Compare the2023 Nissan AltimaVS 2022 Mercedes A-Class

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Altima are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Mercedes A-Class doesn’t offer height-adjustable 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 A-Class doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Altima has standard Rear Automatic Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The A-Class doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Altima’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the A-Class.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Altima’s standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The A-Class doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the Altima and the A-Class have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

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 Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 126 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The A-Class has not been tested, yet.

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

There are almost 3 times as many Nissan dealers as there are Mercedes 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 40 points higher than the A-Class.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 22 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Nissan 9 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

The Altima SR’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 60 more horsepower (248 vs. 188) and 52 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 221) than the A-Class’ 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Altima SR 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Mercedes A-Class:

On the EPA test cycle the Altima gets better mileage than the A-Class:

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 A-Class requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Altima AWD’s standard fuel tank has 2.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the A-Class (16 vs. 13.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Altima FWD’s standard fuel tank has 2.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the A-Class (16.2 vs. 13.5 gallons).

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Nissan Altima higher (6 to 7 out of 10) than the Mercedes A-Class (5). This means the Altima produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the A-Class every 15,000 miles.

The EPA certifies the Nissan Altima at emission levels ranging from “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV) to “Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (SULEV). The Mercedes A-Class is only certified to “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV) standards.

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 A-Class doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Altima stops much shorter than the A-Class:

For better traction, the Altima has larger standard tires than the A-Class (215/60R16 vs. 205/55R17). The Altima SR/SL’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the A-Class (235/40R19 vs. 225/40R19).

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 A-Class doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Altima has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the A-Class; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed. Some tire options on the A-Class don’t have a run-flat feature, either.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Altima’s wheelbase is 3.8 inches longer than on the A-Class (111.2 inches vs. 107.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Altima is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 2.3 inches wider in the rear than the track on the A-Class.

The Altima SR handles at .90 G’s, while the A 220 pulls only .87 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

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 A-Class doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Altima SR VC-Turbo uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The A-Class doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Altima a Mid-size car, while the A-Class is rated a Compact.

The Altima has 7.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the A-Class (100.6 vs. 93).

The Altima has 2 inches more front legroom, 3.1 inches more front shoulder room, 1.3 inches more rear legroom and 3.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the A-Class.

The Altima has a much larger trunk than the A-Class (15.4 vs. 8.6 cubic feet).

Consumer Reports rated the Altima’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the A-Class’ headlights, which were rated “Poor.”

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Altima has standard extendable sun visors. The A-Class doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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 41.82% to 43.68% of its original price after five years, while the A-Class only retains 40.18% to 40.36%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Nissan Altima will be $1933 to $11541 less than for the Mercedes A-Class.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Nissan Altima, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Mercedes A-Class isn't recommended.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Altima third among midsize cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The A-Class isn’t in the top three in its category.

The Nissan Altima outsold the Mercedes A-Class by almost 24 to one during 2022.