Compare the2026 Nissan AltimaVS 2026 Volkswagen Jetta GLI

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Altima are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Nissan Altima has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer knee airbags.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Nissan Altima achieved an “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Volkswagen Jetta GLI has not been tested.

The Altima AWD offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Altima SR offers an optional 360-degree Surround View Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Jetta GLI only offers a rear monitor.

The Altima’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Altima and the Jetta GLI have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Nissan Altima is safer than the Volkswagen Jetta GLI:

	Altima	Jetta GLI
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	171	278
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.7 inches
Neck Compression	110 lbs.	136 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	260/280 lbs.	430/149 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Nissan Altima is safer than the Volkswagen Jetta GLI:

	Altima	Jetta GLI
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	185	306
Spine Acceleration	46 G’s	56 G’s
Hip Force	544 lbs.	554 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	157	239

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Altima, with its five-star roll-over rating, is 3.8% less likely to roll over than the Jetta GLI, which received a four-star rating.

Warranty

Nissan’s powertrain warranty covers the Altima 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volkswagen covers the Jetta GLI. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Jetta GLI ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The Altima’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Jetta GLI’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

There are over 68 percent more Nissan dealers than there are Volkswagen dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Altima’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Altima first among midsize cars in their 2025 Initial Quality Study. The Jetta GLI isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Volkswagen vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan second in initial quality, above the industry average. With 56 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volkswagen is ranked 26th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen With 70 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Nissan higher than Volkswagen.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Volkswagen vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Nissan 6 places higher in reliability than Volkswagen.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Altima FWD gets better fuel mileage than the Jetta GLI 7-speed SMG (26 city/36 hwy vs. 26 city/35 hwy).

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Nissan Altima uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Jetta GLI requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Altima AWD’s standard fuel tank has 2.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Jetta GLI (16 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Altima FWD’s standard fuel tank has 3 gallons more fuel capacity than the Jetta GLI (16.2 vs. 13.2 gallons).

Transmission

The Nissan Altima comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Jetta GLI.

The Altima has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Altima stops much shorter than the Jetta GLI:

	Altima	Jetta GLI
70 to 0 MPH	164 feet	177 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Altima SR’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Jetta GLI (235/40R19 vs. 225/45R18).

The Altima SR’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Jetta GLI’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Altima SR has standard 19-inch wheels. The Jetta GLI’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

The Altima has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Altima’s wheelbase is 5.6 inches longer than on the Jetta GLI (111.2 inches vs. 105.6 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Altima is 2.4 inches wider in the front and 2.1 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Jetta GLI.

The Altima handles at .91 G’s, while the Jetta GLI Autobahn pulls only .86 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

The design of the Nissan Altima amounts to more than styling. The Altima has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .26 Cd. That is significantly lower than the Jetta GLI (.31) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Altima get better fuel mileage.

The front grille of the Altima uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Altima a Mid-size car, while the Jetta GLI is rated a Compact.

The Altima has 5.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Jetta GLI (100.6 vs. 94.7).

The Altima has .6 inches more front headroom, 2.7 inches more front legroom, 1.7 inches more front hip room, 2.3 inches more front shoulder room, 3.1 inches more rear hip room and 3.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Jetta GLI.

The front step up height for the Altima is 1.8 inches lower than the Jetta GLI (14” vs. 15.8”). The Altima’s rear step up height is 2 inches lower than the Jetta GLI’s (14” vs. 16”).

Cargo Capacity

The Altima has a much larger trunk than the Jetta GLI (15.4 vs. 14.1 cubic feet).

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Altima easier. The Altima’s trunk lift-over height is 26.9 inches, while the Jetta GLI’s liftover is 28.7 inches.

Ergonomics

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Altima’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Jetta GLI’s headlights are rated “Marginal” to “Poor.”

Both the Altima and the Jetta GLI offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Altima offers optional rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Jetta GLI doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Nissan Altima, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Nissan Altima outsold the Volkswagen Jetta by 72% during 2025.

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