2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid Consumer Reviews

Saving $150/month and loving it

Written by: familyman3kids on 10/20/2008

Vehicle

2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

Review

When I leased my pathfinder 3 years ago gas was at $2 per gallon and I never paid attention to my fuel economy. With gas over $3 I realized I was only getting 14 MPG and something had to change. We have a family of 3 little ones and are constantly taking 5-10 mile trips that involve a lot of starting and stopping. When the light changes we are usually in a rush and don't have time to drive this car conservatively - we hit the gas. We have put 985 miles on the car and are still on our second tank of gas, I have a bit less than 1/4 tank. On my first tank we averaged 28 MPG and I think we are at 30 right now. This translates to over $150/month savings on gas alone.

Favorite Features

Our car is black with tan leather. We have all the options except the nav or sunroof. The look and feel of the leather is outstanding. I love the "smart key". The exterior is wonderful to look at.

Suggested Improvements

1 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Great car

Written by: leroy patterson on 10/10/2008

Vehicle

2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

Review

We like our car a lot. Like others say small trunk space. Was surprised at how much room in rear seat. Plenty of power. We get 29-33 mpg others say they get more, we drive 75 mph, and my wife has heavy foot.

Favorite Features

Like overall car.

Suggested Improvements

Power seat, passenger side. Memory drivers side. More trunk space.

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Best of Both Worlds!

Written by: Hospice Nurse on 10/04/2008

Vehicle

2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

Review

The Altima Hybrid is just a great car. Love the look, I have the metallic jade green and get positive comments all the time. I'm a hospice nurse and spend my days driving to my patients' homes, so I make a lot of 5-10 mile trips and spend a lot of time in the car. I can drive it responsibly and get about 35-37 mpg, or drive it aggressively and get 30-32 mpg. Comfort is important to me and it is very quiet and comfortable. In addition to getting great mileage in town, it is a strong highway cruiser. My wife loves driving it on the highway, the acceleration is awesome. We call it the "Green Ghost."

Favorite Features

With federal and state tax credits, total price is unbelievable for a car of this quality. Good handling with quiet, comfortable ride.

Suggested Improvements

Smooth out the rumble when the gas motor engages. Make it easier to stay in electric mode up to 40 mph. Make them available in all 50 states. Ship more base models, which have traction and stability control, auto dual climate control and are real comfortable without $10,000 of extra stuff.

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Former Skeptic

Written by: NEW HBD FAN on 09/24/2008

Vehicle

2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

Review

Traded in my Audi A4 for the Altima Hybrid. It's as comfortable, as quiet, as loaded with features, as beautiful... and I get 42 mpg on my 75 mile commute instead of 29 mpg on the Audi. I just set the cruise control to 65, ease up on the pedal around town, and the car does its magic. Add the regular gas instead of premium, and the $2500 tax credit, and I'm saving a lot of money. OK, I give up something on zip and handling, but I definitely gain something just knowing I'm not spending all that money on gas and supporting the dictators who run most of the oil producing countries... plus having a hybrid has a certain cache that makes up for the loss of the luxury car nameplate.

Favorite Features

Mileage! Very comfortable and quiet.

Suggested Improvements

The nav system and systems touchscreen are not at all intuitive. Could stand some redesign.

3 out 4 people found this review helpful

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Thumbs up!

Written by: Psquared on 08/22/2008

Vehicle

2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

Review

This car gets more compliments than any other car I have ever owned. Handles great, plenty of power precise handling.

Favorite Features

XM stereo, GPS... tricky to learn but once you do, works great. Voice recognition, keyless entry are all great options. Rear seat room is fantastic as well.

Suggested Improvements

Both seats should be power not just the drivers. Memory position for seats! A fog light kit, have the spot built in the front spoiler but no kit..what?? Factory Floor mats so cheaply made that they almost look disposable. Nissan should be embarrassed.

