Nissan Altima road trip

The 2023 Nissan Altima. For an affordable family sedan, it it one you should choose?

My family and I take an annual road trip to Colorado each year. It is the ultimate test of comfort, practicality, efficiency and driving dynamics. This year, we took my mom with us making us a family of 4 and a weeks worth of luggage and belongings.

First, the looks. It was quite striking with its shiny red paint and black leather interior. Sleek aerodynamic design that looked modern. The alloy wheel design was a bit 'busy' for my taste. Important for a long trip, it had a spare tire. Many cars these days are eschewing a spare tire for a can of fix-a-flat and I don't feel comfortable being on the road without a jack and a spare. I can change a tire in minutes and be on my way and when in the middle of nowhere or driving after dark, I feel it is dangerous to depend on a can or AAA.

The trunk was quite large and held all of our luggage plus extra bags of travel food and snacks. No power close option on this budget sedan, but it opened and closed smoothly without any fuss. One screen protruded from the dash with Apple Carplay as an standard option. Nissan has what is called 'zero-gravity' seats in certain models and I have to say, they were quite comfortable for the long trip. We weren't stiff, sore and didn't feel the need to adjust or shift our bodies during many hours of our drive. The back seats were spacious for my mom and teenage daughter with ample leg and headroom. The only oversight was no rear vents for the passengers - why carmakers choose to leave those off is a mystery for me and frankly, a dealbreaker since we live in Texas and the summer heat is brutal. Wind and road noise were non-existent and the steering was light and easy.

It had lane keep assist that worked quite well in keeping us between the dotted lines - only a few times when an exit came up did it get confused and overreact. This stresses the importance of actually driving and paying attention versus depending on these driving aids to keep you and your family safe. Blind-spot monitors on each side worked flawlessly and made switching lanes a breeze. The turn signal 'click' was abnormally loud - actually the loudest I have heard on any car. That part was a bit annoying and I'm not sure the point of that in Nissan engineering or cost-cutting meetings. The Altima uses a smooth CVT transmission. While they haven't proven to be reliable long-term on older Nissans, it gave me no problems on our trip and I actually liked the lack of downshifting on the steep Colorado roads and altitude increases.

Fuel economy was in the upper 30's on our entire trip with only regular fuel required. With the size of the gas tank, we were able to go well over 500 miles per tank which is such a nice benefit to have. We stopped for bathroom breaks and we weren't forced to stop more often just to top off our tank in between sleepy towns and long highway stretches. Two engines are offered in the Altima and while we had the smaller 4 cylinder option instead of the turbo - I had no complaints with the power for keeping up with traffic, passing or going up mountain passes.

We were very impressed with this Altima - on our way back home, we drove for almost 15 hours straight and I was very comfortable behind the wheel. The great fuel mileage, quiet ride and ample space make this a good choice for a family looking for a do it all car. As a new car with warranty, this model can be bought for around $30K and will provide great transportation while having many of the features buyers are looking for today.