2021 Nissan Altima vs 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class, part of the W213 generation, debuted in 2017 with a design shift from the sharper angles of the W212 to the fluid, curvier forms seen in the S-Class and C-Class. This "sensual purity" design theme, as described by Mercedes chief designer Gorden Wagener, gave the E-Class a smooth and elegant appearance. For 2021, the E-Class received a slightly edgier front with squinted headlights and an inverted trapezoid grille, while the rear adopted horizontal taillights reminiscent of the W212. New bumpers, exhaust tips, and wheels were among the major updates, maintaining the car's handsome and elegant look across its sedan, wagon, coupe, and convertible variants.

Inside, the E-Class was a showcase of luxury with rich woods, aluminum, and carbon fiber materials sweeping across the curved dash and intricate doors. The cabin featured metal speaker grilles, elaborate stitching, and incredible ambient lighting that interacted with the car's climate and mood settings. The 2021 model introduced a digital display for the instrument panel, replacing analog gauges, and new steering wheels with touch-sensitive controls. The interior was lavish and modern, unmatched by any car at its price point.

The 2021 Nissan Altima sported a bold V-Motion grille, available in chrome or dark chrome, giving it a strong family identity. Its overall shape was attractive, with a sloping "coupe-like" roofline that provided a sleek, aerodynamic profile. The body featured more folds than curves, giving it a taut and trim essence, though its stance was somewhat old-fashioned due to the overhangs ahead of the front wheels and behind the rear wheels. Modern features like standard LED lighting and a range of wheel options from 16-inch steel to 19-inch alloy kept the look contemporary.

The Altima's fit and finish were exceptional, with deep lustrous paint and rich chrome details. It offered nine exterior colors, including premium options like "Super Black" and "Scarlet Ember Tinticoat." Inside, the dashboard was uncluttered and intelligently laid out, with a standard 8-inch touchscreen display mounted at the top of the center stack. The instrument panel featured a cowl to reduce glare, and interior materials improved with higher trim levels, adding stitching to the dash and seats for a better hand feel.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class saw a significant change with the switch from conventional V6 engines to electrified inline-six powertrains for the E450 model, making it a hybrid. This powertrain, introduced on the AMG E53 in 2019, featured a 48-volt electrical system supplementing the common 12-volt system. A small lithium-ion battery powered an electric starter-generator, providing extra power and torque for brief periods and allowing the engine to shut off more often to save fuel and reduce emissions. The new 3.0-liter I6 engine produced 362 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, with additional overboost from the battery.

The base E350's 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine, revised for 2020, offered 255 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque but lacked the performance expected of a luxury car. The AMG E53 added a second turbo, powered by the 48-volt battery, to the E450's engine, producing 429 hp and 384 lb-ft of torque. The AMG E63 S, with a hand-built 4.0-liter V8 engine, delivered 603 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque, making it a high-performance variant with advanced features like variable-rate air suspension and rear-biased AWD.

Fuel economy for the AMG models was lower, with the E53 sedan rated at 25 mpg combined and the E63 sedan at 18 mpg combined. The E450 4Matic and E350 4Matic sedans offered better fuel economy, with 26 mpg and 25 mpg combined, respectively.

The 2021 Nissan Altima offered two distinct powertrains. Most models featured a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 182 hp and 178 lb-ft of torque, paired with Nissan's Xtronic CVT. FWD was standard, with AWD available on all but the base S trim. This engine provided fuel economy ratings of 28 mpg city/39 mpg highway/32 mpg combined with FWD and 25 mpg city/35 mpg highway/29 mpg combined with AWD.

The Altima SR VC-Turbo trim level featured a unique 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with variable compression, producing 248 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque. This engine, available only with FWD, offered a more engaging driving experience and fuel economy ratings of 25 mpg city/34 mpg highway/29 mpg combined. All Altima models had four-wheel independent suspension, with the VC-Turbo's suspension being sport-tuned for a more dynamic ride.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class featured a redesigned infotainment system with a touchscreen interface, making everyday tasks easier. The touchpads on the steering wheel were reshaped, and shortcut buttons for navigation, stereo, and other settings remained. The cabin was spacious for four adults, with ample headroom and legroom, supportive cushions, and knee cutouts on the seatbacks. However, the E53 model lacked rear USB ports, a separate climate zone, soft-close doors, and heated rear seats, despite its $101,000 MSRP.

The E-Class coupe had usable and comfortable rear seats, while the convertible's rear seats were less practical due to the folding soft top. The wagon offered a stowable rear-facing jump seat and more cargo space, with 35 cubic feet or 64 cubic feet with all seats folded. The sedan had 13 cubic feet of trunk space, and the two-door models had 10 cubic feet or less with the roof down. The E450 All-Terrain wagon, new for 2021, featured raised ground clearance and plastic body cladding.

The 2021 Nissan Altima's front cabin featured Nissan's Zero Gravity seats, which provided exceptional comfort on long drives. Upper trim levels offered power adjustment, position memory, leather appointments, and electric heating for the seats. The front cabin had ample storage, including a big glovebox, center console storage bin, cupholders, an open cubby, and door pockets. The second row also had door pockets, cupholders in the center armrest, and map pockets in the front seatbacks.

The second row of seats was roomy for two adults and could accommodate three for short rides. The seats folded flat in a 60/40 split, allowing access to the 15.4 cubic feet trunk.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class featured the MBUX infotainment system with a touchscreen interface, better-organized menus, and shortcut buttons for major functions. Gesture control, natural voice processing, and online searches enhanced the user experience. The system included features like live feed overlays from the front camera, massaging seats, and seat kinetics. However, it did not support OTA updates, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were not wireless. Optional driving assists included lane changes, curve slowing, and limited autonomous driving capabilities.

The 2021 Nissan Altima came with standard tech features like Nissan Intelligent Key with pushbutton start, remote engine start, Bluetooth, cruise control, HomeLink, rear-view camera, Siri Eyes Free, Google Assistant Voice Recognition, and streaming audio. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard on all but the S model. The base touchscreen display was 7 inches on the S model, while other models had an 8-inch NissanConnect touchscreen. Higher trims featured a Bose audio system, Active Noise Cancellation, and Nissan Door to Door Navigation.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class was one of the safest cars on sale, with a five-star overall rating from NHTSA and a "Top Safety Pick+" rating from IIHS for the sedan. Standard safety features included forward automatic emergency braking, a driver-attention monitor, and blind-spot monitoring. Optional features included Pre-Safe Sound, side bolster inflation during side collisions, and crosswind countermeasures.

The 2021 Nissan Altima featured Nissan Safety Shield 360, standard on SV and above, which included automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, rear automatic braking, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot warning, lane-departure warning, and high-beam assist. ProPilot Assist, available on upper trims, offered features like intelligent forward collision warning, lane intervention, traffic sign recognition, and adaptive cruise control. The Altima received a five-star overall safety rating from NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from IIHS.