7 out 7 people found this review helpful

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2008 Altima Hybrid

Written by: Don on 08/19/2008

Vehicle

2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

Review

I purchased my NAH in June of 2008 and the first thing I wanted to test was to see how it did in the mountains in New Mexico. We took it to Santa Fe and to Cloudcroft and it never hesitated up those mountain slopes getting 33 mpg on average with regular fuel. We went through a huge thunderstorm where many cars pulled over, we drove right through at 55 mph with no problem, great windshield wipers and traction. The Continental tires could be upgraded to a better gripping tire, but most people probably don't do much driving in the mountains. Over all the Nissan Hybrid is a versatile vehicle that will get you around in style wherever you go, hard to find one though.

Favorite Features

Exterior has good fit and finish, interior is quality and functional with plenty of room for four adults. Good power with excellent mileage.

Suggested Improvements

Tires need an upgrade, trunk is small for luggage for four, option packages can give you sticker shock.

7 out 7 people found this review helpful

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Can't Go Wrong

Written by: Tim on 08/12/2008

Vehicle

2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

Review

I don't have any regrets or complaints after driving the Altima Hybrid for 2 months. The best mid-size exterior styling, pretty nice interior. MPG is right inline with EPA estimates. My only beef is that it does seem a little heavy. Adding several hundred pounds of batteries between the rear wheels makes the back end a little heavy when corner, but hey, it's a hybrid, so don't expect a sports sedan. Great car.

Favorite Features

Smart Key - handy when carry the kids to not have to fumble for a key.

Suggested Improvements

Add additional trunk space. The Camry makes the most of the trunk, the Altima doesn't. Car should automatically shutoff if left on for more than 20 minutes w/out shifting out of Park. Stiffer suspension, the front end really rises and dips under moderate acceleration and braking.

3 out 4 people found this review helpful

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Michael's Review

Written by: Michael on 07/21/2008

Vehicle

2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

Review

Nice looking car. Mileage in the city is averaging 32 mpg according to the on board mileage calculator. I thought it would be a lot better. Everything is great, the only negative thing is that the gas engine is noisy when it first starts up when the car has not been driven for a while. As the engine warms up it gets a little quieter.

Favorite Features

Comfortable to drive. A lot of power and quick acceleration. Just a very nice looking car both inside and out.

Suggested Improvements

Quieter gas engine.

10 out 12 people found this review helpful

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Great car so far

Written by: Robert on 07/20/2008

Vehicle

2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

Review

I purchased the car 4/11/08 and have almost 7000 miles on it already. The power is great (for a hybrid). So far I wish for a bigger trunk, but I knew that before I purchased it. Braking is top notch and I have never needed more power in passing or on hills. I drive mainly freeway to work and road trips. My gas mileage has been 30-32 mpg avg. I have seen as high as 37 mpg but like I said I drive pretty fast. I average 75-90 on the freeway. The car is very solid at all speeds but does very poorly up to speed with wind.

Favorite Features

Technology package is worth the price. leather, bluetooth, Bose stereo, blinkers on the mirror and many other gadgets and features. The steering is very light and nimble and doesn't compare with any other mid-size car on the market.

Suggested Improvements

I would love to have seat and mirror memory. I am 6'3" and my wife is 5'8"... moving everything all the time is a bit of a pain. Trunk space and maybe a pass through and rear fold down seats would be great but not sure if it would be possible.

3 out 3 people found this review helpful

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Love it!

Written by: wes in ny on 07/20/2008

Vehicle

2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)

Review

I've owned my '08 Altima for almost 5 months now and am extremely pleased. There have been absolutely no glitches. MPG range from 32-36, with 50/50 city highway driving. I notice my wife has some difficulty keeping it in EV mode as often as I do. It does take a little practice and experience anticipating hills, stops, etc. But the thing can really move on command! Great having a car that gets over 600 miles on a tank. I've gotten many positive comments about its sleek styling. Nothing negative to offer.

Favorite Features

Fuel economy; "smart" key; styling

Suggested Improvements

Can't think of any

4 out 4 people found this review helpful

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