Why so much Nissan Altima hate lately?

[GranTurNismo]

If you aren't already aware, the Nissan Altima is a car that is very negatively stereotyped amongst the online car community. On social media, Altima jokes seem to be regular now in car-related circles. Nissan Altimas are characterized as often being in poor shape (i.e. missing hubcaps, dings/dents galore, or even a missing bumper altogether), having paper tags, black tinted windows, occasional "ricer" modifications such as a big spoiler or off-fitting rims, and of course driven by not-so-great people- those who don't have insurance or even a license, smoke cigarettes with the windows up, have a terrible credit score, and very rude and hot-headed in general. Altima drivers also tend to have no concern for traffic laws, often speeding, passing without using turn signal, cutting off other drivers, running stop signs/lights, and even initiating road rage.

Why is it Nissan Altimas specifically that attract such trashy people and seem frequently poorly maintained? The narrative goes that Altimas- consistently the second best selling sedan in the US- tend to either be sold new to people who have poor credit and cannot reliably pay the full price (a stigma of Nissan in general), or snatched up by rental fleets (as much as 40% of all Altimas sold some years go to fleets). As such, they are frequently repossessed and become worn out, flooding the used car market with them at a price much lower than comparable mid-sized sedans, and they are an especially common car at "Buy Here Pay Here" style car lots. This enables people who are poorer than average and cannot get approved for other comparable cars to easily get an Altima.

I'll even go as far as to say that there is a covert sense of racism behind the Altima hate wave. This is not to say of course that those who hate Altimas are racist, but it could subconsciously influence the image of Altimas. It's no secret that Altimas are driven by African Americans by a much higher rate than other cars- this is both in my anecdotal experience and in data (Altima is the best selling mid-sized car amongst African Americans, and the best selling car altogether in states with high Black populations like in the deep south). My point is, some of the same negative stereotypes that gets associated with Altimas/Altima drivers also have been associated with Black people in general by racists. I've noticed that the Altima's hate wave shares a lot in common with the hatred of first-gen Chrysler 300s 10 years ago, another car popular amongst the Black community.

So, is it true that Altimas actually attract all of these negative qualities and deserve the hate, or is it a myth blown way out of proportion? Am I overthinking things by drawing in race? What is GTPlanet's experience with the Nissan Altima?

 

[Northstar]

I must be visiting a completely different part of the internet as I honestly can't recall the last time I've seen someone even mention the Altima in any light.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

If you aren't already aware, the Nissan Altima is a car that is very negatively stereotyped amongst the online car community. On social media, Altima jokes seem to be regular now in car-related circles. Nissan Altimas are characterized as often being in poor shape (i.e. missing hubcaps, dings/dents galore, or even a missing bumper altogether), having paper tags, black tinted windows, occasional "ricer" modifications such as a big spoiler or off-fitting rims, and of course driven by not-so-great people- those who don't have insurance or even a license, smoke cigarettes with the windows up, have a terrible credit score, and very rude and hot-headed in general. Altima drivers also tend to have no concern for traffic laws, often speeding, passing without using turn signal, cutting off other drivers, running stop signs/lights, and even initiating road rage.

Why is it Nissan Altimas specifically that attract such trashy people and seem frequently poorly maintained? The narrative goes that Altimas- consistently the second best selling sedan in the US- tend to either be sold new to people who have poor credit and cannot reliably pay the full price (a stigma of Nissan in general), or snatched up by rental fleets (as much as 40% of all Altimas sold some years go to fleets). As such, they are frequently repossessed and become worn out, flooding the used car market with them at a price much lower than comparable mid-sized sedans, and they are an especially common car at "Buy Here Pay Here" style car lots. This enables people who are poorer than average and cannot get approved for other comparable cars to easily get an Altima.

I'll even go as far as to say that there is a covert sense of racism behind the Altima hate wave. This is not to say of course that those who hate Altimas are racist, but it could subconsciously influence the image of Altimas. It's no secret that Altimas are driven by African Americans by a much higher rate than other cars- this is both in my anecdotal experience and in data (Altima is the best selling mid-sized car amongst African Americans, and the best selling car altogether in states with high Black populations like in the deep south). My point is, some of the same negative stereotypes that gets associated with Altimas/Altima drivers also have been associated with Black people in general by racists. I've noticed that the Altima's hate wave shares a lot in common with the hatred of first-gen Chrysler 300s 10 years ago, another car popular amongst the Black community.

So, is it true that Altimas actually attract all of these negative qualities and deserve the hate, or is it a myth blown way out of proportion? Am I overthinking things by drawing in race? What is GTPlanet's experience with the Nissan Altima?

I am so confused by this thread. You seem to be questioning the stereotype of Altima owners and stereotyping Altima owners yourself simultaneously.

