2018 Chevrolet Malibu vs 2018 Nissan Altima

Features

2018 Chevrolet Malibu

If you want all of the latest in infotainment features, look no further than the Malibu. Chevrolet has only made upgrades to its 2018 model and hasn’t taken anything away. Passengers will want to ride in your vehicle front and back because there is connectivity in both! And the 8.0-inch touchscreen comes standard in the cabin, which is the hallmark for all luxury vehicles.

2018 Nissan Altima

The 2018 Nissan Altima has very few standard features and the ones it has, critics deem dated. Considered entry-level, Altima’s technology features are lacking in the because you cannot even get Apple CarPlay or Android Auto on the base trim. You also much upgrade to the most expensive trim to get the largest screen which come with upscale features, but the graphics are outdated.

What the Nissan can boast, however, is excellent crash-test scores. That’s all thanks to their standard collision-avoidance technology. The headlights are weak, though you can upgrade to LED at a steep cost. And unfortunately, some of the newer active safety features for other models are not available.

Interior

2018 Chevrolet Malibu

One look at the Chevrolet Malibu and you will know what designers had in mind for the new 2018 interior. Modern, luxurious, black leather-wrapped steering wheel with a padded leatherette interior, makes this Malibu more than just a family sedan. Critics enjoy not only the gorgeous look of the interior, but also the functionality of all of its gadgets. This is one of the best-looking screens you can get for your infotainment features. And all of the knobs and controls are visible and user-friendly.

2018 Nissan Altima

The 2018 Nissan Altima’s interior was built for comfort. The seating is comfortable, and as far as space, has most of its room in the cabin. The rear-seat legroom is lacking, however, and the rear doesn’t look like its design was top priority.

Critics also suggest that the featureless plastic on the dash takes away from the overall design, giving it a cheaper look than other models.

However, the Altima has a cavernous cabin, with 45 more inches of legroom up front with almost an equal amount of extra headroom though an upgrade to the sunroof takes away some of that extra room. Critics note also that the rear has little to no headroom.

Efficiency

2018 Chevrolet Malibu

Getting up to 27 city / 36 highway, the Chevrolet Malibu is impressive by sedan standards. Even with its baseline trims, you get an exciting, speedy fuel-efficient engine. The 13 to 15.8-gal fuel tank capacity is what makes this possible. Other sedans have a high fuel efficiency rating as well, such as the 2018 Nissan Altima, which might be the other sedan that beats out the Malibu in highway testing.

2018 Nissan Altima

The 2018 Nissan Altima has a 3-star fuel-economy and drive range rating. As noted, the long highway range is great and with a 38 mpg EPA rating, people might think that the Altima beats out the competition with numbers like that, but critics say the numbers don’t always add up in real-world testing. Again, the CVT is what Nissan credits its highway EPA test rating to, though critics still note that powertrains are to blame for keeping their real-world numbers average. And if you upgrade to the six-cylinder engines, the EPA test rating drops quite a few points.

Power

2018 Chevrolet Malibu

The 2018 Chevrolet Malibu can get up to 250-hp with its turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. That’s speedy and exciting by sedan standards. It used to be that with a sedan you were just looking for sleek luxury, but now drivers and critics both want speed and an engine to produce that speed. In a little over 8 seconds the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu can get from 0 to 60 mph. The shifting is seamless with the six-speed transmission. The best thing about the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu is that Chevrolet engineers made sure to make updates to this year’s make and model, while others in the same class made little to no revisions. Critics appreciate the smoothness of the steering, which is crisp and efficient.

2018 Nissan Altima

While critics enjoy the addition of paddle shifters, they dislike the coarse engine noise. The CVT or continuously variable automatic transmission itself is unimpressive as it causes only bursts of acceleration and mostly sags.

And there have been no updates to Altima’s pair of powertrains although drivers suggest they do well enough for what is expected from a sedan. Again, drivers can feel the roughness of the four-cylinder engine and have difficulty producing heavy acceleration.

The 2018 Nissan Altima does not rely on turbocharged engines, like other similar models, and stays on the more conventional route.