2011 Subaru Legacy compared with the 2011 Nissan Altima Sedan |
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Subaru Legacy compared with the Nissan Altima Sedan Safety The Legacy has all wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Altima Sedan doesn't offer all wheel drive. The Subaru Legacy has Daytime Running Lights to help keep it more visible under all conditions. Canadian government studies show that driving with lights during the day reduces accidents by 11% by making vehicles more conspicuous. The Altima Sedan doesn't offer Daytime Running Lights. Both the Legacy and the Altima Sedan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four wheel antilock brakes, traction control and electronic stability systems to prevent skidding. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 38.5 MPH side impact tests on new cars. In this test, results indicate that the Legacy is safer than the Altima Sedan:
More stars indicate a better chance of avoiding serious injuries. Lower numbers indicate better actual numeric test results. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates the general design of front seat head restraints for their ability to protect front seat occupants from whiplash injuries. The IIHS also performs a dynamic test on those seats with "good" or "acceptable" geometry. In these ratings, the Legacy with leather seats is safer then the Altima Sedan:
(Lower numerical results are better in all tests.) For its top level performance in frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and its standard Vehicle Dynamics Control, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates the Legacy as a "Top Pick" for 2010, a rating only granted to 55 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Altima Sedan was not a "Top Pick."
Warranty The Legacy comes with free roadside assistance for 3 years 36,000 miles. Subaru will send help if you run out of gas, need a jump start, lock your keys in or need any assistance on the road. Nissan doesn't give free roadside assistance for the Altima Sedan.
Reliability J.D. Power and Associates' surveys of the owners of three-year-old cars provide the long-term dependability statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Nissan vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Subaru 14th in reliability, above the industry average. With 25 more problems per 100 vehicles, Nissan is ranked 25th.
Engine The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Legacy lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability (That's why Porsche uses boxer engines.). The Altima Sedan doesn't offer a boxer engine configuration.
Transmission The Legacy offers a manual transmission for better acceleration, control and fuel economy. The Altima Sedan doesn't offer a manual transmission.
Brakes and Stopping For better stopping power the Legacy 2.5GT/3.6R's front brake rotors are larger than those on the Altima Sedan:
The Legacy 2.5GT/3.6R's standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Altima Sedan are solid, not vented. In an emergency stopping situation, many drivers don't press the brakes with enough force to stop the vehicle in the shortest distance. The Legacy has a standard brake assist system to detect emergency braking situations (by how hard and how quickly the brake pedal is pressed) and then automatically apply maximum braking immediately in order to help prevent a collision. The Altima Sedan doesn't offer a brake assist feature.
The Legacy stops much shorter than the Altima Sedan:
Tires and Wheels For better traction, the Legacy 2.5GT Limited's tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Altima Sedan (225/45R18 vs. 215/60R16). The Legacy 2.5GT Limited's tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Altima Sedan 3.5 SR's 55 series tires. For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Legacy 2.5GT Limited has standard 18 inch wheels. The Altima Sedan's largest wheels are only 17 inches.
Suspension and Handling The Legacy 2.5GT Limited handles at .84 G's, while the Altima Sedan Hybrid pulls only .76 G's of cornering force in a Road & Track skidpad test. The Legacy 2.5GT Limited goes through Road & Track's slalom 8.4 MPH faster than the Altima Sedan Hybrid (67.2 vs. 58.8 MPH). The Legacy 2.5GT Limited executes Motor Trend's "Figure Eight" maneuver 1.9 seconds quicker than the Altima Sedan Hybrid (26.7 seconds @ .64 average G's vs. 28.6 seconds @ .57 average G's).
Chassis The Legacy is 4.3 inches shorter than the Altima Sedan, making the Legacy easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces. As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Legacy 2.5i is quieter than the Altima Sedan 3.5 SR:
Passenger Space The Legacy has 2.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Altima Sedan (103 vs. 100.7). The Legacy has .6 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 2 inches more rear legroom, 1.4 inches more rear hip room and .6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Altima Sedan.
Cargo Capacity To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the Legacy's trunk lid uses gas strut supported hinges that don't intrude into the trunk. The Altima Sedan's useful trunk space is reduced by its intrusive beam hinge. The Legacy's standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The Altima Sedan Hybrid doesn't offer folding rear seats.
Towing The Legacy's standard towing capacity is much higher than the Altima Sedan's (2700 vs. 1000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Nissan Altima Sedan is only 1000 pounds. The Legacy offers up to a 3000 lbs. towing capacity.
Servicing Ease The Legacy uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Altima Sedan uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car. The engine in the Legacy is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Altima Sedan. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.
Ergonomics The Legacy Automatic offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The Altima Sedan doesn't offer a remote starting system. The Legacy has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Altima Sedan only offers an automatic headlight on/off feature as an extra cost option. The Legacy Limited's standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won't have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Altima Sedan 2.5 Base doesn't offer dual zone air conditioning.
Economic Advantages Insurance will cost less for the Legacy owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Legacy will cost $765 less than the Altima Sedan over a five-year period.
Recommendations The Subaru Legacy has won recognition from these important consumer publications:
Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its May 2010 issue and they ranked the Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited two places higher than the Nissan Altima Sedan 2.5 S. The Legacy was chosen as one of Automobile Magazine's "All Stars" for 2 of the last 2 years. The Altima Sedan has never been an "All Star."
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Click here to request more information Bill Bryan Subaru ? 8730 US Hwy 441 ? Leesburg, FL 34788 ? 888-356-3109 |
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