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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Nissan Altima hybrid - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
By Bruce D - October 4 - 7:40 amIve only had my car for 3 weeks, but so far so good. One of the big benefits is the roominess. Im 65 tall, and I have lots of leg room. The car has surprising power for a hybrid.
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Nice, but... - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
By mattyj - September 19 - 9:56 pmI traded a 2006 Honda Civic LX 4dr for the Altima Hybrid. The Civic got great MPG and drove well but the seat was just too uncomfortable. I wanted a 4 door with some comfort and about 35 MPG, When you look around there are not that many comfortable cars that get 35+. I hope that changes in the future. But for now the Altima Hybrid fits the bill. The car drives great, it is hard to keep out of the gas, the CVT and engine make this car feel like a V6, but if you drive it like that the mileage suffers. If you drive a little more reserved the car rewards with great mileage. The drivers seat is comfortable so far with 11,000 miles on it.
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Great Car - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
By Tropo - July 11 - 12:46 pmJust picked ours today. I drive a 2007 Atima SE V6 MT, and my "Better Half" 2001 Audi S4 was getting to be too expensive to maintain. We have the sunroof and Tech package. It is a fun car to drive and the price and tax benefits are better than the Toyota Camry Hybrid. After driving the Audi S4, we were wondering about the feel of the hybrid, but so far, the acceleration is great and with the money that we save over MTC of the Audi and 50% better fuel, this car will pay itself off in tree years.
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Great Car - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
By Andy - June 28 - 11:03 pmIve had my Altima for a month now. To date Im very pleased with everything about it. Most important for me was comfort. Im 5-9, 200, Leg, hip and shoulder room are excellent. On a recent long trip I never felt uncomfortable or fatigued. The driving position is great, especially thanks to the tilt/telescoping steering wheel. Gas mileage so far has been 29.5 combined,with the AC running.
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Love my Hybrid - 2011 Nissan Altima Hybrid
By hbrhonda - May 26 - 9:24 pmI have had mine for 2 years and there is nothing I would change. I havent had anything break or wear out.
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Bad Company, Bad Car - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
By nissannever - May 19 - 2:17 pmFor Nissan Altima Hybrid owners the carbon buildup is about to hit the fan, or not, which is the problem. Be ready to spend at least $4,500 to replace the cylinder head in your car. My 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid needs a cylinder head replacement at a minimal cost of $4,500. Carbon buildup due to improper discharge is the cause. Its a design/manufacture defect known to Nissan for years and theyve acknowledged in an internal bulletin that it is occurring in at least 1 in 4 Nissan Altima Hybrids. My Altima is within the five-year warranty period, but has 64,000 miles on it so falls just outside warranty. They wont honor the warranty and wont recall. Bad company - Bad car. Boycott Nissan.
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Great purchase - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
By Dan - April 23 - 8:13 amI originally purchased this car for my wife, she really liked the looks. I own a 2007 Dodge quad cab pick-up w/hemi, you can imagine the gas mileage. I figured the altima hybrid would complement the truck. Ends up I use the altima for everything, except towing and payload. I would never have believed it if you said I would love this machine. I do, it is great looking, good on gas, 2 years with no problems, and the 200 horses do make a difference. It would be much easier for me to write what I dont like about the vehicle.
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Not Bad . . but Pricey - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
By tjf - April 23 - 4:46 am18 Month Update - Pros: - Nice sporty & aggressive profile - OK gas mileage on open road (mid 30s)- Clean looks inside - Very roomy front & back. - Cons: (TTT)Terribly tiny trunk - when cold lousy gas mileage(in mid- No folding back seat - high 20s)not acceptable for the price. - Tech package nice but Nav just OK - not intuitive -backup cam great when back windshield fogged up. - Sometimes start button doesnt start the system/engine ? ? ? even when clearly depressing the brake pedal requirement) - Black trim beneath front bumper got torn off by an average parking cement block. - Cant seem to upload my cell phonebook - No success programming garage door opener on mirror. - No ala carte.
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Awesome vehicle - 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid
By Jeff C. - April 12 - 1:36 amMy base Altima Hybrid is a fantastic car that feels like a $40,000 car. I just filled up the tank for the first time after 26 days and 615 miles of use. My first tankful worked out to 37.7 MPG. I feel great about saving money at each fill-up, the $2350 tax credit, and reducing my carbon dioxide emissions. The car is very smooth and quiet, especially in EV mode. Even with the base model, the radio is quite respectable with 18 presets, CD player, and auxiliary audio to plug in your iPod. The intelligent key is great, no more fumbling for keys. There is a good amount of information on the trip computer including MPG, hours of usage, range to empty, outside temperature.
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We just love this car! - 2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid
By Tropo - February 2 - 12:06 amThis is our second Altima. The first is 2007 SE with tech, and this one is a hybrid with a sunroof and tech package. The day we got it, we drove from Philadelphia to DC for the weekend and back. total miles 300, half a tank of gas. Car is great, and best part is the button start and everything is totally quiet in the car. I can go on and on, but the bottom line is we compared it to the Camry, and we liked this one better. We got the Metallic Jade (green), so we have a true green car in more than one way!