 

[05XR8]

Probably due to when the Altima debuted with that 180hp 4-cylinder and the V6 option. That just made the Altima more viable than getting a Maxima.

As for the African-American experience, only experience anyone I know having an Altima, was early 2000s. My Son’s grandmother(on his mother‘s side) traded her Town Car for a new Altima V6.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

I also question the data being (not) cited. According to TTAC, in 2019 the most popular new cars amongst African Americans were sedans, but they were the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, and Honda Civic, which were followed by the Dodge Ram and Ford F150. The Altima wasn't even in the top 5.

 

[TexRex]

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

I actually know what the OP is talking about, it's sort-of the latest car stereotype. There's a dedicated Facebook page called "Big Altima Energy" dedicated to making fun of the worst kind of Altima drivers.

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and Thatdudeinblue even made a video on it.


I think it's just a correlation like a lot of car stereotypes of just idiot drivers on the road that happen to be altima drivers if anything. Like how enough Mustang drivers are car shows were caught on camera crashing their cars into crowds or like the 2000s when Honda Civics were known to be driven by young guys placing cheap exhausts on their cars and putting a cheap bodykit on it.

Which is funny, I kept thinking to myself that more idiots drive Hondas than Nissan Altimas. Partially because they sell well and became well-known enough for their reliability for the average person that doesn't know anything about cars nor cares about driving to pick one on default.

 

[Suzuki-Cara]

Altimas get hate around here in the states (Where I'm from atleast), because Nissan Dealerships in my area are notorious for getting kickbacks for longterm leases and loans.

So naturally, they'll take people with sub par credit and a general lack of care for any sort of maintenance on said vehicle. Couple those two together, you pretty much gurantee even contemplating getting a used Altima is a guaranteed pooperscooper.

Also: Shoutout to Nissan for totally throwing Turn 10 a bone and having the 07 Altima in the game for ✨ free ✨

 

[SVX]

My only experience with an Altima was a road raging Lyft driver in LA slaloming in his lane because he was... A Californian.

I think that applies context.

 

[Doog]

There's always that one person who wants to virtue-signal whenever the topic of Altima drivers being asshats comes up on the internet.

 

[MOPARbarrett5]

My grandparents have gotten 3 Altimas in a row since 2008 and they are pretty much the opposite of the stereotypes. I think maybe the joke of hating the Altima started with Regular Car Reviews saying how he used to hate the VW Jetta and now hates the Altima. I can't remember what video that was though.

Edit- I forgot until now RCR likes to compare the Altima to a V6 Charger, so I don't know how to feel about that.

 

[Suzuki-Cara]

Edit- I forgot until now RCR likes to compare the Altima to a V6 Charger, so I don't know how to feel about that.
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Depending on where you go, especially when it comes to carshows, the Charger alone and the Challenger are totally going to eclipse the Chevelle and Monte Carlos you see at said carshows within the next forty years.

 

[ToyGTone]

I seen the stereotypes on Altima's & Nissan's in general lately but while it's funny to go through all of the memes and ****posts, it's just a silly lil stereotype at the end of the day. A lot of times, stereotypes are partially true to a certain degree while other times, it's completely fabricated.

The reality is that there's probably just as many terrible drivers in Camry's, Hyundai's, Chevy's, VW's, Civic's and so on. The Altima is just the latest "victim" of such driver profiling stereotypes.

It's not that different from how we in the Gulf like to joke about Nissan Versa owners hogging the left lane, Hyundai Elantra drivers recklessly overtaking everyone left & right and Ford owners crashing into everything. In reality, i seen bad drivers and poorly abused cars in everything from a cheap Chinese ecobox to a Lexus LX and beyond.

I can't speak about bad credits but the whole African American community liking the Altima is something new for me tbh. I highly doubt it has anything to do with the stereotype tho.

 

[Joey D]

Certain cars just attract certain people.

I mean Altimas are like the official car of young, white girls who wear Cookie Monster pajama pants, eats Flammin Hot Cheetos, smells like Newports, and has a son who's they're "king" and named Jaxsin Wyatt. I'm not saying every owner is like that, but the couple of girls I know that fit that mold all drive Altimas.

Other stereotypes fit surprisingly well too. Dodge Rams are owned by the overly aggressive white male who chugs Monster, Toyota Tacomas are owned by tacticool bros or mall squatters, ST/STi/GTI owners wear flat brim hats and vape, Mustang owners crash into crowds, and newly enlisted military men drive a Charger/Camaro/Challenger that they got with an 82% interest rate. Is it fair to label vehicles as such? Probably not, but it's fun to poke fun at them sometimes. Just don't take it too seriously.

 

[Veinz]

I wasn’t aware it had a bad reputation for ****** drivers, around here they are normally driving an old GM sedan with a droney sounding exhaust, or a lifted pick up.

