Nissan Altima ST 2014 Review

Forget any connection between this car and the Nissan Altima V8 Supercar – only the name is the same. The ST Altima we've just tested is a mainstream medium size four door sedan out of Thailand filling the space vacated by Nissan’s earlier Maxima.

PRICE / FEATURES

Altima comes in a number of grades starting with the ST which goes for $29,990 placing it mid-field with the competition that includes Holden Malibu, Camry, Kizashi, Optima, Mazda6 and many more.

The Bluetooth phone and audio (sometimes difficult to sync) is handy, it has a reasonable audio system, three drive modes – Eco and D and D Sport, cruise, multi wheel controls, button start, dual zone climate control, keyless entry, folding rear seats, multi info display and cloth upholstery.

It misses out on any of the newer driver assist features, satnav or reverse camera. But on the plus side is a five star crash rating and three year capped price servicing. It rides on a strut front and multi-link rear suspension on 16-inch alloys.

DESIGN / STYLING

It looks like a scaled-up Pulsar, perhaps not as visually challenged as that car but there’s a distinct family resemblance between the two. The styling "grows" on you particularly the front and it looks better from some angles, not three quarter rear.

The Altima is big for the class with plenty of room inside for five and a big boot. It’s a heavy car at 1435kg but has a generous amount of standard kit to make travel time easier. The interior is quite stylish in a generic ‘’Japanese’’ way featuring a number of fascia materials and a stylish and functional dash design. We found the seats to be relatively comfortable over a long drive.

ENGINE / TRANSMISSION

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It’s powered by a 2.5-litre petrol four cylinder engine driving the front wheels via a stepped CVT "auto" transmission. The engine has been around for a while in other Nissan products and is good for 127kW/230Nm output – once again, ballpark for the class though some competitors achieve considerably better outputs.

The ST we drove was an economy king regularly clocking 6.5-litres/100km - better than the factory claim. And Nissan calibrates it to run on the cheap 91 octane brew for more savings.

DRIVING

We were quietly impressed with the ST Altima because it fulfils the family sedan role admirably. Ride comfort is impressive but not the least sporty, the engine will cruise smoothly and quietly though becomes raucous when accelerating hard.

Performance is surprisingly good given Altima’s weight and engine output, possibly attributable to the CVT which still has that annoying slurr when accelerating but seems to adequately harness available power and torque. It would also no doubt have a lot to do with the Altima ST’s economy. Cruise control with auto brake function would be handy.

We drove this base model car back to back with the range topping TI-S V6 model that costs a heap more but really can’t justify the extra dosh. It goes a bit better uses a lot more fuel and has more kit, bigger wheels and a classier overall look but 15 grandextra is hard to swallow. Perhaps the ST-L or Ti four cylinder models might be a better bet.

VERDICT

The Nissan Altima ST offers plenty of metal for the money in a safe, comfortable, five seat sedan.

MODEL RANGE

Altima ST 2.5-litre petrol four-door sedan: from $29,990
Altima ST-L 2.5-litre petrol four-door sedan: from $35,890
Altima Ti 2.5-litre petrol four-door sedan: from $40,190
Altima Ti-S 3.6-litre petrol four-door sedan: from $45,390

Nissan Altima ST
Price: from $29,990
Warranty: 3 years/100,000km
Capped servicing: optional (6 years/120,000km)
Service interval: 6 months/10,000km
Resale: N/A
Safety: Not tested
Engine: 2.5L four-cylinder, 127kW/230Nm
Transmission: CVT; FWD
Thirst: 6.5L/100km
Dimensions: 4.9m (L), 1.8m (W), 1.5m (H)
Weight: 1536kg
Spare: Space-saver