Grasso’s Garage: ‘23 Nissan Altima conquers commuter needs and wants

Price, price and price!

In Grasso’s Garage this week, it’s Nissan back with their 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.

Nissan Motor Co. and their vast display of tech and futuristic appearing vehicles, delivers the Altima with good timing. Consumers have written to me over the past few months inquiring about commuter vehicles and getting the price to a realistic amount in this inflated vehicle market. For the Altima, a below $35K base price with the SR package and one that delivers nicely. Keeping in mind that bang for the buck is the objective in this market, this one certainly stands out. “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, VP Design, Nissan Design America.

In the powertrain department, we recognize a 2.0L Variable Compression Turbo Inline 4-cylinder engine powering 236 horsepower with 267 lb-ft 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. 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 etc. 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.

With price top of mind, the Altima certainly serves its purpose. 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.

Grasso’s Garage is here for you! Are you in the market for a new car? I would be happy to provide my honest input. All you have to do is email me: marc.grasso@bostonherald.com.

MSRP: $34,990

MPG:  25 city / 34 highway / 29.2 as tested

As Tested: $37,060