Ford Taurus vs. Nissan Altima
iSeeCars' unbiased and data-driven comparison of the Ford Taurus 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 Ford Taurus and the Nissan Altima.
When comparing the Ford Taurus's and the Nissan Altima's specifications and ratings, the Ford Taurus has the advantage in the areas of interior volume and 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, reliability, resale value and overall quality score. Based on this comparison of the Ford Taurus's and the Nissan Altima's specifications and ratings, the Nissan Altima is a better car than the Ford Taurus.
Pricing: A used 2019 Ford Taurus ranges from $13,500 to $25,808 while a used 2019 Nissan Altima is priced between $13,492 to $22,998.
Resale/Retained Value: Looking at the 5-year depreciation rate for both models, the Ford Taurus loses 50.2 percent of its value and the Nissan Altima loses 46 percent of its value. This means the Nissan Altima retains 4.2 percentage points more of its value and has the advantage of higher resale value versus the Ford Taurus.
Quality Rating: The iSeeCars Overall Quality rating for the Ford Taurus is 8.4 out of 10 while the Nissan Altima's quality rating is 8.6 out of 10. This results in the Ford Taurus being ranked 5 out of 8 Best Large Cars and the Nissan Altima being ranked 5 out of 13 Best Midsize Cars.
Reliability Rating: iSeeCars’ Reliability Rating for the Ford Taurus is 7.8 out of 10. For the Nissan Altima the reliability rating is 8.3 out of 10. This gives the Nissan Altima a slight advantage in reliability compared to the Ford Taurus.
Engine Power and Fuel Efficiency Comparison: For engine performance, the Ford Taurus’s base engine makes 288 horsepower, and the Nissan Altima base engine makes 188 horsepower. The Taurus is rated to deliver an average of 21 miles per gallon, with a highway range of 494 miles. The Altima is rated to deliver an average of 32 miles per gallon, with a highway range of 632 miles. This gives the Nissan Altima the fuel efficiency and maximum range advantage over the Ford Taurus. Both models use regular unleaded.
Passenger Space Comparison: The Ford Taurus, a large car, has the advantage of offering more interior volume, reflected in more front leg room, rear head room, rear leg room, and cargo space. The Nissan Altima, a midsize car, has the advantage in the areas of front head room, front shoulder room and rear shoulder room.
Safety Ratings: When comparing crash test ratings from NHTSA, both the Ford Taurus and the Nissan Altima have the same average safety rating of 5 out of 5 Stars.
New Car Pricing
Asking Price:
-
Starting MSRP:
$27,800
Category Avg Starting MSRP:
(Large Cars)
$34,651
Category Starting MSRP Range:
(Large Cars)
$27,800 - $59,900
New Car Pricing
Asking Price:
-
Starting MSRP:
$24,000
Category Avg Starting MSRP:
(Midsize Cars)
$25,231
Category Starting MSRP Range:
(Midsize Cars)
$22,090 - $35,845
Used Car Pricing
Avg Used Car Price:
$18,925
Price Range:
$13,500 - $25,808
Category Avg Price:
(Large Cars)
$23,414
Category Avg Price Range:
(Large Cars)
$18,925 - $30,111
# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:
64
Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:
77,553
# Good or Great Deals:
17
Used Car Pricing
Avg Used Car Price:
$18,098
Price Range:
$13,492 - $22,998
Category Avg Price:
(Midsize Cars)
$19,884
Category Avg Price Range:
(Midsize Cars)
$16,374 - $28,348
# Used Cars for Sale Nationally:
834
Avg Mileage of Used Cars for Sale:
78,184
# Good or Great Deals:
315
Ford Taurus Scores & Rankings
Overall Score:
8.4 / 10
Reliability:
7.8 / 10
Retained Value:
7.4 / 10
Safety:
10.0 / 10
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 Ford Taurus
Remaining Life Expectancy (years):
4.3
Typical Category Remaining Life Expectancy:
(Large Cars)
5.2
Category Remaining Life Expectancy Range:
(Large Cars)
4.3 - 10
Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:
6.9%
iSeeCars Reliability Insights for Nissan Altima
Remaining Life Expectancy (years):
5
Typical Category Remaining Life Expectancy:
(Midsize Cars)
5
Category Remaining Life Expectancy Range:
(Midsize Cars)
4.3 - 8
Chance of Reaching 200k Miles for a New Car:
13.7%
Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls
Expected Lifetime Recalls:
1.2
Typical Category Recalls:
(Large Cars)
2.3
Category Range for Recalls:
(Large Cars)
1.2 - 5.2
Expected 30-year Lifetime Recalls
Expected Lifetime Recalls:
5.4
Typical Category Recalls:
(Midsize Cars)
2.3
Category Range for Recalls:
(Midsize Cars)
1.3 - 16
Ford Taurus Rankings
Ranking
1 out of / 1Ranking
2 out of / 8Ranking
3 out of / 8Ranking
4 out of / 8Ranking
5 out of / 8Ranking
5 out of / 8Ranking
6 out of / 8Ranking
7 out of / 8Nissan 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
Flex Fuel, Gasoline
Available Drivetrain Options
Gasoline
Ford Taurus Trim Levels
Limited, Police Interceptor, SE, SEL, SHO
Nissan Altima Trim Levels
2.0 Platinum, 2.0 SR, 2.5 Platinum, 2.5 S, 2.5 SL, 2.5 SR, 2.5 SV, Edition One
Warranty Information
Warranty, Bumper-to-Bumper:
