Starting at
Starting at
| 29-32 | Fuel Economy (MPG) combined | 25-32 |
| 15.4 | Cargo Capacity (cu-ft) | 15.1 |
| 100.8 | Passenger Volume (cu-ft) | 100.4 |
In the battle of midsize sedans, the Camry has been challenged for the throne many times over the years. The Nissan Altima is easily one of its closest rivals, and each new model year seems to put Nissan's sedan closer to dethroning the Camry. When it comes to performance and features, both cars are quite similar, but they also have some definitive and distinct features as well. In the battle of the 2021 Nissan Altima vs 2021 Toyota Camry, it's a hard-fought showdown between two of the best sedans available on the market.
For the 2021 model year, the Camry and Altima make some modifications to their trim line-ups. The Altima is available in six different trims, including the base S trim, the SV, SR, SL, SR VC-Turbo, and the Platinum. Select trims are available in front-wheel drive or intelligent all-wheel drive. The Camry trim line-up includes the LE, SE, XLE, XSE, TRD, the XLE V6, and XSE V6. Overall, the Nissan Altima offers more tech, better fuel economy, and a lower price than Toyota's option.
The Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry come packed with lots of technology, furthering their competitive rivalry with all the latest features that the market has to offer. Both sedans contain all the standard technological amenities you've come to expect from today's market of automobiles. Some of these features include wireless connectivity through Bluetooth support, as well as standard integration for multimedia access with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The Camry and Altima both come with a number of safety and driver-assist technologies. On the Camry's end, there's the Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+ system, which comes with a number of automated features such as pre-collision detection and mitigation, as well as driving aids for maintaining lane consistency and reading nearby road signs. You have similar technology available in Nissan's Safety Shield system, with intelligent lane intervention, blind spot warnings, and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection. There's no shortage of assists and aids on the technology front for the Camry and Altima.
When it comes to stability and traction control, the Altima utilizes a dynamic electronic system to reduce wheel slippage and increase traction across various road surfaces. This works well in conjunction with the Altima's available all-wheel drive system. Alternatively, the Camry utilizes the Star Safety System, which includes vehicle stability control, traction control, as well as four-wheel anti-lock brakes. So both vehicles are technologically capable of handling all manner of road conditions and travel circumstances. Where they begin to differ is in the automated systems.
The 2021 Toyota Camry has a Dynamic Radar Cruise Control system, which utilizes follow-distance information based on sensors located in the front grille of the Camry. It adjusts the speed and distance of the Camry according to the vehicle in front of it. It's a neat system that improves on the typical cruise control functionality, keeping drivers at safe distances while cruise control is active. The system, however, is not quite as advanced as the Altima's offerings.
With the 2021 Nissan Altima, drivers have access to a unique feature known as ProPILOT Assist. Available for select trims, the Nissan Altima's ProPILOT driver assistance technology brings a near hands-free experience to driving the sedan. The automated driving technology not only manages your speed in conjunction with the Nissan Intelligent Cruise Control system, but it can even bring the vehicle to a complete stop and then get it rolling again. Thanks to the Navi-Link synchronization, the ProPilot feature can intuitively maintain its lane even during turns. This certainly adds another level of value to the technology offered by the Altima and elevates it quite a bit in comparison to the Camry.
Inside the Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry, you'll find plenty of space and comfort, enabling seating for up to five people. However, the Altima edges out the Camry with slightly more space when it comes to both passenger volume and cargo capacity. The differences may seem small on paper, but they are quite noticeable once you get inside.
The Camry has 38.3-inches of headroom and 42.1-inches of legroom up front. By comparison, in the Altima, you have 39.2-inches of headroom and 43.8-inches of legroom in the front. If you are looking for a comfortable sedan that won't leave you feeling cramped during your commute, then the Nissan Altima has a real advantage with its additional headroom and legroom.
This dimensional advantage for the Altima also carries over into the cargo capacity. For the Camry, you have up to 15.1 cubic feet of cargo volume in the trunk. The Altima, however, features up to 15.4 cubic feet of cargo volume. This means you have just an extra bit of room to store goods, which can make a pretty big difference when going grocery shopping, storing items, or packing all of your kids' items into the back.
Within the interior, you also have the benefit of special modifications for the Altima that aren't available for the Camry. Certain trims for the Camry come standard with leather-trimmed upholstery for the front seats. Other trims come standard with Sport SofTex seats with red stitching. The Altima, however, takes things a step further. Not only does it include sport cloth seat trimming, but you also have the option for leather-appointed seats too. As an added bonus, you can also take advantage of some trim-standard features such as carbon-fiber interior elements, giving the Altima a very high-end sporty look and something you won't find in the Camry.
One very important aspect of midsize sedans is being able to get drivers and passengers to and from their destinations without expending a lot of fuel. A lot of car shoppers want to ensure that when they buy a sedan, they have access to great fuel economy ratings. It's one of the benefits of having a smaller vehicle as opposed to something larger like an SUV or a truck. Both the 2021 Camry and 2021 Altima have amazing fuel economy ratings, topping out at 28 miles per gallon in the city and 39 miles per gallon on the highway.
The best fuel economies come from the front-wheel drive and 2.5L four-cylinder engines used by both vehicles in their standard configurations. That includes the base S trim for the 2021 Altima and the LE trim for the 2021 Camry. Both vehicles also offer all-wheel drive systems, but the Altima has a specially designed Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system that works in conjunction with its continuously variable transmission. The system is designed to provide the Altima with the maximum amount of efficiency and traction based on road conditions and changes in weather.
The difference in the drivetrain technology helps give the Altima a slight edge in fuel economy efficiency over the Camry when both are equipped with all-wheel drive. The Camry's all-wheel drive configurations top out at 25 miles per gallon in the city and 34 miles per gallon on the highway, with a combined fuel economy rating of 29 miles per gallon. Meanwhile, the Altima's Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system manages 26 miles per gallon in the city and up to 26 miles per gallon on the highway, with a combined fuel economy rating of 30 miles per gallon.
Both of these sedans also offer an upgraded engine. The 2021 Altima uses a highly advanced 2.5L variable-compression turbocharged engine, while the 2021 Camry continues to offer a somewhat dated V6. The difference in technology means that the top Nissan is rated for 29 miles per gallon combined against just 26 miles per gallon combined for Toyota's offering.
If you were looking for an affordable midsize sedan with great fuel economy, excellent all-weather handling, and efficient performance, there is only one option. You save a lot more with the Altima while getting equal or better gains on the fuel economy depending on the drivetrain configuration.
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With our service center and expert technicians, we can keep your Nissan running in excellent shape. Schedule to have your vehicle receive a regular checkup or take advantage of our discounts so you can get the best deals on oil changes, tire rotations, and more. Learn about how you can drive a new Nissan today by contacting Newton Nissan South today!
*Images, fuel economy, and other stats, may reflect higher trim levels, options, or features that may result in a higher cost from the starting MSRP.
MSRP excludes tax, license, registration, additional options, and possible destination charges. Dealers set own prices.
