Nissan Altima 2011–2012 car dimensions: 4844 mm long, 1795 mm wide and 1474 mm high. Unladen weight is 1,442 kg. Braked towing is 454 kg.
The cabin seats five with air conditioning standard and dual-zone automatic climate control plus rear vents on higher packages. Cruise control comes standard with steering-wheel controls. An available RearView Monitor aids parking, shown on a color display. Touchscreen appears with the optional hard-drive navigation or Bose audio system. No advanced driver aids like emergency braking or blind-spot systems are listed.
Trunk volume is 15.3 cubic feet with the 60/40-split rear seats up. The split fold helps with longer items but no expanded volume figure is published.
Maximum towing load is 1000 lb with tongue weight limited to 100 lb. Trailers at that weight require brakes. Payload sits near 1100 lb based on GVWR minus curb weight. The car is set up for passenger and light cargo use rather than heavy work.
The cabin is roomy and refined with soft-touch materials, padded armrests and chrome accents. It has a driver-oriented layout with Fine Vision gauges. Front seats are buckets with available 8-way power driver adjustment and lumbar support. Heated front seats and leather appointments are available on higher grades. A power sliding glass moonroof is available. Dual-zone automatic climate control and rear passenger vents are available. There are multiple cup and bottle holders.
2.5L engine rated 23 city/32 highway mpg. 3.5L V6 rated 20 city/27 highway mpg
20-gallon fuel tank
NHTSA overall 4 stars (4 front, 5 side, 4 rollover)
IIHS Good in moderate overlap front and side tests
Standard Advanced Air Bag System, side-impact and curtain air bags, ABS, VDC, TCS, TPMS, LATCH
The 2.5-liter four-cylinder delivers up to 32 mpg highway. The 3.5-liter V6 is rated 27 mpg highway. Both use regular unleaded fuel with a 20-gallon tank.
Standard safety equipment includes the Nissan Advanced Air Bag System with dual-stage front air bags, seat belt sensors and occupant classification, front side-impact air bags, roof-mounted curtain air bags for front and rear outboard seats, front seat belts with pretensioners and load limiters, active head restraints, ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, Vehicle Dynamic Control, Traction Control and Tire Pressure Monitoring System. Zone Body construction provides front and rear crumple zones. NHTSA rates the sedan overall 4 stars. IIHS rates moderate overlap front and side Good.
Oil and filter changes follow the periodic maintenance schedule in the owner's manual, with intervals based on normal or severe driving conditions. The vehicle has a 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty.
Length 4844 mm, Width 1795 mm, Height 1474 mm, Wheelbase 2775 mm (Altima 2011–2012)
Sources: manufacturer data, Nissan 2011 USA Altima specifications PDF and 2012 Nissan Altima Sedan Specifications.