Compare the2023 Toyota Camry HybridVS 2023 Nissan Altima

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The Camry Hybrid 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid 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, front wheel drive, 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 Hybrid is safer than the Nissan Altima:

	Camry Hybrid	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 Hybrid is safer than the Nissan Altima:

	Camry Hybrid	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 Hybrid is much safer than the Altima:

	Camry Hybrid	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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid’s warranty.

Reliability

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 Hybrid’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 26 more horsepower (208 vs. 182) than the Altima’s optional 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Camry Hybrid’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 20 more horsepower (208 vs. 188) than the Altima’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Camry Hybrid
	FWD	LE 2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	51 city/53 hwy
		SE/XLE 2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	44 city/47 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
	AWD	SV/SL 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	26 city/36 hwy
		SR 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	25 city/35 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Camry Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Altima doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Camry Hybrid’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. The Altima doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Camry Hybrid 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 Hybrid’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Altima:

	Camry Hybrid	Altima
Front Rotors	12 inches	11.65 inches
Rear Rotors	11.06 inches	11.02 inches

Chassis

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

	Camry Hybrid	Altima
At idle	38 dB	45 dB
Full-Throttle	72 dB	77 dB
70 MPH Cruising	68 dB	70 dB

Passenger Space

The Camry Hybrid has .7 inches more front hip room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 2.8 inches more rear legroom and .1 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 Hybrid. The Altima doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Servicing Ease

The Camry Hybrid 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 Hybrid 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 Camry Hybrid’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Altima’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The power windows standard on both the Camry Hybrid and the Altima have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Camry Hybrid 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 Hybrid’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 Hybrid 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 Hybrid’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 Hybrid’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Altima’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Camry Hybrid XLE offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Altima doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Camry Hybrid 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.

The Camry Hybrid has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Altima SL/2.0 SR.

Recommendations

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Toyota Camry Hybrid as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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

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