Price, price and price!
In Grasso’s Garage this week, Nissan is back with its ever-popular Altima. Our tester, the 2023 Altima SR 2.0 VC Turbo offered front wheel drive capabilities and an array of interior features fit for every driver.
The new Altima arrives at an opportune time. Consumers have written to me over the past few months inquiring about commuter vehicles and complaining about unrealistic prices in this inflated vehicle market. At a base price below $35,000, the Altima with the SR package offers bang for the buck that the auto market needs.
“The new Altima possesses a sporting ethos with tremendous visual punch from its aggressive lines, combined with thoughtful details to play in the field of premium products. The design has a great balance of luxury and sport,” mentions David Woodhouse, vice president of design at Nissan Design America.
In the powertrain department, we recognize a 2.0-liter variable compression turbo inline 4-cylinder engine powering 236 horsepower with 267 pound-feet of torque. A Xtronic CVT transmission was present, which was nice but was noisy at times when quick acceleration was needed.
On the interior, the Altima was nice and sleek but very basic, which is great in today’s market. A 12.3-inch HD color touch-screen display was simple and easy to use. It has all the normal accouterments in today’s automobile market, such as Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Alexa Built-in, Wi-Fi Hotspot, SiriusXM, Bluetooth, wireless charging pad, Bose Audio system with 9-speaker system.
Exterior-wise, riding on 19-inch aluminum alloy wheels, the Altima came standard with a power sunroof. Aesthetically correct, the Altima has great curvatures and an array of safety features, all of which are standard.
The exterior premium paint, Gray Sky Pearl, which is like a white-gray mix and adds a tint of lilac, when clean, is most likely the nicest color in Grasso’s Garage to date! Great job, Nissan, in keeping your consumers happy and delivering exactly what they want in a commuter/family sedan.
2023 Nissan Altima
MSRP: $34,990
MPG: 25 city / 34 highway / 29.2 as tested
As Tested: $37,060