The Nissan Altima is a great family car or simply a starter vehicle and in my opinion is very reliable, safe and somewhat luxury, depending on the trim you choose. I will start with the most basic trim of the Altima which is the 2.5. It is a very simple car with barely anything in it. It has a 2.5 liter, 4 cylinder engine, am/fm stereo and cloth upholstery.

No options are available on this trim, or in other words everything is standard and unchangeable. The next step up, the 2.5 S, has everything the 2.5 has plus a single disc CD player, air conditioning, power windows and door locks, remote entry, and also adds some options making not everything standard. Some of these options are in the Premium Convenience Package which adds a moon roof, a six-disc Bose CD system.

The 2.5 SL adds a standard moon roof, heated leather seats and replicated wood grain. Then comes the 3.5 SE which includes the following: dual chrome exhaust pipes, better higher, performance tires, seventeen inch alloys and fog lights.

While the lower quality trims have a standard four cylinder engine, anything from the 2.5 SL and up can have an upgraded six cylinder engine as an option for approximately $1000 more.

My recommended trim level for the Nissan Altima would have to be the 2.5 S as it is what I drive and I am very satisfied with it in my two years of driving it. Overall I have no complaints and think it is a great car for anybody who prefers Nissan’s. At 119,000 miles it has only suffered from one break down which is great.