The 2019 Altima Costs $433 a Month. Is That a Good Deal?

Our calculator puts the 2019 Nissan Altima at $25,957 over five years, or $433 a month. Only $2,623 of that is depreciation. The other $23,334 is fuel, insurance, repairs, maintenance and registration, and that is where this car is won or lost.

The verdict: buy it if you find a four-cylinder 2.5 model with documented CVT service, at or under about $10,000, with under 90,000 miles. Check Kelley Blue Book or Edmunds for your area before you negotiate, because used prices swing by region. Above $11,000, or on a car with no service records, walk away. There are better-supported sedans for that money.

Where the $25,957 actually goes

The $10,000 purchase price is our estimate for this model year. Over five years we expect the car to lose $2,623 of value. That is a gentle slide, because most of the drop already happened.

Fuel is the biggest bill at $9,304, about $1,861 a year. Insurance is next at $6,820, about $1,364 a year. Maintenance is $3,564 and repairs are $3,391, together about $1,391 a year. Registration is only $255.

Our insurance figure is an estimate based on the car's value and class. It is not a quote. Your age, ZIP code and driving record will move it a lot, so get a real quote before you sign.

Maintenance and repairs together cost more than depreciation. That is normal for a car this age, but it means a cheap sticker price does not make a cheap car.

The CVT is the whole story

The 2019 Altima was a ground-up redesign, and it uses a continuously variable transmission (CVT). That is a gearbox with no fixed gears, using a belt and pulleys instead. Nissan's CVTs earned a poor name on earlier Altimas, especially the 2013 to 2018 cars, with shuddering, whining and early failures.

The 2019 is a newer design, and I would not treat it as doomed. I also would not treat it as proven. Seven years in, the failures that do happen tend to show up between 80,000 and 120,000 miles. A replacement transmission commonly runs $3,500 to $4,500 at an independent shop, and that one repair would wipe out our entire five-year repair estimate of $3,391.

The cheap protection is fluid. Nissan's CVT fluid is specific and should be changed on a schedule, roughly every 30,000 to 60,000 miles depending on how the car was used. A car with receipts for that is a much better bet than one without them.

Which Altima to pick, and which to skip

The 2019 came in S, SR, SL and Platinum trims, plus a one-year Edition One. Most have the 2.5-liter four-cylinder, which is the one to buy. It is the simpler engine, and all-wheel drive is available with it.

The SR is the best value for most people. You get the sportier look and better wheels without paying SL leather money. The S is fine if you want the lowest price and do not care about features.

Skip the turbocharged 2.0-liter VC-Turbo versions (SR VC-Turbo and Platinum VC-Turbo) unless the price is clearly lower. The engine changes its compression ratio on the fly, which is clever engineering but also more parts to wear out. Out of warranty, a failure there could cost far more than anything on the 2.5. Repair shops also know the 2.5 much better.

All-wheel drive is worth it only if you drive in snow. It adds parts and fluid to maintain, and it costs more at the pump.

Run the VIN through the NHTSA recall database for the 2019 Altima before you do anything else. A recall is free to fix at a Nissan dealer, but only if it was not already done. An open recall on a listing you like is also a bargaining chip.

What the repair data says

RepairPal's Altima page rates the model as average for reliability, with annual repair costs near the middle of the midsize sedan pack. That matches what we see: not a disaster, not a Camry or Accord either.

The failure modes to know about:

• CVT judder or whine: shows up from about 60,000 miles, worst after 80,000. Repair costs run from a $200 fluid service to a $4,000 replacement.
• Front brake wear: pads and rotors often need replacing by 40,000 to 60,000 miles on this car, about $400 to $700 for the front axle.
• Driver-assist sensor issues: the front radar and camera behind the windshield can need recalibration after a glass replacement, and that can add $200 to $500 to the bill.
• Infotainment glitches: freezing or Bluetooth dropouts are common complaints. They are more annoying than costly, but a bad head unit is a four-figure fix at a dealer.
• Battery and electrical drain: a 7-year-old original battery is on borrowed time, about $200 to replace.

None of these is unusual for a car this age. The CVT is the only one that can hurt.

What you will spend each year, by mileage

These yearly numbers exclude depreciation and the purchase price. They are our estimates and assume you pay for repairs at normal shop rates.

Under 50,000 miles: about $3,900 to $4,300 a year. Fuel and insurance make up most of it. Maintenance is oil changes, tires and filters, and repairs should be light, maybe $300 a year.

50,000 to 100,000 miles: about $4,500 to $5,200 a year. Brakes, tires, a battery and a CVT fluid service all land in this window. Budget $800 to $1,000 a year for repairs, and more if the car skipped service.

Over 100,000 miles: about $5,500 to $6,500 a year, and the range is wide. One transmission or suspension job can add $3,000 or more in a single year. The Altima is not impossible to own at this mileage, but you need cash set aside, not hope.

Our five-year averages ($678 a year for repairs, $713 for maintenance) assume 12,000 miles a year. If you buy a high-mileage car, expect to beat those figures.

Fuel: the largest bill you can control

Check the official ratings for your exact trim at fueleconomy.gov. The numbers vary between the 2.5, the VC-Turbo and AWD versions.

In dollars, our calculator has fuel at $9,304 over five years, about $1,861 a year or $155 a month, at 12,000 miles a year. That is more than a third of the total cost of ownership. If you drive 18,000 miles a year, scale it up by half.

The Altima is decent on gas for a midsize sedan, but not class-leading. A hybrid competitor would cut that fuel bill noticeably, though hybrids cost more to buy.

Pre-purchase inspection list

Take it to an independent shop and pay for an hour of lift time. Ask for these items specifically:

1. CVT service records. Look for fluid changes with Nissan-spec fluid. No records means you assume the worst.
2. A 20-minute test drive. Feel for shudder at 20 to 40 mph under light throttle, listen for whining, and watch for delayed engagement when you shift from park to drive.
3. Scan for transmission codes. A shop scanner can show stored CVT temperature or slip faults that are not lit on the dash.
4. Open recalls. Check the VIN on NHTSA and confirm repairs were done.
5. Driver-assist function. If equipped with ProPILOT Assist or automatic emergency braking, confirm no warning lights and ask whether the windshield was replaced.
6. Front brake thickness. Heavy wear here is common and a good negotiating point.
7. VC-Turbo only: oil level and cold-start noise. Listen for rattling at startup and ask for oil change proof every 5,000 miles or less.
8. AWD only: transfer case and rear differential fluid records. These are often forgotten.
9. Infotainment. Pair a phone, test the backup camera and run the touchscreen for five minutes. Freezing is a sign of a failing unit.
10. Battery age. Look for a date sticker. If it is the original, price in a replacement.

Two alternatives at a similar price

Honda Accord (2017 or 2018): it usually holds up better past 100,000 miles and has a much stronger reputation, though a slightly older year at this price will have more miles.

Mazda6 (2018 or 2019): it has a conventional automatic instead of a CVT, which removes the biggest risk on the Altima, and it drives better too.

The ceiling

The 2019 Altima is a good buy at $10,000 or less with under 90,000 miles, a 2.5 engine and CVT service records. Past $11,000, or past 100,000 miles without a transmission history, the math stops working, because one repair can erase the savings. At $433 a month all-in, it is fair money for a decent, unexciting sedan, but only if you pick the right one.