Overview & Reviews

At the beginning of Prius-mania, Nissan could see itself venturing up a creek without a paddle. Or rather, into a new fuel economy-conscious market without a hybrid. As a quick fix, Nissan swallowed its pride and essentially purchased the rights to Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive. This marriage resulted in the Nissan Altima Hybrid, a sedan that combined the high-tech, fuel-saving benefits of Toyota's hybrid technology with the Altima's sporty looks and driving dynamics.

It was an impressive combination, and in many ways the Altima Hybrid was the most desirable hybrid sedan on the market during its time. Unfortunately, Nissan only sold it in handful of states, and annual sales numbers were pretty miniscule. As such, the Altima Hybrid will be pretty hard to find as a used car.

Most Recent Nissan Altima Hybrid
The Nissan Altima Hybrid was introduced at the same time as the regular, redesigned Altima for 2007. Unlike its non-hybrid sibling, however, it was discontinued after 2011.

The Altima's hybrid powertrain is essentially identical to Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive in both design and function. It combines a modified version of the Altima's 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine (which makes 158 horsepower in this application) and an electric motor capable of 40 hp and 199 pound-feet of torque. Both gasoline and electric aspects operate together or one at a time, depending on driving conditions, to optimize fuel economy and power. They combine for 198 hp, with fuel economy estimated at 35 mpg city/33 mpg highway and 34 mpg combined -- on par with the contemporary Toyota Camry Hybrid.

Standard equipment was ample, with things like keyless ignition/entry, dual-zone automatic climate control and a power driver seat among its standard features. Options were aplenty including a sunroof, leather upholstery, heated front seats, Bluetooth, navigation, a rearview camera and a Bose sound system. Unfortunately, these options were encapsulated in three pricey packages that limited customer choice and made the MSRP rise faster than Bundt cake in a broiler. As such, expect used Nissan Altima Hybrids to come with either a lot of equipment or very little.

The Nissan Altima Hybrid set itself apart from the Toyota and others by being a rare green car that didn't completely suck the life out of driving. While it was no sport sedan, it managed to keep much of the spirited acceleration and road-holding prowess of the gas-powered four-cylinder Altima. At the time, we also gave the car high marks for its precise steering, top-notch interior materials and strong crash safety scores.

During its life, changes were limited to 2010 when Nissan slightly tweaked the exterior styling, upgraded the interior fabric and added an iPod interface to the options list.

User Reviews:

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  own 2 NAH - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By steve - August 30 - 2:10 pm

  This is my second report.... One NAH 7 weeks old, 1300 miles got 35.8 actual mpg on second fill up (trip computer had 38.3, but they are always higher than actual) More stop and go & suburban miles. Other NAH 6 weeks old, over 5000 miles, mostly highway driving getting between 33 and 35 mpg.

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  Former Skeptic - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By NEW HBD FAN - May 25 - 5:13 pm

  Traded in my Audi A4 for the Altima Hybrid. Its as comfortable, as quiet, as loaded with features, as beautiful... and I get 42 mpg on my 75 mile commute instead of 29 mpg on the Audi. I just set the cruise control to 65, ease up on the pedal around town, and the car does its magic. Add the regular gas instead of premium, and the $2500 tax credit, and Im saving a lot of money. OK, I give up something on zip and handling, but I definitely gain something just knowing Im not spending all that money on gas and supporting the dictators who run most of the oil producing countries... plus having a hybrid has a certain cache that makes up for the loss of the luxury car nameplate.

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  Cash Back and Tax Credit Did It - 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Phil - May 24 - 12:26 am

  Had the hybrid for 1700 miles. It has greatly exceeded my expectations. I am getting 38.3 mpg and as the engine breaks in, I expect it to go higher. The list price of $29k was a little steep, but with $3250 cash back by Nissan and a $2350 tax credit, I was able to get this vehicle, with the Convenience package for under $21k.

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  Like it lots, despite a few problems - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By researchqueen - May 6 - 4:03 pm

  Have had my Altima Hybrid for 10 months and really enjoy driving it. Its got great pick-up, feels like it was made to suit me physically, and looks great. The fuel economy is sub-par -- averaging 30mpg mostly in city driving, which means Im paying a lot for a hybrid that isnt performing as expected. I initially had to have the 12v battery replaced, then the headliner. Now theres an issue with the engine control module and the NAV system (which I dont find particularly intuitive). Despite all this, really enjoy driving it and despite the smaller cargo capacity, it can hold pretty much whatever I need it to and seats three kids well in the back. Still a great combo of practicality and fun

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  Update after 1st service, 3500 miles - 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Ralph - April 18 - 9:30 pm

  Update: Mileage has improved to 35.2 driving to work and around town. Zero fit, finish or operating problems to this point. Interior heating, a/c, radio, switches easy to use and convenient. Feature I do not like is charging port for my cell phone, it is inside center storage and not easy to see and plug in the plug.

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  Better than the Camry - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By altiman - April 14 - 3:40 pm

  After owning an 07 Camry se for about a year, I decided to trade it in for the hybrid altima. What a great decision that was. Sure the Camry had good v6 power, but it lacked in features. For $30k I was able to get a hybrid Altima with every available feature. Which by the way was what I paid for the Camry with no real fun features.

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  Sips gas and comfy ride - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Fran - April 1 - 7:10 pm

  I love this car! I had a 2001 Altima GLE and traded it in for the hybrid. Purchased 10 days ago and traveled almost 1500 miles traveling from NYC to North Carolina and back. I averaged 41 MPG at highway speeds of 60-70. Coming home we hit a tremendous amount of traffic on US 95 and in the bumper-to-bumper traffic the car averaged 47 MPG. Besides the great gas mileage, the car rides quiet and smooth. After driving over 500 miles in a day, I still say: I love this car!! I have the basic model with no frills and with the 2.9% financing and the $2,350 tax credit, the purchase was a no- brainer.

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  Great car so far - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Robert - March 10 - 6:33 am

  I purchased the car 4/11/08 and have almost 7000 miles on it already. The power is great (for a hybrid). So far I wish for a bigger trunk, but I knew that before I purchased it. Braking is top notch and I have never needed more power in passing or on hills. I drive mainly freeway to work and road trips. My gas mileage has been 30-32 mpg avg. I have seen as high as 37 mpg but like I said I drive pretty fast. I average 75-90 on the freeway. The car is very solid at all speeds but does very poorly up to speed with wind.

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  Better than driving a cheese-wedge - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Steve - January 29 - 10:36 pm

  I sold my high performance MBZ and became green about 16 months ago. Living on a hill impacts the gas miles I get but I average about 35 mpg on regular gas. The car comfortably seats 5 adults. The design is pleasing to the eye. I got the model without the technology package but has one electric seat and a few minor extras ($25K) minus the $2300 rebate. The Altima drives better than the Camry hybrid without the clunky shifting from electricity to gas. Since gas prices have doubled since buying the car it was definitely worth the extra dollars over the gas only Altima models.

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  I love this car! - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
  By Pleased owner - December 25 - 10:43 am

  I bought my Altima 6 months ago and have not regretted my decision once. I bought the fully equipped Technology package and I have found the features included comparable with cars costing significantly more. I am getting a consistent 33-35 mpg with about 50-50 highway/street driving. I have not experienced any issues at all, not even a minor squeak or rattle. I must say that I love this car!! I would recommend it to anyone looking for a hybrid that still feels and looks sporty.