2020 Nissan Altima 2.0 Platinum

The 2020 Nissan Altima remains relatively unchanged from the 2019 model year. However, unlike the SV trim we previously reviewed, this top-trim Platinum model comes equipped with Nissan's new variable compression, turbocharged inline-four engine.

Without getting too into the weeds about it, the VC Turbo engine can quite literally change compression on the fly—while altering displacement from about 1970cc to about 1997cc, according to Nissan.

The VC-Turbo engine offers any compression ratio between 8:1 (for high performance, left in red) and 14:1 (for high efficiency, right in blue). As a result, the engine capacity varies between 1,997 cc and 1,970 cc. Cinemagraph Courtesy Nissan.

What does all this tech mean? Supposedly, fuel efficiency when you need it, and power when you want it.

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That seems like a lot of engineering and mechanical complexity for a subtle effect.

I have zero experience with recent Nissans so I am willing to admit I could be wrong.

I have an engineering textbook from the late '90s that had a drawing of a similar idea - looks like it took a long time to translate this into something that would work in a production engine. I have to wonder if the efficiency gains are worth the extra weight and complexity.

I had one of these as a rental recently with 2k miles on it, with the base 2.5 power train. 
 

Nissan should be embarrassed to sell this completely sub par car.  Driving it back to back with a 2014 Accord it was clear that the Accord was superior in everything but infotainment, as would be expected in 6 years (but even that was not easy to use and froze).   The power train calibration was so tragic, the gas pedal had very questionable and non linear response, the transmission was never in the right ratio and would see-saw RPM at steady throttle.   The steering was just as bad, it couldn't stay straight on a new level highway without constant corrections, and the amount of steering effort and feel was completely non linear, it would load up as you started a corner, then completely go away, almost like it was binding (on a 2k mile car).  
 

The car was so bad it made me angry every time I drove it.   I've never had a worse rental.  
 

The only good things I can say is that it was quiet and got good mileage.  

Sonic said:

Nissan should be embarrassed to sell this completely sub par car.

Doesn't that pretty much sum up Nissan as a company at this point?

And again:  I have zero experience with recent Nissans so I am willing to admit I could be wrong.

It's sad that the new Camry looks about a hundred times cooler than any regular car that Nissan makes now. Nissan used to be the company that made cool cars that were never quite as good as and accord or Camry, but were always more fun, more powerful and better handling. now they are the company that makes stupid looking cars with CVTs and lousy overall performance. I don't understand how anybody could buy a Nissan these days and I used to be a big fan....

Also the hoopla about 248 horsepower is pretty amusing considering you could get an Altima 3.5 with the mighty VQ35 and more power 15 years ago..... 

I've been noticing a lot of automotive publications getting sent hordes of Nissan demo vehicles lately, even ones that have little interest in stuff like Sentras Altimas (like Bangshift got a Sentra demo lately). Nissan's really feeling the heat and must be trying to get any publicity they can get.

I mean the last exciting car Nissan debuted was the GTR and that was in what? 08-09? The 370Z and GTR are going to beat the C3 and C4 Vettes for longest production car generation (at least in sports car terms). 

Is this the new 510?

The CVT in my GF's 2015 Sentra just crapped the bed at 65K miles and locally, there is a new class action lawsuit that's just been opened about the +2011 Nissan CVT's.

Sooooo:

In reply to fanfoy : Yeah, my son told me he wanted to buy a used 2014 Sentra with 55K miles on it last summer.  I asked him if he was on drugs or had been recently hit in the head..  About the only Nissan i'd reccomend now is the Frontier, and even that with a caveat. 

In reply to 06HHR (Forum Supporter) :

I'd be willing to reccomend a couple more than that. 

Armada- Pretty solid rig, no real caveats to mention on  new ones. 

Titan- Good truck, just not competitive in the segment. If the price it right, that changes the equation. steals can be found

Frontier- Ancient, being replaced, but a known good for "cheap"   (new 3.8 engine is unproven though) 

 GTR- Ancient, but a legend. Still a strong performer for the money with a lot of potential. 

Avoid everything with the CVT....which is pretty much the rest of their lineup.  Which is sad when even a Nissan enthusiast of sorts says that.  I've owned 4 Nissans now and loved them all. 

(99 pathfinder, 12 Xterra,  03 350Z, and my current 13 Armada. 

Overly complex variable compression? Maybe from Lexus.... but not in the first few years.....from Nissan?  That's gonna be a hard pass. 

In reply to TGMF :

My ex-BIL loved his Titans, his first one was great until an ECM issue sidelined it for a couple months.  His second one was the Heavy Metal edition.  Strong motor, got nothing really bad to say about them.  But I agree, anything they make with a CVT, run away from.

Semi-related: Nissan just teased its new global line-up yesterday, including what is obviously the next-generation Z Car.

So hopefully some good things are on the horizon.

Datsun310Guy said:

Is this the new 510?

The joke should be; yes, Nisssan was focusing on the 1980 Datsun 510 when this was designed.  
 

In reply to Colin Wood :

Nissan has hands down the worst record of never bringing cool cars to market. They have broken my heart too many times. Remember the IDX? 
https://www.motor1.com/news/384998/nissan-idx-nismo-production-details/amp/

In reply to GTwannaB :

Only 2-3 times a month.