Nissan Altima vs. Toyota Camry… what should I do?

Hey everyone, I just got out of a car payment with Carmax. My last car was a Ford, and it treated me well, but I had to let it go after an accident. Now, I have a 2013 Nissan Altima with a brand new transmission, and it’s running fine for now. But I’ve been hearing about all the CVT problems these cars have. The person I got the car from is recommending that I switch it out for a Toyota Camry since he had a lot of trouble fixing the Altima over time. I haven’t driven the Toyota yet, but I’ll be taking it for a test drive tomorrow.

What do y’all think? Should I stick with the Altima or switch to the Camry?

So, are you currently driving the Altima, or are you still deciding between cars? I’ve always been a big fan of Toyota—they’re super reliable. Nissan can make decent cars too, but Toyota is just known for lasting longer.

My ‘13 Altima has been fine so far, but I always worry about the day the transmission might go out. Definitely take the Toyota for a spin and see how you feel about it. Ultimately, it’s about which one gives you the most peace of mind.

If the seller is recommending the Toyota, ask him about any issues with that car too before you make your decision.

@Landry
He’s probably just pushing the Toyota because he’ll make more money off that sale.

I’ve got a 2011 Altima, and it’s been great for me with no issues. But I know I’m in the minority. A lot of the older CVTs have problems. If you can get your hands on a Toyota Corolla around the same year, I’d go for that instead. Those things last forever with proper maintenance.

@Tanisha
I also have a 2011, and I love it!

Mecarmind1 said:
@Tanisha
I also have a 2011, and I love it!

Same here, my 2011 Altima is a beast. No problems at all.

Among my friends, we have SUVs and compacts from Toyota, Nissan, and Hyundai.

  • Toyota: Reliable but rides a bit rough.
  • Nissan: More comfortable, but not as reliable.
  • Hyundai: Tries to do both but doesn’t quite nail it.

For long-term reliability, I’d go with Toyota. If you don’t drive a lot of miles every year, you might not notice much difference. For heavy use, though, you’ll likely appreciate Toyota’s dependability more.

Toyota transmissions are way better. Just make sure you’re changing the transmission fluid every 30k miles, and it’ll last a long time.

Fisher said:
Toyota transmissions are way better. Just make sure you’re changing the transmission fluid every 30k miles, and it’ll last a long time.

That’s solid advice for any car, really.

I’ve had my 2013 Nissan Sentra for 11 years now, and it’s got over 100k miles. I had to replace the CVT at 93k miles, but the car is still going strong. I also own two Toyotas, and they’re just as reliable as my Nissan. You might want to consider an Infiniti, though. The pre-2015 Q50 or the G35/37 have better transmissions and the famous VQ engines.

@Gerald
How often do you change the CVT fluid?

brad said:
@Gerald
How often do you change the CVT fluid?

Not exactly on the dot, but I’ve done it at 50k and 80k miles.

CVTs can be a real headache.

FrankRich2 said:
CVTs can be a real headache.

Not if you service them at the recommended intervals. Same as Toyota—change the fluid every 30k miles and don’t drive too hard, and you’ll be fine.

@Quinlan
What counts as ‘driving too hard’ with a CVT?

Dezi said:
@Quinlan
What counts as ‘driving too hard’ with a CVT?

Treat it like any other car. It’s not a race car, and you’re not in Fast & Furious. Just don’t push it too hard.

Quinlan said:

Dezi said:
@Quinlan
What counts as ‘driving too hard’ with a CVT?

Treat it like any other car. It’s not a race car, and you’re not in Fast & Furious. Just don’t push it too hard.

I just bought a 2011 Nissan Qashqai with a CVT and 60k miles. It’s my first car. I try not to drive aggressively, but is going up ramps right after starting the car bad for the transmission?

@Dezi
Nah, you’re fine. Just think of it like oil changes—if you ignore it for 50k miles, it’s going to break down. But as long as you maintain it properly, the car will be just fine.

I’ve got a 2009 Altima with over 170,000 miles on it, and I’ve only recently run into transmission issues. It actually went into limp mode on a really hot day, but since then, no problems.

The Altima is a great car if you want something that’s fuel-efficient but still sporty. But if you live in a really hot area, like California, the transmission might give you more trouble over time.

I’d go with the Toyota. Nissans, especially the Altima, tend to have engine or transmission issues once they hit 100k miles or earlier.