Altima or Accord?

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I like the entry level luxury midsize cars. I'd be looking at something like a TLX or Regal.
 
I can't find much wrong with this.

We have 180k miles plus experience with a 2010 2.5L Altima S

We've had exactly one issue with it. It needed a new A/C compressor at about 100k miles. That's it.

I've done two CVT pan drops and refills, taking 5 quarts of fluid each time and using Castrol CVT fluid for both changes. While the CVT isn't my cup of tea, and as much as I want to hate this tractor sounding car, it just goes and goes. I think you get a CVT with both the Honda and the Nissan these days. I'm not as up to date on Honda knowledge and don't rent a bunch of cars anymore. Just chiming in because of our excellent experience with a 2010 Altima.

oilBabe drove it the first 150k and then we passed it on to her son two years ago when she moved up to a 2017 Rav4.

I find ours gets excellent fuel economy and at least the 2010 has a huge fuel tank, so it will outlast all but the most robust bladders on a road trip.

It does seem like there are always deals being offered on these as they are second or third banana when it comes to sales compared to Camry and Accord. I'm sure the Koreans are on their heels as well.

Drive them all and buy the one you like the best. Even the most average reliability new car is light years ahead of the offerings from a generation ago.

Our 2010 Altima has been even better than our 2002 Camry that we put over 270k miles on so far.

So get something you like, because you may have it a very long time.

Originally Posted by Cujet
I rent cars constantly. Often getting the Altima as it's a popular rental car and a reasonable choice for my needs. I've rented the 2018 Accord. Like 'em too.

I like the Altima, the way it drives and I feel it has a lot going for it, WHEN the price is very low. Around here in South Florida, dealerships can't give the things away at the end of the year. I feel the Altima is as large as the Accord, and drives/handles as well. Even the Altima's CVT has been upgraded for better feel. MPG is excellent, and a recent highway trip returned a very impressive 36MPG at um, well, ahhh, I won't say what speed...... Let's put it this way, I was impressed. The direct injection 2.5L engine is an efficient engine, and makes good power everywhere. The Altima's sheet metal is thin, so expect many door dings.

Yes, there are many high profile Altima CVT failures listed online. But just as many that have not failed. My brother has one with 140K++ miles without any signs of transmission problems.

The 1.5L Accord Sport is a fantastic deal and often can be had at the same price as the Altima's list price. $25K or so. The Accord sport clearly has a better interior, higher quality seats (not necessarily more comfortable) and seems considerably smoother in the NVH (noise vibration harshness) department. Probably due to the tiny engine. BTW, the Accord and the Altima are nearly exactly matched for power and overall MPG. Both feel adequate, but not fast. Both get good MPG, but fall short of the new Camry's excellent economy.

A word on the 2018 Camry, I find them to be cheap feeling like the prev gen Corolla and noisy. But they return 40MPG highway if driven carefully! I don't like the new Camry's feel, noise and utter lack of throttle response. And I don't find them as comfortable as the other two.

Bottom line: The Accord Sport 1.5L is a good step above the Altima in overall quality and class, hence it's my choice.




EDIT: The Altima simply has amazing and bladder busting range on a single tank of gas. Drove Savannah, GA to West Palm Beach and a good portion of the way back on one tank of fuel. I did run it quite low. But still, no other car that I typically rent can do 600 miles on a tank.
 
I absolutely hated the 2014 Altima I drove, and my friends who have driven 2010-2018 Altimas have consistently ranked them among the worst driving experiences they've ever had.

The Accord and Mazda 6, by contrast, are always considered the best to drive in this segment.

The Camry seems to be getting good reviews, so it might be worth considering.

Don't forget Hyundai.
 
Your post reminds me of a real life incident I had last year.

I followed a rather pretty lady into a gas station and the owner of the store hollers over to her that he hasn't
seen her around very much lately. She replied since she got her new Altima she doesn't stop for gas very often anymore.

What a commercial in the making....lol
 
The Accord hasn't made C&D's 10 Best list more years than most most millenials are old by not being a dang good car.

For the record, the Accord has won an incredible THIRTY-TWO 10 Best awards; the Altima has a whopping total of ZERO.
 
Test drove an Accord a few weeks ago. Wow! Heads up display. The seats really hug you and plenty of power in the 2.0. For a passenger car, that is. Rides really nice. Looks sharp! Cant go wrong with a Honda.
 
Nothing holds is value like an Accord.
Camry is close, but everyone wants an Accord.
I put our 2017 Accord Sport SE on Craigslist a few months back after we got the Lexus GS350.
Everyone wanted it; a dealer gave me a bank check for $19.5K or something like that. And they came to me.
Heck I only paid $22,400 for the car almost 2 years prior!
Sold in days as I recall.
 
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If you are stuck on Japanese, get Mazda 6. Others are just something that resembles vehicles that it is rolling down the road.
 
Nissan is now on its 3rd generation CVT and they have improved the reliability greatly. I had an Altima and it was a great vehicle and the gas mileage was very impressive.
 
Go Altima if you can get a big discount vs comparable Accord. Otherwise you gotta go Accord for that high resale value. If your a stick shift fan then Honda is the only way to go. i like the 9th gen accord more than the new one but thats just my biased opinion.
 
I also drove a 2018 Honda Accord recently but in a hybrid. I was very impressed. It most likely will be my next car. Same day, I also drove a used Infiniti Q70 which was very nice but again, for me, the Accord was hard to beat.
 
Update: did my same PBI-SAV trip in a Malibu 1.5L eco-turbo last night. 28mph on reg at just over the limit. 33mpg with 93 octane at exactly 70.

That's a full 10mpg shy of the Altima at the same speeds! Furthermore, the tank is smaller, necessitating more fuel stops. And no, the 1.5 turbo Malibu is not faster than the Altima.
 
I find it hard to imagine a MPG difference that'd make me want to drive an Altima over any of its competitors. I'll happily burn twice the fuel if it means I don't have to feel unsafe and motion-sick even with my own hands and feet at the controls.
 
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