Since the first generation was introduced in 1993, the Altima has always been one of the best-selling models of the Nissan brand, with a total of 8.6 million automobiles sold to date.
If you are interested in this model, the Nissan Altima gas type might be one of your greatest concerns.
Altima is a great consideration in your garage with modern features, but what is the best gas for Nissan Altima? This question can be tricky when you are new to the automobile industry.
But don’t worry, we are here to help. This article will mention Nissan Altima fuel types for different generations as well as provide answers related to the energy of this car.
Nissan Gasoline Specifications
Nissan encourages users to use fuel that satisfies Worldwide Fuel Charter (WWFC) specifications.
This gasoline standard shows how fuel quality affects the engine particularly and durability, vehicle operation, and emissions performance during a year generally.
Also, they promote harmonized fuel quality in accordance with the requirements for engine, emission control system, and vehicle, for the sake of drivers and our planet.
Many automobile manufacturers developed this specification to improve emission control systems and vehicle performance. Ask your service station manager if the gasoline meets the WWFC specifications.
In case it’s difficult for you to determine which gas type meets WWFC, you can opt for fuel from high-quality and well-known suppliers.
What’s important here is that you obey environmental regulations in your country.
Does Nissan Altima Use Regular Or Premium Gas?
Before deciding whether regular or premium fuel is preferable, it is important to know how different the two are.
The biggest distinction is the octane rating. In particular, regular gas has an octane rating of 87, whereas that number of premium gas fluctuates from 91 to 93.
A mid-range fuel with an octane rating of roughly 89 is also frequently available.
What Is An Octane Rating?
Simply put, octane is a measure of fuel performance. The higher the octane number, the greater the compressive strength.
In the US, an octane rating of 88 – 90 is considered conventional, while an octane rating of 91 – 94 is deemed as premium, suitable for high-performance and high-compression engine power.
So What Gas To Put In Nissan Altima?
Nissan Altimas will run smoothly with both regular and premium grades of gas.
Better-grade gas is not necessary if the manual suggests regular-grade gas. What gas does Nissan Altima take? It depends on the handbook from the brand.
Case in point, you should use premium petrol for the best performance out of your 3.5L-engine Nissan Altima.
The 2.5-L DIG engine, on the other hand, can run on ordinary gas. In case you can’t find higher grade fuel, you can easily boost 87 octane to 91.
Premium petrol can boost your vehicle’s HP, but only if your owner’s handbook recommends it. Otherwise, there won’t be any significant difference between them.
What Gas Does Nissan Altima Take?
Reformulated Gasoline
Reformulated gasoline is the gasoline that has been designed to burn cleaner. It’s mandatory in some areas of the USA where air quality is a problem.
Nissan Altima accepts reformulated gasoline, and this gas type is encouraged to be used by the manufacturer.
It won’t affect the engine’s efficiency or sturdiness and will help drivers maintain a consistent speed. The greatest benefit of this fuel is that it will not impair the air quality in your region.
Oxygenated Blends
Recommended gas for Nissan Altima also includes oxygenated blends containing a specific proportion of methanol, ethanol, and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE).
When using this fuel, you should bear in mind some important notes:
- Altima before 2018 could adapt to 10% ethanol. From 2019 up to now, these figures have increased to 15% ethanol. Therefore, E15 gas is only acceptable for the 2019 and Nissan Altima 2020 gas type. You can mix ethanol and non ethanol gas in your car to make sure the concentration won’t be more than that number.
- The content of methanol should not exceed 5%. A proper amount of cosolvents and corrosion inhibitors is essential to ensure the engine’s performance.
- All generations can have a max MTBE content of 15%. Any amount above that will almost certainly lead to engine knocking.
Nissan Altima Gas Type For Different Generations
It is suggested that you use regular grade 87 octane gasoline in your Nissan Altima. Hence, fuel economy estimates below are based on 87-octane fuel, and it varies among year models. Actual mileage and other specs will vary depending on driving conditions.
2021 Model
The fuel tank capacity of the 2021 model is about 16 gallons. This new version is fuel-efficient as it can reach up to 39 mpg on the highway.
Specs also depend on the trim level. The Nissan Altima SR and Platinum are both available with a 2.0L VC-Turbo™ engine and the exclusive Edition ONE VC-Turbo ™ trim.
Additionally, gas mileage in the FWD model could reach 631.8 miles, whereas the AWD could reach 576 miles.
2020 Model
The gas mileage on a Nissan Altima attracts a lot of drivers, and the VC-Turbo™ Engine and Platinum VC-Turbo™ trims indeed hit the spot.
