Some things never change, despite our best efforts. We will never be thin enough, young enough nor good looking enough. You could almost hear the Nissan Altima thinking the same thing — kind of. It doesn’t have the spotless reliability of the Toyota Camry, but it’s nowhere near as dull, either. The Honda Accord has always been the life of the party. And the Nissan Altima? Well, it always seems to be a good deal, and for 2023, that hasn’t changed.
When the Altima debuted three decades ago, its rounded flanks set it apart from its competition. Since then, it has lost a true sense of identity, becoming relatively devoid of personality. Most of this happened under the tenure of former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn, now wanted by Interpol after fleeing prosecution in Japan.
To Ghosn, sales volume mattered more than anything, and Nissan, a brand once known for its sporty cars, became the brand known for good deals, as dealers peddled the metal to please Ghosn’s appetite for market share while squandering Nissan’s brand image. You bought the Altima because you got a good lease deal, not for its reliability or fun-to-drive nature.
