Toyota Camry / Nissan Altima

[Sierra048]

Have been toying around with the idea of selling the Sierra 1500 and getting a smaller vehicle with better gas mileage for trips to see the grandkids.

Given our location, locally, within thirty minutes, the options are Chevy, Dodge and Ford. Nothing in the Dodge line-up excites me and the Chevy and Ford offerings all seem to come with start/stop which is something I'm not interested in. Expanding my search to two hours adds Toyota and Nissan. Three hours opens up just about every brand available. I'd like to stay as close to home as possible for warranty work purposes should we follow through.

First off, we haven't had a sedan in probably thirty years. Always had trucks, Jeeps and SUVs. And nothing with a four cylinder engine. My one and only four cylinder engine vehicle was the worst vehicle I have ever owned, power wise, and I swore I'd never own another one.

We aren't into luxury vehicles. Just basic, comfortable and reliable transportation. Not concerned with all the tech they add to cars today. No navigation needed. We still use an old Garmin GPS that fits our needs just fine. I don't even know what Apple Play and Android Auto are, or do. I actually like the way both the Camry and Altima look.

Keeping with the closer to home theme, choice #1 would be a Toyota Camry. The ones in our price range all come with a four cylinder, 204 hp engine, and it makes me nervous even with all the technical advances in engines that have been made. It doesn't appear to have a CVT transmission which is a plus. Choice #2 is the Altima with a 179 hp, four cylinder engine. Again, no choice as the six cylinder option is a lot higher. It does have a CVT engine which scares me (I recently started a thread on my CVT concerns).

The goal here is to break even with the value of the Sierra and anything that replaces it. I prefer not to have to pay any large differences. I've actually gotten a few OTD quotes that could make this a reality. We actually have to go across the mountain next week for Mrs. Sierra's drs appointment so I think I will schedule test drives of both vehicles since I'm already in town.

So, I guess I'm asking those who know these two vehicles what pros and cons come with each. I know anyone gracious enough to respond might suggest other vehicles and that's OK but I'd really like to focus on the Camry and Altima first.

 

[Trav]

The Camry is a good car and the 4cyl engine is more than acceptable in it. FWIW I wouldn't buy a Nissan if it was the last car on the lot and I was walking unless it was a big Maxima, Z car or Godzilla.

 

[SatinSilver]

Check out a certified used 2015-2017 Camry first before looking at the new ones. The 2018 Camry is the first year of a new generation. My brother currently has a 2018 Camry rental with 9k miles on it. He likes the previous generation better for a variety of reasons and has had about 6 rentals with the new gen. Even my mom checked out the new Camry and also prefers the previous gen. Probably save $5k by getting a certified used with a nice long warranty. Just check carfax to make sure all the oil changes were done on time.

One critique is that the new one seems more sluggish when accelerating. Could be because of the new 8 speed auto and the way it's programmed.

 

[THORROMIG]

Toyota Camry for me also. My Aunt started buying new Camrys every three years since 1990 when she was still working full time. When she retired in 2005 -- by that time she had 5 of them -- she decided to buy one more which was the 2006 2.4L XLE loaded with leather seats & all the goodies. Not once not once did she ever regret or contemplate buying Toyota Camrys over the years. When she passed from Cancer in 2014 -- I inherited the 2006 Camry XLE. Car had 135,xxx miles on it & ran like new still. Even more comfortable than my 2008 Acura TL -- unfortunately -- I swerved to avoid hitting a pack of deer on a back road and totaled it running head on into a tree. CAMRY ALL DAY and if I could afford a new car -- thats exactly what I would purchase. I really like the looks/style of the new ones also.

 

[charbaby]

The Camry is a great choice.
Don't overlook the Hyundai Sonata/KIA Optima and Mazda 6.

Although I am an Altima owner w/CVT and love it, it was the $8000 off sticker that is the HOOK in my area on new Altima's. Every year, two dealers in my area knock off TONS of money off of Altima's twice/yr. My niece picked up a '17 Altima in December'17 for $15K brand new! Can't go wrong at these prices.

