstery, Rear air vents, a Navigation system and a Nine-speaker Bose premium audio system. Opting for the Platinum adds all-wheel drive, plus: 19-inch wheels, Driver-seat memory settings, Auto-dimming rearview mirror, Ambient interior lighting and a 360-degree camera system which gives you a top-down view of the Altima and its surroundings for tight parking situations.

No question, the 2021 Altima, whilst not what you would call exciting, is a very competent car. There are no significant weaknesses, and there is lots that this Nissan does well. But these days, excellence is pretty much the entry point, certainly for cars in as competitive a market segment as this, so it may well be in coming up with a car that offends no-one, Nissan has actually failed as there is no compelling reason to choose this over a long list of alternatives. I’ve not driven all of them in their latest guises, but I did sample a Honda Accord earlier in this trip. The comparison is not quite fair as that was a top of the range model with the more powerful 2.0 engine, so I would need to test out the 1.5T to be sure, but as it stands at present, when looking at the long line of Group F cars at the rental car facility, the Honda is the one I would pick. And that’s precisely what a lot of buyers do, too. Some manufacturers have announced that they will no longer compete in this segment, as overall demand is dropping and they have failed to hit the big time against the Honda and the Toyota. Mazda have dropped the 6 and Ford have said the Fusion won’t be replaced. Only time will tell which path Nissan will take. Meanwhile, if you do end up with an Altima, it will do the job pretty well, even if you may struggle to remember too much about it a few days later.