Acura TL vs. Nissan Altima
iSeeCars' unbiased and data-driven comparison of the Acura TL and Nissan Altima contrasts the two cars across a broad spectrum of vehicle specifications to determine which car is better. In addition to comparing pricing and specs, iSeeCars uses all the ratings, rankings, and insights from its comprehensive analyses of each vehicle model, including calculations of reliability, safety, depreciation, value retention, and the vehicle's projected lifetime recalls (based on analyzing over 25 billion data points). This in-depth evaluation is used to identify which vehicle represents a better overall choice for shoppers who are considering both the Acura TL and the Nissan Altima.
When comparing the Acura TL's and the Nissan Altima's specifications and ratings, the Acura TL has the advantage in the area of base engine power. The Nissan Altima has the advantage in the areas of typical lower range of pricing for one- to five-year-old used cars, and fuel efficiency and interior volume. Based on this comparison of the Acura TL's and the Nissan Altima's specifications and ratings, the Nissan Altima is a better car than the Acura TL.
Pricing: A used 2014 Acura TL ranges from $8,997 to $18,995 while a used 2014 Nissan Altima is priced between $5,500 to $14,991.
Engine Power and Fuel Efficiency Comparison: For engine performance, the Acura TL’s base engine makes 280 horsepower, and the Nissan Altima base engine makes 182 horsepower. The TL is rated to deliver an average of 23 miles per gallon, with a highway range of 537 miles. The Altima is rated to deliver an average of 31 miles per gallon, with a highway range of 684 miles. This gives the Nissan Altima the fuel efficiency and maximum range advantage over the Acura TL. Both models use gasoline.
Passenger Space Comparison: The Nissan Altima has the advantage of offering more interior volume, reflected in more front head room, front leg room, rear head room, rear shoulder room, and cargo space. The Acura TL has the advantage in the areas of front shoulder room and rear leg room.
Safety Ratings: The Nissan Altima has an average safety rating of 5 out of 5 Stars based on NHTSA's crash test ratings.
New Car Pricing
Asking Price:
-
Starting MSRP:
$36,030
Category Avg Starting MSRP:
(Luxury Midsize Cars)
$56,253
Category Starting MSRP Range:
(Luxury Midsize Cars)
$29,690 - $115,000
New Car Pricing
Asking Price:
-
Starting MSRP:
$22,170
Category Avg Starting MSRP:
(Midsize Cars)
$23,263
Category Starting MSRP Range:
(Midsize Cars)
$20,295 - $35,200
Used Car Pricing
Avg Used Car Price:
$14,123
Price Range:
$8,997 - $18,995
Category Avg Price:
(Luxury Midsize Cars)
$19,273
Category Avg Price Range:
(Luxury Midsize Cars)
$11,726 - $32,895
# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:
39
Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:
119,697
# Good or Great Deals:
7
Used Car Pricing
Avg Used Car Price:
$9,854
Price Range:
$5,500 - $14,991
Category Avg Price:
(Midsize Cars)
$11,122
Category Avg Price Range:
(Midsize Cars)
$8,608 - $13,988
# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:
358
Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:
121,467
# Good or Great Deals:
86
Acura TL Scores & Rankings
Overall Score:
Not available
Reliability:
Not available
Retained Value:
Not available
Safety:
Not available
Nissan Altima Scores & Rankings
Overall Score:
8.6 / 10
Reliability:
8.3 / 10
Retained Value:
7.6 / 10
Safety:
10.0 / 10
iSeeCars Reliability Insights for Acura TL
Remaining Life Expectancy (years):
1.3
Typical Category Remaining Life Expectancy:
(Luxury Midsize Cars)
1.4
Category Remaining Life Expectancy Range:
(Luxury Midsize Cars)
0.5 - 4.6
Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:
41.6%
iSeeCars Reliability Insights for Nissan Altima
Remaining Life Expectancy (years):
Typical Category Remaining Life Expectancy:
(Midsize Cars)
1.2
Category Remaining Life Expectancy Range:
(Midsize Cars)
0.1 - 3
Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:
13.7%
Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls
Expected Lifetime Recalls:
4.1
Typical Category Recalls:
(Luxury Midsize Cars)
3.8
Category Range for Recalls:
(Luxury Midsize Cars)
1.3 - 15
Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls
Expected Lifetime Recalls:
6.5
Typical Category Recalls:
(Midsize Cars)
6.5
Category Range for Recalls:
(Midsize Cars)
1.1 - 16.6
Acura TL Rankings
Not yet available
Nissan Altima Rankings
Ranking
2 out of / 13Ranking
3 out of / 13Ranking
3 out of / 13Ranking
3 out of / 6Ranking
4 out of / 13Ranking
4 out of / 6Ranking
5 out of / 13Ranking
5 out of / 13Ranking
5 out of / 9Ranking
7 out of / 13Ranking
11 out of / 13Ranking
11 out of / 13Ranking
13 out of / 13Available Body Styles
Sedan
Available Body Styles
Sedan
Available Drivetrain Options
Gasoline
Available Drivetrain Options
Gasoline
Acura TL Trim Levels
Base, SH-AWD, SH-AWD w/Advance, SH-AWD w/Tech, w/Advance, w/SE, w/Tech
Nissan Altima Trim Levels
2.5, 2.5 S, 2.5 SL, 2.5 SV, 3.5 S, 3.5 SL, 3.5 SV
Warranty Information
Warranty, Bumper-to-Bumper:
4 years / 50000 miles
Warranty, Powertrain:
6 years / 70000 miles
Warranty, Roadside Assistance:
4 years / 50000 miles
Warranty Information
Warranty, Bumper-to-Bumper:
3 years / 36000 miles
Warranty, Powertrain:
5 years / 60000 miles
Warranty, Roadside Assistance:
3 years / 36000 miles
Safety Ratings
NHTSA Safety Rating (last 5 year average):
Not yet available
2025 NHTSA Overall Rating:
5 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Rollover Rating:
5 out of 5 Stars
IIHS Safety Rating:
Not yet available
Safety Ratings
NHTSA Safety Rating (last 5 year average):
5 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Overall Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:
5 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:
5 out of 5 Stars
2025 NHTSA Rollover Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
IIHS Safety Rating:
Not yet available
Base Drivetrain Specs
Horsepower:
280 hp @ 6200 rpm
Torque:
254 foot-lbs @ 5000 rpm
Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):
0.075 hp per pound
Base Drivetrain Specs
Horsepower:
182 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque:
180 foot-lbs @ 4000 rpm
Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):
0.057 hp per pound
Engine Specifications
Engine Size:
3.5 liters
Engine Configuration:
V
Number of Cylinders:
6
Transmission:
Automatic
Standard/Optional Drivetrain Type:
FWD / AWD
EPA Fuel Economy
(City/Highway/Combined MPG):
20 / 29 / 23
Range (city/hwy):
370 / 537 miles
Recommended Fuel Type:
Gasoline
Engine Specifications
Engine Size:
2.5 liters
Engine Configuration:
Inline
Number of Cylinders:
4
Transmission:
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT Automatic)
Standard/Optional Drivetrain Type:
FWD
EPA Fuel Economy
(City/Highway/Combined MPG):
27 / 38 / 31
Range (city/hwy):
486 / 684 miles
Recommended Fuel Type:
Gasoline
Standard/Optional Features
Alloy wheels:
Standard
Bench Seats:
Standard
Bluetooth:
Standard
Heated Seats
Standard
Keyless Entry:
Standard
Leather Upholstery:
Standard
Paddle Shifters:
Standard
Power outlet:
Standard
Roadside assistance:
Standard