However, you should stay with the more reliable vehicles.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I like Altimas and Camrys. The newer CVTs seem to be fin. Drive the cars... Altimas are actually great driver cars for a family sedan. Camrys have legendary reliability. Also, don't forget the Accord. A year ago I bought a 2015 Altima with about 80K miles from Hertz for a friend. Great car; he loves it. I did service the CVT twice to get the dirty fluid out. Good luck.

 

[andyd]

Monday, I took a 150 mile round trip in the '15 Camry LE. No bones about it. I still miss my clunky ol' BMWs. Maybe it is RWD?. For the flatlands the I-4 is plenty powerful. Decent handling, but not great. Kinda mushy feeling, changing lanes. Its got way more giddi up than the 128 HP 2.7 L I-6 in the bimmer. Gets mid 30s MPG instead of mid 20s too. Yet, is a soulless transportation appliance, not what I call a "car" By no means am I panning the Camry, it performs spectacularly. Just soulless.

 

[Omahaug]

I would never buy a Nissan again, especially an Altima. I would definitely go with the Toyota.

I've worked on enough Nissans to realize they're [censored] over the years and Nissan never owns up to their issues. You pay out of pocket for every defect.
* Defective intake manifold gasket on some model year Altimas that virtually everyone experienced? No recall, have fun paying out of pocket for that insanity where the engine has to be almost removed to get access to the intake manifold studs.
* Floorboards, front and rear subframes completely rusting out (even in California)? No recall, weld your own floorboards suckers.
* Melting dashboards in Altimas? No recall, in fact not even a warranty replacement until they got sued. Then they offered to pay all but 250 for their cheap, [censored] materials choice.
* Leaking oil coolers on multiple Nissan and Infiniti models due to poorly designed o-ring (that they superceded with a new part number by the way)? No recall, have fun losing almost half a quart over a few days, until you change it out yourself. Hope you're checking your dipstick too.
* Defective CVTs in virtually every model? I'm not aware of anyone who had a Sentra or Rogue that didn't have a CVT that exploded inside.

The kicker was all of these were consistent (as in virtually everyone experienced them) and they were safety issues. They turned into a [censored] company with [censored] business practices that I wouldn't give a dime to. I couldn't care less whether their recent cars are any good, their corporate credibility is shot in my book. Plenty of good brands to choose from.

 

[Sierra048]

Hey Trav. I was hoping you'd see this and respond. I kinda felt you'd feel this way from my CVT thread. Much appreciated.

Satin, I didn't realize this was a first year update to the Camry. I do know next year will be a new iteration for the Altima (new engine from what I've read) so that would definitely give me pause. Was the engine changed or replaced in this newer Camry? I actually have looked at CPO Camrys. And granted I haven't tried to deal on one, but the itemized OTD price I received in writing, well actually e-mail, on the new one from a dealer was priced the same as a CPO without the 25k plus miles. Mrs. Sierra048 has never been a fan of used vehicles. She was scarred a long time ago. But I do appreciate your advice.

Char Baby, yes the discounts are what really makes the Altima an attractive option. It might be at the top of my list if it wasn't my paranoia over the CVT.

JeffK, I'm still a little nervous about the past Nissan CVT issues, and especially the way some of those people were treated by Nissan Corporate. And we are currently in our second in a row Nissan vehicle. My son still drives his 06 Altima (don't think it's a CVT, I might be wrong) from Dover, De to La Guardia in NY several times a week as a pilot for Delta. Fortunately he's a maintenance freak like me. For me personally, I'd like to see how the newer CVTs perform and hold up to higher mileages. I like the 2018 Altima's styling as much, if not more, than the Camry.

This is the great thing about not needing a vehicle. Time is on my side so it definitely works to my advantage. And if changing vehicles doesn't happen, my life will not be affected at all.

 

[SatinSilver]

Originally Posted By: Sierra048
but the itemized OTD price I received in writing, well actually e-mail, on the new one from a dealer was priced the same as a CPO without the 25k plus miles. Mrs. Sierra048 has never been a fan of used vehicles. She was scarred a long time ago. But I do appreciate your advice.


