Compare the2023 Nissan AltimaVS 2023 Lexus ES

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 ES doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Nissan Altima is safer than the Lexus ES:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Nissan Altima is safer than the Lexus ES:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Altima, with its five-star roll-over rating, is 1.3% less likely to roll over than the ES, which received a four-star rating.

There are over 4 times as many Nissan dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Altima’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Altima second among midsize cars in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The ES isn’t in the top three in its category.

The Altima SR’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 6 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 267) than the ES 350’s optional 3.5 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Nissan Altima 4 cyl. is faster than the ES 300h 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid:

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

The Altima AWD’s standard fuel tank has 2.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the ES Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (16 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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 Lexus ES (5 to 7). This means the Altima produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the ES every 15,000 miles.

The Altima stops much shorter than the ES:

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 ES doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Altima SR handles at .90 G’s, while the ES 300h pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Altima executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.1 seconds quicker than the ES 300h (26.3 seconds @ .68 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Altima S’ turning circle is 1.9 feet tighter than the ES’ (36.1 feet vs. 38 feet). The Altima SR/SV/SL/Platinum’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the ES’ (37.4 feet vs. 38 feet).

The Nissan Altima may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 450 pounds less than the Lexus ES.

The Altima is 3 inches shorter than the ES, making the Altima easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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 ES (.26 to .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 ES doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Altima has 1.6 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more front legroom, 2.3 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear hip room and 2.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the ES.

The Altima has a much larger trunk than the ES (15.4 vs. 13.9 cubic feet).

The Altima’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The ES doesn’t offer folding rear seats, only a ski pass-through.

The Altima’s speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The ES’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Consumer Reports rated the Altima’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the ES’ headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Altima is less expensive to operate than the ES because typical repairs cost much less on the Altima than the ES, including $141 less for a water pump, $110 less for a muffler, $2 less for front brake pads, $214 less for a starter, $96 less for fuel injection, $68 less for a fuel pump, $221 less for front struts, $879 less for a timing belt/chain and $736 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Nissan Altima will be $11129 to $11426 less than for the Lexus ES.

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

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 ES isn’t in the top three in its category.

The Nissan Altima outsold the Lexus ES by over three to one during 2022.