Nissan redesigned its Altima mid-size sedan for 2019, and families will find a lot to like about the new car's backseat. It's roomy enough to accommodate two car seats and its easy-access lower Latch anchors take the sting out of installation. Our test SV trim's fixed head restraints did create some problems, however.
How many car seats fit in the second row? Two
Solid
- Latch, grade A: The two sets of anchors are exposed under flip-off plastic covers. The three top tether anchors sit on the rear shelf; access and connection are easy.
- Infant, grade A: Installation was easy and the seat fit well. Our 5-foot, 6-inch-tall front passenger had ample legroom.
- Rear-facing convertible, grade A: Again, this seat went in easily and we had no issues with legroom.
- Forward-facing convertible, grade A: We tested an SV trim with fixed head restraints, and the head restraint didn't push the convertible seat's back off of the seat (it should be flush with the seatback).
So-So
- Booster, grade C: The SV trim's fixed head restraints pushed the booster off of the seatback a bit; it should be flush. The sedan also lost a grade for its floppy buckles, which will be difficult for kids to grasp and use independently.
Skip It
- None
Grading Scale
Solid indicates an A grade for optimum ease of use and fit. So-So indicates B or C grades for one to two ease-of-use or fit issues. Skip It indicates D or F grades.
A: Plenty of room for the car seat and the child; doesn't impact driver or front-passenger legroom. Easy to find and connect to Latch and tether anchors. No fit issues involving head restraint or seat contouring. Easy access to the third row.
B: One room, fit or connection issue. Some problems accessing third row when available.
C: Marginal room plus one fit or connection issue. Difficult to access third row when available.
D: Insufficient room, plus multiple fit or connection issues.
F: Does not fit or is unsafe.
About Cars.com's Car Seat Checks
Editors Jennifer Geiger, Jennifer Newman and Matt Schmitz are certified child safety seat installation technicians.
For the Car Seat Check, we use a Graco SnugRide Classic Connect 30 infant-safety seat, a Britax Marathon convertible seat and Graco TurboBooster seat. The front seats are adjusted for a 6-foot driver and a shorter passenger. The three child seats are installed in the second row. The booster seat sits behind the driver's seat, and the infant and convertible seats are installed behind the front passenger seat.
We also install the forward-facing convertible in the second row's middle seat with the booster and infant seat in the outboard seats to see if three car seats will fit; a child sitting in the booster seat must be able to reach the seat belt buckle. If there's a third row, we install the booster seat and a forward-facing convertible. Learn more about how we conduct our Car Seat Checks.
Parents should also remember that they can use the Latch system or a seat belt to install a car seat, and that Latch anchors have a weight limit of 65 pounds, including the weight of the child and the weight of the seat itself.
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