2022 Nissan Altima Review

Decades ago, the Nissan Altima was an innovative midsize sedan. Today, it's a family car with sound design and engineering but without any strong calling cards to make it irresistible in its segment.

For example, one unique thing about the 2022 Nissan Altima is its available variable-compression turbocharged engine, or VC-Turbo. Nissan says it worked on this technology for more than a decade, and that it delivers the power of a V6 engine with the fuel economy of a four-cylinder engine. However, you can only get it with the sporty SR trim and front-wheel drive. And frankly, it comes up short in both the power and real-world efficiency departments.

The 2022 Altima is competitive with other midsize cars. It has a distinctive sense of style, its front seats provide long-distance comfort, its standard engine supplies a good blend of performance and efficiency, and you can get an Altima with all-wheel drive. Plus, the Altima boasts numerous advanced driving aids such as ProPilot Assist. Unfortunately for Nissan, the Altima's rivals offer most or all of these same attributes, and often in a more compelling package.

Learn more about the 2022 Altima by reading our full Expert Rating for the car.

Nissan sells the 2022 Altima midsize sedan in five trim levels: S, SV, SR, SL and Platinum. A 2.5-liter four-cylinder (188 horsepower, 180 lb-ft of torque) engine is standard, and a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) delivers the power to the car's front wheels. An all-wheel-drive system is optional for the SV, SR and SL and standard on the Platinum. With AWD, engine output drops to 182 hp and 178 lb-ft.