Both carry the same tow rating.
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Compare two cars on what is measured.
Weigh specs, EPA economy, strengths and documented problems in a single view.
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Side-by-side
2016 Toyota Corolla vs 2015 Nissan Altima
The 2016 Toyota Corolla and the 2015 Nissan Altima, side by side on specs, economy, documented problems and what to check before buying.
Toyota
2016 Toyota Corolla
Photo comingOpen the vehicle file →Nissan
2015 Nissan Altima
Photo comingOpen the vehicle file →Leads on the measured figure.
Leads on the measured figure.
SpecToyota CorollaNissan Altima
Model year20162015
BodySedanSedan
Engine2 engines2 engines
Power132–140 hp182–270 hpHigher
Torque126–128 lb-ft180–251 lb-ftHigher
TransmissionCVTi-S, or 6-speed manual or 4-speed automatic on the L grade · CVTi-SXtronic CVT
DriveFWDFWD
EPA combined32–34 mpgHigher26–31 mpg
NHTSA complaints212 · not a failure rate945 · not a failure rate
Recall campaigns1Fewer10
Max towNot rated to towNot rated to tow
Documented problems5 documented problems5 documented problems
Toyota Corolla
Strengths and checks
What it does well
- Short recall list
- Three transmission choices
- Widely stocked parts
Check before you buy
- Check the title status first - clean, salvage, rebuilt, flood or lemon buyback. It is the one thing about a used car that a test drive cannot tell you.
- Look up open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov. One campaign covers this model year, 20V-024, an airbag control module recall that spans 2011-2019 Corollas; dealers close open recalls free.
- Find out which transmission it has before anything else. The L grade was sold with a four-speed automatic or a six-speed manual and every other grade with the CVTi-S, and the listing photo will not tell you.
- If it is an LE Eco, the engine is the Valvematic 2ZR-FAE rather than the 2ZR-FE. It is the higher-output, higher-economy version and it is not interchangeable with the standard engine in a parts search.
Nissan Altima
Strengths and checks
What it does well
- V6 available on a mainstream sedan
- CVT warranty extension on record
- Very wide parts supply
Check before you buy
- Check the title status first - clean, salvage, rebuilt, flood or lemon buyback.
- Open and close the bonnet, and look up the hood latch recalls by VIN. Three separate campaigns cover this car - 15V-116, 16V-029 and 20V-315 - and the last of them is about the secondary latch corroding over time, which is a condition that keeps developing rather than one fixed at build.
- Exterior lighting is the largest complaint category NHTSA holds for this model year, at 261 of 945 reports. Check every lamp, including with the headlights on main beam, in daylight and after dark.
- Establish where the car stands against Nissan's CVT warranty extension. The 2013-2016 Altima bulletin takes the transmission from 60 months and 60,000 miles to 84 months and 84,000 miles - and it is a different bulletin from the one covering 2017-2018 cars, so the year matters.
Figures come from the vehicle files and from NHTSA’s public records. Complaint counts scale with how many were sold, so they compare volume of reports rather than reliability. Confirm the model year, trim and inspection result on the specific car before you decide.