Compare the2024 Nissan AltimaVS 2024 BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Altima have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Altima are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Altima are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Altima SL/SR VC-Turbo has a standard Intelligent Around View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The 2 Series Gran Coupe only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Altima and the 2 Series Gran Coupe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Altima its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 128 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The 2 Series Gran Coupe is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2022.

Nissan’s powertrain warranty covers the Altima 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the 2 Series Gran Coupe. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the 2 Series Gran Coupe ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 3 times as many Nissan dealers as there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Altima’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Altima’s reliability 24 points higher than the 2 Series Gran Coupe.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan above average in initial quality. With 12 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is rated lower.

On the EPA test cycle the Altima gets better mileage than the 2 Series Gran Coupe:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Nissan Altima uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended on Altima SR for maximum performance). The 2 Series Gran Coupe requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Altima AWD’s standard fuel tank has 2.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the 2 Series Gran Coupe (16 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Altima FWD’s standard fuel tank has 3 gallons more fuel capacity than the 2 Series Gran Coupe (16.2 vs. 13.2 gallons).

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Nissan Altima higher (6 to 7 out of 10) than the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe (3 to 7). This means the Altima produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the 2 Series Gran Coupe every 15,000 miles.

The Altima has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Altima stops shorter than the 2 Series Gran Coupe:

The Altima has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Altima’s wheelbase is 6.1 inches longer than on the 2 Series Gran Coupe (111.2 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Altima is 1.7 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the 2 Series Gran Coupe.

For better maneuverability, the Altima S’ turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the 2 Series Gran Coupe’s (36.1 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

The design of the Nissan Altima amounts to more than styling. The Altima has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .26 Cd. That is lower than the 2 Series Gran Coupe (.27 to .3) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Altima get better fuel mileage.

The front grille of the Altima uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Altima SR VC-Turbo uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the Altima is quieter than the M235i xDrive Gran Coupe (79 vs. 83 dB).

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Altima a Mid-size car, while the 2 Series Gran Coupe is rated a Compact.

The Altima has 9.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the 2 Series Gran Coupe (100.6 vs. 91).

The Altima has 2.4 inches more front legroom, 2.7 inches more front shoulder room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, .8 inches more rear legroom and 4 inches more rear shoulder room than the 2 Series Gran Coupe.

The Altima has a larger trunk than the 2 Series Gran Coupe (15.4 vs. 15.1 cubic feet).

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Altima has standard extendable sun visors. The 2 Series Gran Coupe doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Nissan Altima and the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Nissan Altima outsold the BMW 2 Series by over 12 to one during 2022.