3 years / 36000 miles
Warranty, Powertrain:
5 years / 60000 miles
Warranty, Roadside Assistance:
5 years / 60000 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):
5 out of 5 Stars
2024 NHTSA Overall Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
2024 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:
5 out of 5 Stars
2024 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:
5 out of 5 Stars
2024 NHTSA Rollover Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
IIHS Safety Rating:
Not yet available
Safety Ratings
NHTSA Safety Rating (last 5 year average):
5 out of 5 Stars
2024 NHTSA Overall Rating:
5 out of 5 Stars
2024 NHTSA Front Crash Overall Rating:
4 out of 5 Stars
2024 NHTSA Side Crash Overall Rating:
5 out of 5 Stars
2024 NHTSA Rollover Rating:
5 out of 5 Stars
IIHS Safety Rating:
Not yet available
Base Drivetrain Specs
Horsepower:
288 hp @ 6500 rpm
Torque:
254 foot-lbs @ 4000 rpm
Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):
0.074 hp per pound
Base Drivetrain Specs
Horsepower:
188 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque:
180 foot-lbs @ 3600 rpm
Power-to-Weight Ratio (higher is better):
0.059 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):
18 / 26 / 21
Range (city/hwy):
342 / 494 miles
Recommended Fuel Type:
Regular Unleaded
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 / AWD
EPA Fuel Economy
(City/Highway/Combined MPG):
28 / 39 / 32
Range (city/hwy):
454 / 632 miles
Recommended Fuel Type:
Regular Unleaded
Standard/Optional Features
Alloy wheels:
Standard
Bench Seats:
Standard
Bluetooth:
Standard
Keyless Entry:
Standard
Power outlet:
Standard
Voice Recognition:
Standard
Adaptive Cruise Control:
Available
Android Auto:
Available
Apple CarPlay:
Available
Automatic Parking:
Available
Cooled/Ventilated Seats:
Available
Heated Seats
Available
Heated Steering Wheel:
Available
Keyless Ignition:
Available
Leather Upholstery:
Available
Navigation System:
Available
Paddle Shifters:
Available
Parking Sensors:
Available
Satellite radio:
Available
Sunroof/Moonroof:
Available
Air Suspension:
N/A
Captain's seat:
N/A
Front Bench Seats:
N/A
Internet Radio:
N/A
Massage Seats:
N/A
Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof
N/A
Power Lift Gate:
N/A
Quad Seats:
N/A
Roadside assistance:
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
Keyless Entry:
Standard
Power outlet:
Standard
Voice Recognition:
Standard
Adaptive Cruise Control:
Available
Android Auto:
Standard
Apple CarPlay:
Standard
Automatic Parking:
N/A
Cooled/Ventilated Seats:
N/A
Heated Seats
Available
Heated Steering Wheel:
Available
Keyless Ignition:
Standard
Leather Upholstery:
Available
Navigation System:
Available
Paddle Shifters:
Available
Parking Sensors:
Available
Satellite radio:
Standard
Sunroof/Moonroof:
Available
Air Suspension:
N/A
Captain's seat:
N/A
Front Bench Seats:
N/A
Internet Radio:
N/A
Massage Seats:
N/A
Panoramic Sunroof/Moonroof
N/A
Power Lift Gate:
N/A
Quad Seats:
N/A
Roadside assistance:
Available
Roof Rack:
N/A
Trailer Hitch:
N/A
Wifi:
N/A
Wireless Smartphone Charging:
N/A
Safety Features
Backup camera:
Standard
Blind Spot Monitoring:
Available
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:
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 Seat Reminder:
N/A
Safety Features
Backup camera:
Standard
Blind Spot Monitoring:
Available
Rear Cross-Traffic Alert:
Available
360-Degree Camera:
Available
Driver Attention Monitoring:
Standard
Forward Collision Warning:
Standard
Lane Departure Warning:
Available
Lane Keeping Assist:
Available
Pedestrian Detection:
Available
Rear Seat Reminder:
Standard
Interior Dimensions
Front Head Room:
39 inches
Front Leg Room:
44.2 inches
Front Shoulder Room:
57.9 inches
Rear Head Room:
37.8 inches
Rear Leg Room:
38.1 inches
Rear Shoulder Room:
56.9 inches
Cargo Space:
20.1 cubic feet
Overall Interior Volume:
102.2 cubic feet
Interior Dimensions
Front Head Room:
39.2 inches
Front Leg Room:
43.8 inches
Front Shoulder Room:
58.2 inches
Rear Head Room:
36.9 inches
Rear Leg Room:
35.2 inches
Rear Shoulder Room:
57.1 inches
Cargo Space:
15.4 cubic feet
Overall Interior Volume:
100.8 cubic feet
Exterior Dimensions
Curb Weight:
3917 lbs
Width:
85.7 inches
Height:
60.7 inches
Length:
202.9 inches
Wheelbase:
112.9 inches
Ground Clearance:
5.1 inches
Exterior Dimensions
Curb Weight:
3212 lbs
Width:
72.9 inches
Height:
56.7 inches
Length:
192.9 inches
Wheelbase:
111.2 inches
Ground Clearance:
Not yet available
Standard Wheel/Tire Information
Wheel Size:
18.0 x 8.0 inches
Wheel Type:
painted aluminum alloy
Tire Size:
P235/55R18
Standard Wheel/Tire Information
Wheel Size:
16.0 x 7.0 inches
Wheel Type:
steel
Tire Size:
P215/60R16
Exterior Colors
Black
Agate Black
Blue
Blue
Gray
Magnetic
Silver
Ingot Silver
White
Oxford White
Exterior Colors
Black
Super Black
Blue
Deep Blue Pearl
Gray
Gun Metallic
Silver
Brilliant Silver Metallic
White
Glacier White
Interior Colors
Beige
Dune
Black
Not available
Gray
Not available
Interior Colors
Beige
Not available
Black
Charcoal
Gray
Light Gray