Where each one leads
BMW 318is
Ahead on none of the like-for-like measures.
Nissan Altima
- On Canada's official test the most frugal 2025 Nissan Altima uses 8.2 l/100 km, the 1999 BMW 318is 9.9.
Only measures that do not depend on how many cars were sold: pass and failure rates against cars of the same age, ratings, fuel use and CO₂. How we compare
At a glance
| BMW 318is | Nissan Altima | |
|---|---|---|
| Model years in the US safety record | 1991–1997 | 1992–2026 |
EEA new-car registrations (CC BY 4.0) · DVLA licensed vehicles (OGL v3.0) · RDW (CC0) · Traficom (CC BY 4.0) · generations: Wikidata (CC0).
Reliability and problems
| BMW 318is | Nissan Altima | |
|---|---|---|
| New York safety inspections failed | — | 2.1% |
| … against cars of the same year | — | +19% |
| US owner complaints | 32 | 15,482 |
| Most complaints about | Engine and engine cooling | Power train |
| Model year with most complaints | 1993 (13) | 2013 (2,313) |
| US recall campaigns | 4 | 54 |
| Manufacturer service bulletins | 7 | 3,959 |
| NHTSA defect investigations | — | 41 |
Complaint, recall and bulletin counts grow with the number of cars sold and are not adjusted for it. UK MOT: DVSA anonymised MOT results (OGL v3.0); New York: DMV inspections; complaints, recalls, bulletins and investigations: NHTSA (public domain); odometer: RDW (CC0).
Safety
| BMW 318is | Nissan Altima | |
|---|---|---|
| NHTSA overall rating | — | 5★ (2027) |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program, most recent rated model year (public domain).
Fuel, emissions and price
| BMW 318is | Nissan Altima | |
|---|---|---|
| Official combined fuel use, Canada | 9.9 l/100 km (1999) | 8.2 l/100 km (2025) |
Canada: NRCan Fuel Consumption Ratings, most frugal version of the latest year (OGL Canada). Europe: EEA monitoring of new-car CO₂ and on-board fuel meters (OBFCM), CC BY 4.0. Price: RDW catalogue price (CC0). Finland: Traficom (CC BY 4.0).