Review: 2023 Nissan Altima SR VC-Turbo - Nice, but Needs More

I spend a week with the refreshed 2023 Nissan Altima SR VC-Turbo to see what it's like to live with Nissan's sportiest Altima. While the VC-Turbo motor does add to the fun and a new "sport-tuned" suspension firms it up slightly, the Altima doesn't go as far as it's competitors do, even though it costs as much as those sportier competitors costing $36,440 as-tested. What do you think about the Altima, would you pick it or go with the Camry TRD, Sonata N-Line or K5 GT instead? Thanks to Nissan for providing this vehicle to review.

Time stamps:
0:00 Exterior
1:03 Interior
5:26 Initial driving impressions
7:17 Acceleration
9:37 Handling and ride
13:20 Highway driving and safety tech
16:25 Fuel economy
17:18 Pricing and competitor comparisons
19:38 Final thoughts

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[NissanAltimaGuy]

My Platinum Vc-Turbo is 5 years old in August with 45k miles and has given me no issues besides a washer fluid sensor (under bumper-bumper). It’s been on long road trips from Tx-Va-Fl-Tx and got 36-41mpg that entire trip. For the power it puts out on 93 octane (I’ve gotten 5.4 0-60) and the gas mileage it gets Go Nissan.

[simpleyummy]

I had one as a rental before and it had the smoothest ride I ever experienced lol

[ADHD_guy_reacts]

Recently, Nissan is one of the most decent and reliable cars in the market today.

[SandeepSingh-jszt]

The sport button is the little button on the shifter!

[Eddie-loves-cars]

Another great review and great content. Thank you Matt for continuing to give us quality reviews and top notch videos. I always enjoy watching your reviews.

[somejackball]

beautiful color in the sun, and the new Nissans are fabulous! just got a new 23 Versa SR, love it, came with Bose, all kinds of tech.. only thing i hate is that they killed the fog lights, same on the new Altimas. why, not sure.. but for some weird reason, the Mexico and Canadian versions DO come with fog lights on SR models, and some SV's.. that really sucks. but love Nissan products. daughter has a 22 Rogue, she loves it.

[tvp]

There is a “sport” mode. Press the “—“ button on the shifter. You’ll see it switch to Ds.

[israelr]

I still have a 2003 SE-R Spec V of the B15 platform, and I think that's the last true "R".

[im_an_alvani]

Really sharp looking car! Wish the dealer network was a bit better, but Nissans are looking pretty handsome (IMO) these days.

[pistolpete]

Great review Matt, your points about this Vs the competition are spot on.

[Borp]

Have you tried the Legacy Touring XT? I haven't driven any of the new generation Legacy or Outback models, but I have driven a new crosstrek while my wife's 2022 WRX was getting a service done, and their lane keep assist is so annoying. It felt like it would try to push me off the road especially on the highway in Colorado. Glad that the wife's car is a manual and doesn't have any of that "safety tech."

[twotrackjack]

Thanks Matt, another great review. I will definitely give Nissan their due, they consistently make products I find appealing. Good designs, reasonably good interior spaces, usually great sounding and performing engines and nearly all of them share the same problem. CVT automatic transmission. I still have PTSD from my mom's '08 jeep patriot fwd with a Nissan cvt. that was purchased new, before most of their faults were widely known. I'm aware that Nissan has improved and refined the designs of what they make and I'm sure they are much better now, and that's awesome for the economy cars.. but I'm still pretty hesitant on a cvt with a sporty car this size and this kind of torque long term. I hope these things prove me wrong.

[carterdavis]

The heated steering wheel getting scalding hot should be a plus because over time it has more wiggle room if it starts to go bad or lose heat. I agree with everything about the drivetrain though... the CVT sucks but everyone knows that by now lol.

[lions]

The last Altima I wanted was a 2006 SE-R which had the same 3.5 VQ35DE as the G. It was. Poor man's TL type S competitor, and although fwd biased, it was fun to drive. I have no interest in current Nissan products, especially because of the CVT.

[chipperxavier]

There is a sport mode for this vehicle. On the gear selector stalk is a button just beneath the main gear selector lock. Pressing this button will toggle between Automatic and Sport mode. Automatic mode will select all of your gear ratios for you. Sport mode will hold your shifts until you Up or Down shift using the paddle shifters. If the computer in the car senses danger, it will kick in, even in Sport mode, to adjust your ratios in most cases. Engaging sport mode will automatically change the ratio points, which gives you more aggressive kick-in for accelerator pedal engagement. If you are currently in motion, you will notice upon pressing the Sport mode button that the ratio for the continuously variable transmission (CVT) decreases, which will bump up your RPMs by approximately 500. A bit of background: I owned a 1998 Nissan Maxima 5 speed, a 2004 Nissan Maxiima 6 speed, a 2015 Nissan Altima, a 2017 Nissan Altima SR, and currently a 2022 Nissan Altima SR. - Chipper Xavier.

[mr.c]

We have the 2020 Altima sv, it’s a company car but I really like it. It’s a bit small for my taste, I drive a sequoia so I’m used to having a ton of space, but the Altima it’s pretty sporty and the interior it’s nice. I’m not a fan of the cvt transmission but it gets great gas mileage. It has over 50k miles and no issues. The heated seat do burn your butt if left for too long and the heated steering I really like. Overall it’s a nice little car. I wouldn’t buy it but since it’s free, I’ll take it!!

[Rico.suave]

Sport mode is the small button with the line on it on the gear selector

[keiserious]

Altima looks great, even better than the Camry but it’s drivetrain is the dealbreaker.

[tymac]

6:00 into the video you mentioned the cvt issue, ...I experience the same thing on my 2023 VW Taos.

[carguy-xvcl]

Unlike the Kia you don't have to worry about it catching fire in your garage.