Short History
First model of this car was made in 1992, and it represents the continuation of the Nissan Bluebird line that’s been in the production since 1957. It is a mid-size sedan, and in 2011 it succeeded to become the second best selling car in this class in the United States. It is slotted between Nissan Sentra and Nissan Maxima in Nissan range. It is produced in the United states and sold in America, Australia and Middle East. Few years ago all the models came from Smyrna, Tennessee assembly plant, but in the last few years due to the increased demand Canton, Mississippi plant also start producing this vehicle. Since 2013 model year this car became a fifth generation vehicle, with one large updates it received, when it shifted to the fifth generation and the another one that came one year after that, for the 2014 model year.
2015 Nissan Altima Overview
Before this model came with a coupe version, as well, but it was discontinued, and if we look at the available information, it is not going to be brought back anytime soon. Before this vehicle was famous for its athletic ride and interesting interior and exterior design. In last few model years Nissan gave much more attention in making this vehicle more comfortable so now the best features are located in the cabin and it really is one of the most comfortable mid-size sedans on the market.
Exterior
Exterior design didn’t change much from the 2013 major redesign. New model comes with a great body-stamping, that comes with a few hints taken from Maxima and some Infiniti models. New model comes with smooth sheetmetal and angular curves around the headlights. From the side lights to the back this model has a graceful upkick. Its grille is has more simple design than the ones we’ve seen on Nissan Murano, or Nissan Juke. It also comes with new, but already popular half-hourglass motif.
Interior
Interior design is conservative, with sharp lines that separate central stack, from driver and passenger areas. On the upper area of the central stack there is a large space made for infotainment system, while on the lower parts you can find convenient cup-holders. Zero Gravity front seats are very comfortable, they were designed by NASA, and are minimizing fatigue on longer rides. Whole cabin trim is made out of good quality materials, containing a lot of soft-touch elements. Seats come with cloth upholstery in base version, and leather is also available in some higher trim levels. From base evrsion features, it comes with: four speaker audio system, Bluetooth, Easy Fill Tire Alert, push start button etc. Navigation system is optional and it is very easy to use. Higher trim levels come with NissanConnect smartphone application, five inch infotainment display and nine speaker Bose audio system.
Performance
Together with nicely designed interior and exterior this model gives more then decent performance. Its base 2,5 litre four cylinder engine is able to produce 182 horsepower and it is one of the strongest engines in its class. Next in line is the 3,5 liter V6, that delivers 270 horsepower. Both engines come with good fuel economy, four cylinder can deliver 27/38 mpg, while the V6 is rated at 22/32 mpg. New Altima comes with CVT transmission paired with both engines. It is responsive enough, but sometimes it gets little bit too noisy while driving fast. All trim levels come with a front wheel drive only.
Price
Base version can be bought for $22,300, while the highest price for 2015 Nissan Altima with 2,5 liter four is $28,150. Version with V6 engine starts from $26,450 and can go up to $31,950.
Competition
Traditional rivals of this vehicle are Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. Since mid-size sedans are the most mainstream class out of all, it is hard to reach the top of the best selling lists. Another mid-size sedan worth mentioning when we talk about this vehicle’s competition is a Chevy Malibu.
2015 Nissan Altima Insurance Rates
2015 Nissan Altima insurance rates go from $2,594 in Michigan, which is the most expensive state when it comes to car insurance, to $901 in Ohio, the least expensive state when it comes to car insurance. These numbers are for the base version with 2,5 four cylinder engine.
Trivia
Nissan Altima is a very popular ride among Chicano low riders.
Most of the latest marketing campaign that followed this vehicle focused on its NASA designed Zero Gravity seats. Most popular TV commercial was ”Ride of Your Life” in which people were told they are driving a new Nissan race-car, while driving a regular Altima model.
What Do Girls Think About Nissan Altima?
Geography teacher we asked about this car told us that it comes with a clean and beautiful design. She also added that it look kind a luxurious and very comfortable, while she didn’t like the red color from our title picture model.