For me it’s just a car with no character, pretty much just an appliance.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

My only experience with an Altima was a road raging Lyft driver in LA slaloming in his lane because he was... A Californian.

I think that applies context.

Please be sensitive when making blanket statements about Californians.

SoCaler.

 

[Neddo]

Can unreliability of Altima be blamed on Renault? tbh 90s Renaults weren't that unreliable I still see some R19s, mk1 Lagunas etc. But much of 00s Renaults weren't reliable at all (not unbearable but definetly underwhelming comparing to competition), and also Nissan took a nosedive then. But Renault improved starting from late 00s onwards especially in rust its one of least likely marques to rust. But people still blame Renault for Nissans reliabilty drop.

 

[GranTurNismo]

I must be visiting a completely different part of the internet as I honestly can't recall the last time I've seen someone even mention the Altima in any light.

To be completely honest I probably spend too much of my free time online, hence judging cars by what online circle-jerks have to say about them. These Altima jokes/stereotypes are dominant on many car-related subreddits (especially r/RegularCars) and instagram pages. There is now even a subreddit (that looks to be quickly growing) called r/NissanDrivers which is almost entirely devoted to poking fun at Altimas.

I am so confused by this thread. You seem to be questioning the stereotype of Altima owners and stereotyping Altima owners yourself simultaneously.

I can see how it comes off that way, but my goal was to paraphrase what internet "car culture as of recent seems to think of them. Personally, I think the Altima stereotype is mostly inaccurate and overblown, which I should have articulated more clearly. In my experience, most older model Altimas don't seem to be in any worse shape than other comparable cars, and they are only slightly cheaper (used) than them.

The Altima (and Rogue) in fact, even was awarded recognition for being top selling cars amongst nonwhite buyers: https://usa.nissannews.com/en-US/re...as-top-vehicles-among-multicultural-consumers

There's always that one person who wants to virtue-signal whenever the topic of Altima drivers being asshats comes up on the internet.

Reluctantly, I plead guilty as charged.

Can unreliability of Altima be blamed on Renault? tbh 90s Renaults weren't that unreliable I still see some R19s, mk1 Lagunas etc. But much of 00s Renaults weren't reliable at all (not unbearable but definetly underwhelming comparing to competition), and also Nissan took a nosedive then. But Renault improved starting from late 00s onwards especially in rust its one of least likely marques to rust. But people still blame Renault for Nissans reliabilty drop.

I don't think Altimas are particularly unreliable cars, nor are they being lambasted as such. I still see plenty on the roads that are 20 years old or older, pushing 200k miles. Sure, they aren't Camry or Accord tier but a far cry from FCA build quality, or Korean brands pre- 10 years ago.

 

[Darla Starch]

I mean Altimas are like the official car of young, white girls who wear Cookie Monster pajama pants, eats Flammin Hot Cheetos, smells like Newports, and has a son who's they're "king" and named Jaxsin Wyatt.

If the son's a daughter, they're usually Nevaeh Thatsheavenspelledbackwards

newly enlisted military men drive a Charger/Camaro/Challenger that they got with an 82% interest rate.

A V6 Charger/Camaro/Challenger

 

[Tornado]

I mean, sometimes you're denied credit even at the Dodge dealer.

 

[Jerod William]

Probably due to when the Altima debuted with that 180hp 4-cylinder and the V6 option. That just made the Altima more viable than getting a Maxima.

As for the African-American experience, only experience anyone I know having an Altima, was early 2000s. My Son’s grandmother(on his mother‘s side) traded her Town Car for a new Altima V6.

I Love my Altima it a great car

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

Not being a resident of the US, I honestly find the stereotypes of certain car owners on social media hilarious. My favourite being that most C6 Corvette owners are old white dudes in khaki shorts, New Balance trainers and white socks who spent their retirement money on the car.

Is it dumb? Absolutely, but they do get a laugh out of me from the other side of the world.

 

[Tornado]

My favourite being that most C6 Corvette owners are old white dudes in khaki shorts, New Balance trainers and white socks who spent their retirement money on the car.

I mean when they were new...




GM never really hid that certain questionable design decisions for the Corvette that they knew it would catch hell for (the C5/C6's terrible seats come to mind immediately) had been driven mainly by what the clientele who wanted to use them as golf club transport receptacles.

