2009 Nissan Altima - Styling Review

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Shopping for a 2009 Nissan Altima? MSRP: $19,900 - $29,380

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If you're a fan of the conventional Nissan Altima but you wish that it offered significantly better fuel economy, the 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid is the car you've been waiting for. However, if you like your green vehicle to shout its environmentally friendly nature through overwrought decals and styling elements, chances are good that the new Nissan Altima Hybrid won't do the job.

Nissan has expressed a clear interest in developing alternative-fuel vehicles, but hybrids haven't ranked very high on its priority list. As such, the 2009 Nissan Altima receives minimal styling changes compared to the base Nissan Altima and is only available for sale in select states. Kelley Blue Book states that the Nissan Altima Hybrid, which comes in just one trim level, is available in only California, "Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island [and] Vermont," which puts the Nissan Altima Hybrid "maddeningly out of the average consumer's reach." For those within the geographic range, experts surveyed by TheCarConnection.com think you'll appreciate the Nissan Altima Hybrid's restrained styling. Cars.com says that, "except for some hybrid decal badging, the Altima Hybrid features the same silhouette as a conventional Altima." Kelley Blue Book likes that the Nissan Altima Hybrid "looks sportier, thanks to a slightly wider stance, a windshield with a steeper rake and distinctive taillights," although they add that it "may not send a strong enough visual message" for those seeking mass approval for their powertrain choices.

The interior styling of the new 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid is, once again, very similar to that of the conventional Nissan Altima. That means the Nissan Altima Hybrid boasts "large and legible gauges," according to ConsumerGuide, although the Hybrid's "navigation system isn't easy to program, and it absorbs and complicates audio functions." On the positive side, Kelley Blue Book reports that the new Nissan Altima's "instrument package is easier to read, and the Hybrid edition includes the option of a central readout that tracks the activities of the hybrid system."