In that case I'd get a new one. Plus I know how some people want a new car. For only $500 more or so you can get the SE version which has a different front bumper cover, bigger wheels, sport suspension, and a few other bits. Compare both, probably the LE has a softer ride and my brother prefers this model because of that. The SE can be a bit tiring over long hwy rides. Esp if the pavement isn't that smooth. I do like the front-end look of the SE and the wheels but that's about it. So a few trade-offs btwn the two models.

Also the 4 cylinder engines use 0w16 oil but they now use a traditional metal can oil filter. Funny it's the same filter that the 05 Matrix uses. The previous gen Camry had a cartridge oil filter.

 

[Tom NJ]

Originally Posted By: andyd
Yet, is a soulless transportation appliance, not what I call a "car" By no means am I panning the Camry, it performs spectacularly. Just soulless.


That's my feeling as well - certainly not a technically valid opinion, they are well built cars - but feel soulless, just a competent family transportation appliance as you say.

I have 10 years and 120,000 miles on my 08 Altima and have been very satisfied with it. And I happen to love the CVT, which BTW had a 10 year warranty. Very comfortable touring vehicles.

I will buy a new vehicle next year and am considering another Altima or a Madza 6. I have rented 10 new Altimas in the past three years and love the look and feel, but will give the Madza every opportunity. Toyotas and Hondas are out for me, again just based on feelings over facts. YMMV

 

[Sierra048]

Satin,

The quote I got was for an SE model. I have no idea about the drivability differences between one trim over the other. But I will definitely keep that in mind if I can get by there next week. If time permits, I'll drive both. And I believe the LE is a little priced less, not factoring in options of course. That would be a plus as well. I would consider a low mileage CPO Camry. But my bride, not so much.

JeffK, forgot to address you Honda Accord suggestion. I have looked at them, only on line so far. Pricing wise, given my purchase parameters, probably not doable. But I investigate them more when I have the time. Again, my timeline isn't a factor so maybe something could happen with an Accord.

 

[ZZman]

I owned several Camrys. Never a problem. Both had 4 cylinder engines that were perfectly adequate for normal use.

 

[wag123]

Rent both cars for a week (or at least several days) and use them like you will be using them after you buy one. This is the BEST way to find out which car is appropriate for your needs, which one you like the most, weather or not you can actually live with a car after owning trucks and SUVs for so long (this is important), and will go a long way towards keeping you from making an expensive mistake. Even if you decide on one of the cars you are looking at, rent one first.
Within the last year I have rented both of the cars you are looking at. For some reason I decided that I would never purchase the Altima. I don't recall exactly why, but I think it was because of a number of usability issues.

 

[Delta]

Would go for the SE trim as well. Our '15 is an SE and it has been a good car, the suspension is a little stiffer, but it makes driving curvy roads and mountains easy. The 170hp I-4 handles the 12% mountain just fine, so I'm sure the new I-4 would do just fine as well.

 

[Trav]

Originally Posted By: NoNameJoe
I would never buy a Nissan again, especially an Altima. I would definitely go with the Toyota.

I've worked on enough Nissans to realize they're [censored] over the years and Nissan never owns up to their issues. You pay out of pocket for every defect.
* Defective intake manifold gasket on some model year Altimas that virtually everyone experienced? No recall, have fun paying out of pocket for that insanity where the engine has to be almost removed to get access to the intake manifold studs.
* Floorboards, front and rear subframes completely rusting out (even in California)? No recall, weld your own floorboards suckers.
* Melting dashboards in Altimas? No recall, in fact not even a warranty replacement until they got sued. Then they offered to pay all but 250 for their cheap, [censored] materials choice.
* Leaking oil coolers on multiple Nissan and Infiniti models due to poorly designed o-ring (that they superceded with a new part number by the way)? No recall, have fun losing almost half a quart over a few days, until you change it out yourself. Hope you're checking your dipstick too.
* Defective CVTs in virtually every model? I'm not aware of anyone who had a Sentra or Rogue that didn't have a CVT that exploded inside.

The kicker was all of these were consistent (as in virtually everyone experienced them) and they were safety issues. They turned into a [censored] company with [censored] business practices that I wouldn't give a dime to. I couldn't care less whether their recent cars are any good, their corporate credibility is shot in my book. Plenty of good brands to choose from.


