Compare the2024 Nissan AltimaVS 2022 Acura ILX

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

Safety

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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 Acura ILX doesn’t offer pretensioners for its 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 ILX doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Nissan Altima has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The ILX doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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 ILX doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Altima AWD offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The ILX doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Altima SL/SR VC-Turbo has a standard Intelligent Around View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The ILX only offers a rear monitor.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Altima has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert, helping the driver avoid collisions. Acura charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Monitor on the ILX.

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 ILX doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Altima and the ILX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 and rearview cameras.

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 Acura ILX:

	Altima	ILX
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	171	227
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.5 inches
Leg Forces (l/r)	260/280 lbs.	768/623 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 Nissan Altima is safer than the Acura ILX:

	Altima	ILX
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	185	324
Spine Acceleration	46 G’s	64 G’s
Hip Force	544 lbs.	699 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	157	299
Spine Acceleration	42 G’s	56 G’s
Hip Force	769 lbs.	945 lbs.

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 1.5% less likely to roll over than the ILX, which received a four-star rating.

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 128 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The ILX last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Safety Pick” in 2017.

Warranty

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

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 27 more problems per 100 vehicles, Acura is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Acura With 39 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Nissan higher than Acura.

Engine

The Altima SR’s optional 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 47 more horsepower (248 vs. 201) and 93 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 180) than the ILX’s 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Altima SR 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Acura ILX:

	Altima	ILX
Zero to 60 MPH	5.9 sec	6.6 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	14.7 sec	17.2 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	6.4 sec	7 sec
Quarter Mile	14.5 sec	15.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	99 MPH	94 MPH
Top Speed	142 MPH	133 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Altima
	FWD	S/SV 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/39 hwy
		SL/SR 2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	27 city/37 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/34 hwy
	AWD	2.5 DOHC 4-cyl.	26 city/36 hwy
ILX
	FWD	2.4 DOHC 4-cyl.	24 city/34 hwy

The Altima AWD’s standard fuel tank has 2.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the ILX (16 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Altima FWD’s standard fuel tank has 3 gallons more fuel capacity than the ILX (16.2 vs. 13.2 gallons).

Environmental Friendliness

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 Acura ILX (3). This means the Altima produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the ILX every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

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 ILX doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Altima stops much shorter than the ILX:

	Altima	ILX
70 to 0 MPH	172 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Altima SR/SL’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the ILX (235/40R19 vs. 225/40R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Altima SR/SL has standard 19-inch wheels. The ILX’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

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 ILX 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 ILX; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Altima’s wheelbase is 6.1 inches longer than on the ILX (111.2 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Altima is 3.8 inches wider in the front and 3 inches wider in the rear than the track on the ILX.

The Altima’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (58.9% to 41.1%) than the ILX’s (63% to 37%). This gives the Altima more stable handling and braking.

The Altima handles at .91 G’s, while the ILX A-SPEC pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Altima S’ turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the ILX’s (36.1 feet vs. 36.8 feet).

Chassis

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 ILX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

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

The Altima has 11.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the ILX (100.6 vs. 89.3).

The Altima has 1.1 inches more front headroom, 1.5 inches more front legroom, 4.4 inches more front hip room, 2.6 inches more front shoulder room, 1 inch more rear headroom, 1.2 inches more rear legroom, 2.8 inches more rear hip room and 3.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the ILX.

Cargo Capacity

The Altima has a much larger trunk than the ILX (15.4 vs. 12.4 cubic feet).

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Altima easier. The Altima’s trunk lift-over height is 26.9 inches, while the ILX’s liftover is 28.7 inches.

The Altima’s standard folding rear seats are split to accommodate bulky cargo. The ILX’s standard single piece folding rear seat is not as flexible; long cargo and a passenger can’t share the rear seat.

Ergonomics

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 Altima’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the ILX’s headlights are rated “Poor.”

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors standard on the Altima detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The ILX doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

On extremely cold winter days, the Altima SL/SR 2.0’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The ILX doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

Both the Altima and the ILX offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Altima SL has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The ILX doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Nissan Altima (except S) offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The ILX doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Altima owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Altima with a number “1” insurance rate while the ILX is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Altima is less expensive to operate than the ILX because typical repairs cost much less on the Altima than the ILX, including $93 less for a water pump, $284 less for a starter, $162 less for fuel injection, $138 less for a fuel pump, $112 less for front struts and $233 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

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

The Nissan Altima outsold the Acura ILX by over 22 to one during 2022.