 

[TheWiseOne]

I came across this thread, and find it very interesting and had to say something. Yes, there are are stereotypes that seem to stick, and we all know and have heard of them as many have shared here; however, this does not make it ok. One thing I do recognize and appreciate is what some here have noted, these are merely stereotypes and are not factual. It comes down to simple perceptions, and also how we as a society judge others solely based on appearances...hence what we drive. I have seen just as many Toyotas, Hondas, and even BMW's with missing bumpers, and with duct tape holding pieces together, as the lesser known or desired brands. Even people in those cars driving carelessly and like jerks. Yes, cars are not only serve as a mode of transportation, but it also serves as an extension of who we are; or rather who we want others to perceive us to be. That person who drives an Altima or Nissan, we know nothing about them, their FICO score, their education, their personality, nor them as a person, it is not ok to judge based on appearances. I agree with the notion of what one person here shared, the person in the Lexus, BMW, or Mercedes may be up to their eyeballs in debt, whereas the person in the Nissan may be wealthy. We do not know, nor is it our place to judge others. We do not know if a person is "Keeping up with the Jones." Even that luxury car driver, who knows if they bought it used for the same price as a new Nissan Altima? Higher known brands depreciate the most, this is a fact. And despite the stigma I read here that Nissan will give a loan to anyone...this is not true. Nissan Financial is a business institution just like Honda Financial, and Toyota Financial services, none of them will fund a loan with sub-prime credit; none of them will. They are in the business to make money, not lose it. This is why we have the 'other' institutions that loan money for car loans such as Capital One, Bank of America, and random Credit Unions, albeit these will all give you higher interest rates, because they are for those with lower credit scores. If you have an auto loan with anyone other than a major auto manufacturer, you have sub-prime credit. The major manufacturers are the only ones in a position to offer 0% and very low interest loans, such as 0.9%, 1.9%, etc. I say think twice before judging the person in the car next to you, as you will never know their net worth based on what they are driving. Studies have shown that people who are wealthy drive average cars, including Nissans; and yes even Kia's. The higher known brands are driven mostly by those who are living paycheck to paycheck in attempts to impress others who they don't know, and with money that they don't have.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

I came across this thread, and find it very interesting and had to say something. Yes, there are are stereotypes that seem to stick, and we all know and have heard of them as many have shared here; however, this does not make it ok. One thing I do recognize and appreciate is what some here have noted, these are merely stereotypes and are not factual. It comes down to simple perceptions, and also how we as a society judge others solely based on appearances...hence what we drive. I have seen just as many Toyotas, Hondas, and even BMW's with missing bumpers, and with duct tape holding pieces together, as the lesser known or desired brands. Even people in those cars driving carelessly and like jerks. Yes, cars are not only serve as a mode of transportation, but it also serves as an extension of who we are; or rather who we want others to perceive us to be. That person who drives an Altima or Nissan, we know nothing about them, their FICO score, their education, their personality, nor them as a person, it is not ok to judge based on appearances. I agree with the notion of what one person here shared, the person in the Lexus, BMW, or Mercedes may be up to their eyeballs in debt, whereas the person in the Nissan may be wealthy. We do not know, nor is it our place to judge others. We do not know if a person is "Keeping up with the Jones." Even that luxury car driver, who knows if they bought it used for the same price as a new Nissan Altima? Higher known brands depreciate the most, this is a fact. And despite the stigma I read here that Nissan will give a loan to anyone...this is not true. Nissan Financial is a business institution just like Honda Financial, and Toyota Financial services, none of them will fund a loan with sub-prime credit; none of them will. They are in the business to make money, not lose it. This is why we have the 'other' institutions that loan money for car loans such as Capital One, Bank of America, and random Credit Unions, albeit these will all give you higher interest rates, because they are for those with lower credit scores. If you have an auto loan with anyone other than a major auto manufacturer, you have sub-prime credit. The major manufacturers are the only ones in a position to offer 0% and very low interest loans, such as 0.9%, 1.9%, etc. I say think twice before judging the person in the car next to you, as you will never know their net worth based on what they are driving. Studies have shown that people who are wealthy drive average cars, including Nissans; and yes even Kia's. The higher known brands are driven mostly by those who are living paycheck to paycheck in attempts to impress others who they don't know, and with money that they don't have.

You kind of undermine the rest of your post with this last sentence.

More than pure socioeconomic factors, buying an old Altima suggests/reflects a particular attitude towards car ownership. I think Altimas have become particularly notable because they are cheaper than equivalents from Toyota, Honda, and others and so, particularly on the used market, end up being bought by people unwilling (regardless of ability) to spend beyond the least amount of money possible for a car of a certain minimum requirement. That willing part is the key here because it demonstrates the attitude of the buyer towards car ownership and foreshadows why those same Altimas end up with unrepaired damage, etc. You could make six figures a year, but if you are unwilling to spend more than the literal cheapest amount on a car with 4 doors, less than 10 years old with less than 100k miles (just an example of possible search criteria, which is then sorted by price, ascending), then you are probably less than willing to take good care of the thing either.

Other than Jerod up a couple posts, who I presume is posing with his new(?) Altima in his avatar, I don't think anyone buys a used Altima because they want an Altima - they buy it because they want the cheapest, non-ancient 4 door car they can find, to be treated like a shovel.

The V6 Charger is a whoooooole different thing.

 

[Tornado]

This isn't ResetEra.

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]