This car allows users to enjoy intelligent engineering like turbocharged engines or Intelligent All-Wheel Drive. Models with turbocharged engines get 25/34 mpg.
2019 Model
The 2019 Nissan Altima is one of the top automobiles in terms of good EPA fuel economy estimates, with EPA-estimated 25 and 34 mpg in the city and on highway when equipped with front-wheel drive and the S, SV, or SL trim levels.
Going for the Nissan Altima SR with Platinum trims will bring you the similar 2.5L engine. Still, the mpg rating is a tad lower. Regarding front-wheel drive, it has 27 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway.
Meanwhile, using the intelligent all-wheel drive reduces the rating a bit, with 25 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway.
The SR and Platinum models have the same 2.5L base engine, with an EPA-estimated 27 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on highway with front-wheel drive and EPA-estimated 28 mpg in the city and 39 mpg on highway with Intelligent All-Wheel Drive.
This is a great vehicle for city driving.
2013-2018 Models
For the 2013 – 2018 models, the range is still 27mph for city, except for some getting only 22 mpg. The highway range also hits the same: many versions can reach 38 mpg.
The range in miles for the city and highway are 460.0 and 640.0 miles, respectively.
These versions come with an engine size of 2.5L 4-cylinder engine, rear parking sensors, an external temperature display, power mirrors, and a four-wheel independent suspension.
2002-2012 Models
Except for hybrid models, every model prior to 2013 had a substantially lower mileage range.
Most previous Nissan Altimas get 18 to 25 mpg and 26 to 35 mpg in the city and on highway, respectively. Hybrid models may hit up to 33 mpg on highway and city ranges.
Is Nissan Altima Fuel-Efficient?
Yes. If you are finding an automobile with high fuel economy ratings, Nissan Altima is a perfect option to go for.
It comes as a surprise that the 2021 Nissan Altima has an mpg rating of 28 in the city and 39 on highway.
Without a doubt, current automobiles are more fuel-efficient than their previous generations as technology is developing at a rapid speed in this industry.
Nissan Altimas are no exception. Newer versions can save more energy and boast friendly-environmental features.
Nissan Altima is a standard vehicle with many high-tech comfortable and convenient bells and whistles, such as top-notch safety ratings, dual-zone automatic climate control, adaptive cruise control, and incredible fuel economy.
Why Does Your Nissan Altima Consume So Much Gas?
Underinflated Tires
Underinflated tires should be the simplest to repair. Use a pressure gauge to check the air pressure in your tires and inflate them to the required pressure.
Remember to prepare a spare tire to replace a damaged one, as this can help you save a lot of gas prices when having incidents on the road.
Low Octane Fuel
Choosing low octane fuel can cause detonation and reduce engine power, thus damaging the engine. Therefore, usually, car riders choose E95 gasoline over E92 to ensure safety and prevent detonation.
However, the price of E95 gasoline is higher but does not provide the ability to increase power when the engine uses them.
The octane number is closely related to the compression ratio.
Using high octane gasoline for vehicles with a low compression ratio and running at low speeds (50 – 70km/h) will not increase the operating capacity.
In addition, it also pollutes the environment more. Following manual fuel recommendations is crucial if you want to protect your car in the long run.
Old Air Filter
A clogged air filter restricts the amount of air that flows into the engine. A lot of dirt builds up in the filter, causing less air and more dirt to enter the combustion chamber.
The car, at this time, will quickly heat up and increase the amount of soot that clogs the spark plugs. The engine may turn off suddenly.
Therefore, to ensure the car operates normally and causes less fuel consumption, you should periodically check and change the new air filter (every 30,000 miles or once a year) to improve the engine.
Faulty Oxygen Sensor
The oxygen sensor is responsible for measuring the residual oxygen concentration in the exhaust gas and sending it to the ECU.
Based on this signal, the ECU will know the fuel condition and then give a signal to adjust the injection amount accordingly.
If you have a faulty oxygen sensor, more fuel will be injected, and the combustion process will not be complete, producing harmful emissions.
A faulty oxygen sensor will cause more fuel consumption (about 20-25%).
The phenomenon of excess fuel and lack of oxygen also originates from this problem. So make sure your oxygen sensor is working properly.
Conclusion
Now you know everything about the Nissan Altima gas type. After reading this post, we can conclude that you can choose a variety of fuel options for your autos.
Although the fuel recommendation is 87 octane, depending on your needs and available budget, you can opt for other types.
Using the appropriate gas type is important to enhance your experience and lengthen the longevity of your vehicle.
We’re confident that this article has provided all the information you need to make a perfect choice.
Thank you for reading!