Nissan Altima SR vs SL Trims

If you have decided that the Nissan Altima is your next vehicle, you’ve already made a great choice. This is one of the most popular passenger cars on the market for a reason – it has plenty of appealing features, offers a comfortable ride, solid fuel economy, and a reasonable price point.

As you zero in on the right Altima for your needs, you’ll need to sort through the various trim packages that are offered. For some buyers, trim packages can be a bit confusing, as the lists of features just seem to go on and on. We’d like to clear things up here and help you decide between two popular trim levels – the SR and SL.

Start with Basics

The SL is the higher priced of these two levels and, of course, you’ll get quite a few upgrades for your money. But the SR still has plenty to offer, and everyone loves to save a bit of money when making a big purchase like this. One of the great things about shopping with a brand like Nissan is you are sure to wind up with a capable, nicely appointed vehicle no matter what trim level you select.

If you go with the SR, you are already a couple of levels up from the base model, the S, so you can be sure that plenty of useful and enjoyable features will be present in the car. Included in this package are an 8-inch touchscreen, blind spot monitoring, forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, sport seats, and much more. Even without going up to the SL, you’ll already be in for a treat.

Deciding to spend a bit more to move into the SL trim opens up even more benefits for the driver and passengers. Everyone on board can enjoy the outstanding Bose speaker system and dual-zone automatic climate control. As the driver, you’ll appreciate the built-in navigation system to help you get to your destination without any trouble, as well as the adaptive cruise control to employ on long freeway drives.

Power is the Same

The engine is always one of the key points to consider when shopping for a vehicle, but there is no difference here from one trim package to the next. Both the SR and SL feature a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that provides the car with 188 horsepower. While gas mileage might prove to be a little better in the SR than the SL, both perform excellently in this category – reaching highway miles-per-gallon in the high 30s.

Is It Worth the Upgrade?

Nissan offers a very fair deal with these trim packages, along with the rest in the Altima line. You will get what you pay for, in other words. The upgrade from the SR to the SL will add about $4,000 to the purchase price, depending on the specific options in place on each vehicle. It is not the biggest jump you will find in the auto industry when going up to higher-end models, but it is enough money to carefully consider the choice.

One factor to weigh is just how much time you will be spending in the vehicle. If you are going to be driving long miles day after day, that additional investment will be worth it – you are going to spend a lot of time in the car, so having the nicest possible version will be a welcome treat. Some of the added creature comforts and amenities that you only get with a top-of-the-line trim add significantly to your experience.

On the other hand, if you mostly stay close to home, running errands and maybe taking the kids to school, you won’t log so many hours behind the wheel. In that case, the savings might be more appealing than the added features – and remember, the SR trim package is no slouch, so you’ll still be getting an impressive vehicle with plenty of useful capabilities.

A Nissan Altima outfitted with the SR or SL trim package is a comfortable, reliable vehicle for your day-to-day driving needs. Take some time to consider the points listed above, and ask if you can see these two trims in person at the dealership so you can get a sense of what each car is like. Our staff will be happy to help you find the Altima that checks all of the right boxes while also fitting your budget. Thank you for stopping by and we look forward to serving you!