Satellite radio:
Standard
Sunroof/Moonroof:
Standard
Cooled/Ventilated Seats:
Available
Keyless Ignition:
Available
Navigation System:
Available
Parking Sensors:
Available
Voice Recognition:
Available
Adaptive Cruise Control:
N/A
Air Suspension:
N/A
Android Auto:
N/A
Apple CarPlay:
N/A
Automatic Parking:
N/A
Captain's seat:
N/A
Front Bench Seats:
N/A
Heated Steering Wheel:
N/A
Internet Radio:
N/A
Massage Seats:
N/A
Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof
N/A
Power Lift Gate:
N/A
Quad Seats:
N/A
Roof Rack:
N/A
Trailer Hitch:
N/A
Wifi:
N/A
Wireless Smartphone Charging:
N/A
Standard/Optional Features
Alloy wheels:
Available
Bench Seats:
Standard
Bluetooth:
Standard
Heated Seats
Available
Keyless Entry:
Standard
Leather Upholstery:
Available
Paddle Shifters:
Available
Power outlet:
Standard
Roadside assistance:
N/A
Satellite radio:
Available
Sunroof/Moonroof:
Available
Cooled/Ventilated Seats:
N/A
Keyless Ignition:
Standard
Navigation System:
Available
Parking Sensors:
N/A
Voice Recognition:
Available
Adaptive Cruise Control:
N/A
Air Suspension:
N/A
Android Auto:
N/A
Apple CarPlay:
N/A
Automatic Parking:
N/A
Captain's seat:
N/A
Front Bench Seats:
N/A
Heated Steering Wheel:
Available
Internet Radio:
Available
Massage Seats:
N/A
Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof
N/A
Power Lift Gate:
N/A
Quad Seats:
N/A
Roof Rack:
N/A
Trailer Hitch:
N/A
Wifi:
N/A
Wireless Smartphone Charging:
N/A
Safety Features
Backup camera:
Available
Blind Spot Monitoring:
Available
360-Degree Camera:
N/A
Driver Attention Monitoring:
N/A
Forward Collision Warning:
N/A
Lane Departure Warning:
N/A
Lane Keeping Assist:
N/A
Pedestrian Detection:
N/A
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:
N/A
Rear Seat Reminder:
N/A
Safety Features
Backup camera:
Available
Blind Spot Monitoring:
N/A
360-Degree Camera:
N/A
Driver Attention Monitoring:
N/A
Forward Collision Warning:
N/A
Lane Departure Warning:
N/A
Lane Keeping Assist:
N/A
Pedestrian Detection:
N/A
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:
N/A
Rear Seat Reminder:
N/A
Interior Dimensions
Front Head Room:
38.4 inches
Front Leg Room:
42.5 inches
Front Shoulder Room:
58.2 inches
Rear Head Room:
36.7 inches
Rear Leg Room:
36.2 inches
Rear Shoulder Room:
56.2 inches
Cargo Space:
13.1 cubic feet
Overall Interior Volume:
98.2 cubic feet
Interior Dimensions
Front Head Room:
40 inches
Front Leg Room:
45 inches
Front Shoulder Room:
56.4 inches
Rear Head Room:
37.1 inches
Rear Leg Room:
36.1 inches
Rear Shoulder Room:
56.4 inches
Cargo Space:
15.4 cubic feet
Overall Interior Volume:
101.9 cubic feet
Exterior Dimensions
Curb Weight:
3726 lbs
Width:
74 inches
Height:
57.2 inches
Length:
194 inches
Wheelbase:
109.3 inches
Ground Clearance:
6.1 inches
Exterior Dimensions
Curb Weight:
3182 lbs
Width:
72 inches
Height:
57.9 inches
Length:
191.5 inches
Wheelbase:
109.3 inches
Ground Clearance:
Not yet available
Standard Wheel/Tire Information
Wheel Size:
17.0 x 8.0 inches
Wheel Type:
aluminum alloy
Tire Size:
P245/50R17
Standard Wheel/Tire Information
Wheel Size:
16.0 x 7.0 inches
Wheel Type:
steel
Tire Size:
P215/60R16
Exterior Colors
Black
Crystal Black Pearl
Blue
Still Night Pearl
Gray
Graphite Luster Metallic
Red
Basque Red Pearl II
Silver
Silver Moon Metallic
White
Bellanova White Pearl
Brown
Not available
Exterior Colors
Black
Super Black
Blue
Storm Blue
Gray
Gun Metallic
Red
Cayenne Red
Silver
Brilliant Silver
White
Pearl White
Brown
Java Metallic / Saharan Stone
Interior Colors
Beige
Parchment
Black
Ebony
Gray
Graystone
Interior Colors
Beige
Beige
Black
Not available
Gray
Charcoal