Nissan Altima review: a capable sedan that lives in the Camry's shadow in Bahrain
3.7/5motorssouq Editorial Team
Buy the 2.5-litre Altima if you want a comfortable, roomy, well-equipped midsize sedan and are prepared to sell it privately rather than lean on strong dealer trade-in values. It drives well, ProPILOT is a genuinely useful highway feature most rivals still charge extra for, and the CVT is more resilient than its reputation with regular fluid services. Skip the VC-Turbo grade unless you specifically want the performance — it adds complexity for a car most owners drive gently.
Pros
- 188 hp 2.5L engine is smooth and comfortable for daily Bahrain driving
- Roomiest rear seat and biggest boot in its mainstream competitive set
- ProPILOT Assist is a genuinely useful highway feature, standard on higher grades
- 248 hp VC-Turbo available on SL for buyers who want real pace
- Sharper steering than most class rivals
Cons
- Resale value trails the Camry regardless of condition
- Xtronic CVT needs documented fluid changes to be trusted used
- VC-Turbo engine is costlier and more complex to service outside a dealer
- No official GCC crash-test rating on record
The Altima sits in an odd spot in Bahrain: it is roomier than a Camry inside, drives with noticeably sharper steering, and — on the SL grade — offers a 248 hp VC-Turbo engine no rival in the class can match on paper. None of that has translated into Camry-rivalling resale, and that gap is the single biggest factor in whether an Altima makes financial sense for you.
The two engines
The 2.5-litre four is the one most Bahraini Altimas carry, and it is the one to buy: 188 hp is enough for comfortable causeway cruising, and the naturally aspirated engine is mechanically simpler than the turbo alternative. The VC-Turbo's variable compression ratio is a genuine engineering achievement, but it is also a more complex engine to service outside a Nissan dealer, and the extra performance is wasted on most owners' daily commute.
Both engines pair with Nissan's Xtronic CVT, which has a real reliability history to reckon with on earlier Altima generations. The current unit is improved, but a used example without documented fluid changes should be budgeted as needing one immediately, not treated as a maybe.
Living with it in Bahrain
Cabin space is the Altima's strongest practical argument — rear legroom beats most rivals in the class, and the 436-litre boot swallows a family's luggage without complaint. ProPILOT Assist, standard on higher grades, genuinely earns its keep on the long, straight stretch of the causeway to Saudi Arabia, holding lane and distance with less driver fatigue than a standard adaptive cruise system.
The trade-off is resale. Bahraini buyers default to the Camry when they think 'used Japanese sedan,' and that instinct shows up at trade-in time regardless of how well an individual Altima has been kept. Buy one because you want the space and the ride, not because you are chasing the lowest cost of ownership on paper.