Compare the2022 Nissan AltimaVS 2021 Volkswagen Arteon

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Altima have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Volkswagen Arteon doesn’t offer pretensioners for the rear seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Altima are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Arteon doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Altima’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Arteon doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Altima and the Arteon have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, rearview cameras, available daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Altima its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 74 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Arteon has not been fully tested, yet.

Nissan’s powertrain warranty covers the Altima 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Arteon. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Arteon ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The Altima’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Arteon’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

There are over 68 percent more Nissan dealers than there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Altima’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Altima’s reliability 21 points higher than the Arteon.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Altima first among midsize cars in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The Arteon isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan fifth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 67 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 30th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan 21st in reliability. With 35 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 28th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Nissan 11 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

The Altima SR’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 9 lbs.-ft. more torque (267 vs. 258) than the Arteon’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Nissan Altima 4 cyl. is faster than the Volkswagen Arteon:

On the EPA test cycle the Altima gets better mileage than the Arteon:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Nissan Altima uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended on Altima SR for maximum performance). The Arteon requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Nissan Altima higher (7 out of 10) than the Volkswagen Arteon (3). This means the Altima produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Arteon every 15,000 miles.

The Altima has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Arteon doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Altima stops shorter than the Arteon:

The Altima has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Arteon doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Altima is .7 inches wider in the front and 1.1 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Arteon.

The Altima SR handles at .90 G’s, while the Arteon SEL Premium R-Line 4Motion pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Altima Platinum executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Arteon SEL Premium R-Line 4Motion (26.3 seconds @ .68 average G’s vs. 26.9 seconds @ .65 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Altima S’ turning circle is 2.9 feet tighter than the Arteon’s (36.1 feet vs. 39 feet). The Altima SR/SV/SL/Platinum’s turning circle is 1.6 feet tighter than the Arteon’s (37.4 feet vs. 39 feet).

The Nissan Altima may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 pounds less than the Volkswagen Arteon.

The design of the Nissan Altima amounts to more than styling. The Altima has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .26 Cd. That is lower than the Arteon (.29) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Altima get better fuel mileage.

The front grille of the Altima uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Arteon doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Altima SL/Platinum uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Arteon doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Altima has 4.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Arteon (100.8 vs. 96.5).

The Altima has 1.2 inches more front headroom, 2.6 inches more front legroom, 1.7 inches more front shoulder room and 2.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Arteon.

The Altima will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Altima will retain 43.64% to 47.47% of its original price after five years, while the Arteon only retains 39.15% to 40.07%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Nissan Altima will be $10859 to $13182 less than for the Volkswagen Arteon.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Nissan Altima and the Volkswagen Arteon, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Altima was chosen as one of Automobile Magazine’s “All Stars” in 2019. The Arteon has never been an “All Star.”

The Nissan Altima outsold the Volkswagen Arteon by almost 20 to one during the 2021 model year.