the honda accord and toyota camry jockey for the top spot as sedan sales leader each month, with the nissan altima perennially coming up short. the redesigned-for-2019 model's attractive pricing and new features are likely to turn shoppers' heads. when the 2019 altima goes on sale, it'll start at $24,645, slightly above the outgoing model's $24,155 base price (all prices include destination).
the new altima is the sixth generation of the mid-size sedan and packs a lot of changes for 2019, including an updated multimedia system, new turbocharged used engine and available all-wheel drive — something the accord and camry don't offer.
under the hood, the v-6 is gone for 2019, replaced by a new optional 248-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder. the standard used engine is a 188-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder. although it has the same displacement as last year's used engine , nissan says it features 80 percent new parts and a small bump in power. both used engine are mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission.
trim levels include s, sr, sv, sl and platinum. the base price is for the entry s model, which comes well-equipped with standards like forward automatic emergency braking, a driver drowsiness monitor, the rear-door alert system, apple carplay and android auto, an eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat and an 8.0-inch touchscreen multimedia display. all-wheel drive is an additional $1,350 option across the lineup, but it's only available with the base used engine . the optional used engine is only available on the sr and platinum trims; it's $4,050 extra on the sr and $3,000 extra on the platinum.
sr models start at $25,995, adding upgrades like sport seats, blind spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert.
sv models start at $28,825 and add goodies like a moonroof, led foglights, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel. sv and higher trims come with many more safety features under nissan's safety shield 360 umbrella: it adds pedestrian detection to the forward automatic braking system, as well as rear automatic braking, automatic high beams, lane departure warning, and the propilot assist adaptive cruise control and lane-centering system. these are unavailable on the s and sr trims.
the range continues to climb with the sl starting at $30,735 and the top platinum trim at $32,675. additional features include a premium sound system, navigation, leather seats, driver memory seat and around-view camera.
the new altima's pricing puts it squarely in between its rivals. it undercuts the camry — but just barely. the 2019 toyota camry starts at $24,765 and features some safety standards only available on higher-trim altimas, namely the safety sense p system, which includes forward collision warning with automatic braking, high-speed adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist.
the 2018 honda accord (model-year 2019 prices aren't yet available) starts a bit lower at $24,465 and its base model comes with more standard safety goodies, too, like adaptive cruise control, lane-centering steering and forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking.
the 2019 nissan altima goes on sale wednesday.
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