Compare the2023 Toyota CamryVS 2023 Nissan Altima

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The Camry has standard Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats (WIL), which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WIL system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Altima doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Camry has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Altima doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Camry and the Altima 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, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

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

	Camry	Altima
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	140	171
Neck Injury Risk	20%	30%
Neck Stress	262 lbs.	343 lbs.
Neck Compression	13 lbs.	78 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	21%	54%
Neck Stress	136 lbs.	280 lbs.
Neck Compression	45 lbs.	110 lbs.

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 Toyota Camry is safer than the Nissan Altima:

	Camry	Altima
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	134	187
Chest Movement	.7 inches	1.4 inches
Abdominal Force	136 lbs.	164 lbs.
Hip Force	296 lbs.	511 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	16 inches
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	42 G’s
Hip Force	622 lbs.	769 lbs.

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Toyota Camry is much safer than the Altima:

	Camry	Altima
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Structure	ACCEPTABLE	POOR
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	MARGINAL
Head Injury Criterion	249	562
Head Peak Forces	no contact	109 G’s
Neck Tension	290 lbs.	625 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	POOR
Shoulder Deflection	1.1 in	2.09 in
Shoulder Force	290 lbs.	402 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.18 in	2.2 in
Torso Deflection Rate	9 MPH	11 MPH
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	POOR
Pelvis Force	937 lbs.	1339 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Tension	45 lbs.	201 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.79 in	1.06 in
Shoulder Force	201 lbs.	290 lbs.
Torso Deflection Rate	5 MPH	7 MPH
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Camry its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Altima was last a “Top Safety Pick Plus” in 2022 but no longer qualifies.

Warranty

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Camry for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Nissan doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Altima.

There are over 15 percent more Toyota dealers than there are Nissan dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Camry’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Camry has a standard 600-amp battery. The Altima’s 510-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Nissan is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Nissan is ranked 15th.

Engine

The Camry has more powerful engines than the Altima:

	Horsepower
Camry AWD 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder	202 HP
Camry 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder	203 HP
Camry XSE AWD 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder	205 HP
Camry XSE 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder	206 HP
Camry 3.5 DOHC V6	301 HP
Altima 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder	182 HP
Altima 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder	188 HP
Altima SR 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder	248 HP

As tested in Car and Driver the Toyota Camry 4 cyl. is faster than the Nissan Altima 4 cyl.:

	Camry	Altima
Zero to 30 MPH	2.6 sec	2.9 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7.3 sec	7.4 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	19 sec	19.7 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	7.9 sec	8.3 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	3.8 sec	4.8 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	5.5 sec	5.6 sec
Quarter Mile	15.7 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	92 MPH	91 MPH
Top Speed	131 MPH	119 MPH

As tested in Motor Trend the Toyota Camry 3.5 is faster than the Altima SR 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

	Camry	Altima
Zero to 60 MPH	5.8 sec	6.1 sec
Quarter Mile	14.3 sec	14.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	99.6 MPH	97.4 MPH

As tested in Motor Trend the Toyota Camry 3.5 is faster than the Altima SR 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

	Camry	Altima
Zero to 60 MPH	5.8 sec	6.1 sec
Quarter Mile	14.3 sec	14.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	99.6 MPH	97.4 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Camry
	FWD	LE/SE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	28 city/39 hwy
		XLE 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/38 hwy
Altima
	FWD	S 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/39 hwy
		SV/SL/SR 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/37 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/34 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Camry uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Altima SR requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Camry’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Altima:

	Camry	Camry TRD	Altima
Front Rotors	12 inches	12.9 inches	11.65 inches
Rear Rotors	11.06 inches	11.06 inches	11.02 inches

The Camry stops much shorter than the Altima:

	Camry	Altima
70 to 0 MPH	156 feet	176 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	126 feet	131 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	133 feet	140 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Camry LE’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Altima S’ standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Camry LE has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Altima S.

Suspension and Handling

The Camry TRD handles at .94 G’s, while the Altima pulls only .91 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Camry XSE executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Altima SV AWD (26.7 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 27.7 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

Chassis

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Camry SE is quieter than the Altima SR AWD:

	Camry	Altima
At idle	41 dB	45 dB
Full-Throttle	72 dB	77 dB
70 MPH Cruising	68 dB	70 dB

Passenger Space

The Camry has .7 inches more front hip room, 1.1 inches more rear headroom, 2.8 inches more rear legroom and .2 inches more rear hip room than the Altima.

Cargo Capacity

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Camry. The Altima doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Servicing Ease

The Camry uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Altima uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The Camry XLE/XSE offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Altima doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the Camry and the Altima have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Camry is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Altima prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Camry’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Altima’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. With the Altima SL’s power windows, only the front windows open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Camry the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Altima can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Camry’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Altima’s power window (except driver window) switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Camry’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Altima’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Camry XLE/XSE keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Altima doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Camry is less expensive to operate than the Altima because it costs $91 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the Camry than the Altima, including $19 less for a muffler.

Recommendations

The Toyota Camry has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

	Camry	Altima
Consumer Reports® Recommends	TRUE	TRUE
Car Book “Best Bet”	TRUE	FALSE

Car and Driver performed a comparison test in its December 2019 issue and they ranked the Toyota Camry LE higher than the Nissan Altima SR AWD.

The Toyota Camry outsold the Nissan Altima by over two to one during 2022.