You left out the broken cat fiasco they mounted right at the engine that drew ceramic back into the cylinders when it broke up and smoked the engine.
Other than being good sold well built transportation Toyota is a rock solid company that will make good on problems that may arise at a later date, that's worth a lot in my book!
I don't care much for the looks of Toyota cars but then again you don't marry the best looking girl in town either, we all know where that ends up, lets just say not the most reliable long lasting relationship. sometimes there is a lot to be said for decent or average looking.

 

[Cujet]

I rent cars all the time. I’d pick the Camry, without a doubt. It’s tempting to get a cheap Altima, and they do drive well. But they are far from long term reliable as mentioned above. I’d get an Altima if I traded every few years.

 

[SatinSilver]

The Camry is very quiet inside. Kind of like a mouse peeing on cotton.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Nissan is still having a lot of problems with their CVT. Subaru's works great, though.

Originally Posted By: Char Baby
The Camry is a great choice.
Don't overlook the Hyundai Sonata/KIA Optima and Mazda 6.

Although I am an Altima owner w/CVT and love it, it was the $8000 off sticker that is the HOOK in my area on new Altima's. Every year, two dealers in my area knock off TONS of money off of Altima's twice/yr. My niece picked up a '17 Altima in December'17 for $15K brand new! Can't go wrong at these prices.

However, you should stay with the more reliable vehicles.


I just did a 600 mile road trip in a Kia Optima. My 65mph driving netted over 40MPG ! My friend driving with the cruise st at 78 for us 35MPG. That's pretty good. It was very comfortable and pretty quick for a 4 cylinder large car

 

[Pelican]

Originally Posted By: Sierra048
Have been toying around with the idea of selling the Sierra 1500 and getting a smaller vehicle with better gas mileage for trips to see the grandkids.

Given our location, locally, within thirty minutes, the options are Chevy, Dodge and Ford. Nothing in the Dodge line-up excites me and the Chevy and Ford offerings all seem to come with start/stop which is something I'm not interested in. Expanding my search to two hours adds Toyota and Nissan. Three hours opens up just about every brand available. I'd like to stay as close to home as possible for warranty work purposes should we follow through.

First off, we haven't had a sedan in probably thirty years. Always had trucks, Jeeps and SUVs. And nothing with a four cylinder engine. My one and only four cylinder engine vehicle was the worst vehicle I have ever owned, power wise, and I swore I'd never own another one.

We aren't into luxury vehicles. Just basic, comfortable and reliable transportation. Not concerned with all the tech they add to cars today. No navigation needed. We still use an old Garmin GPS that fits our needs just fine. I don't even know what Apple Play and Android Auto are, or do. I actually like the way both the Camry and Altima look.

Keeping with the closer to home theme, choice #1 would be a Toyota Camry. The ones in our price range all come with a four cylinder, 204 hp engine, and it makes me nervous even with all the technical advances in engines that have been made. It doesn't appear to have a CVT transmission which is a plus. Choice #2 is the Altima with a 179 hp, four cylinder engine. Again, no choice as the six cylinder option is a lot higher. It does have a CVT engine which scares me (I recently started a thread on my CVT concerns).

The goal here is to break even with the value of the Sierra and anything that replaces it. I prefer not to have to pay any large differences. I've actually gotten a few OTD quotes that could make this a reality. We actually have to go across the mountain next week for Mrs. Sierra's drs appointment so I think I will schedule test drives of both vehicles since I'm already in town.

So, I guess I'm asking those who know these two vehicles what pros and cons come with each. I know anyone gracious enough to respond might suggest other vehicles and that's OK but I'd really like to focus on the Camry and Altima first.


I've had great luck with Toyota, on a Tercel I put 430K Km without any problems. Since you are in the mountains and have to deal with winter weather there may I suggest that you take a look at Subaru, don't worry about their CVT it's been beefed up and is the best in the business, also i think that all 4cyl Toyotas have a CVT. I have a Subaru outback 2001 in which NOTHING has gone wrong.