Rent Nissan Altima 2020 in Dubai

A full midsize sedan for the price of a tidy economy car is the trade the Nissan Altima 2020 offers, and we rent it in Dubai from age 18 when much of the market won't hand over a car this size until you're 21. You get a wide cabin, a deep boot and a 2.5-litre engine tuned for quiet cruising rather than corners. Our argument is simple: this is the value pick for a couple or a small family who want real space and an easy airport run without paying SUV money. It has one honest weak spot, the gearbox, and we'll cover that before anything else so you know what you're signing up for.

The CVT, and the way it drives

Start here, because the gearbox shapes the whole car. The 2.5-litre four-cylinder makes 188 hp through Nissan's CVT automatic, and that combination is built for smoothness and economy, not urgency. Pull away gently and it's smooth and quiet. Floor it to merge or overtake and the revs flare while the speed catches up a beat later, that elastic feeling CVTs are known for. You notice it most on a hard merge or a steep mall ramp.

For how most people actually drive here, none of that matters. At a steady 120 on the E11 the Altima is calm and hushed, and around town it gets out of its own way. But if you genuinely enjoy a sharp, eager drive, this car will leave you flat, and you'd want a turbocharged sedan instead. Rented for what it is, a relaxed cruiser, the soft tuning is a feature.

Specs at a glance

Boot and airport runs

The trunk holds around 436 litres with a wide, square opening, which is the practical reason to book this car for DXB and DWC pickups. Two large hard cases go in flat with a cabin bag beside them, and you'll still have room for a couple of soft bags on top. A family of four heading home for the holidays can pack properly rather than playing luggage Tetris on the back seat. The rear seats fold if you ever need to carry something long, though for airport duty the standard boot is the whole story. This is where a midsize sedan quietly beats a compact: nobody's case ends up on a lap.

Space for people

The other half of the value case is the cabin. The rear bench is genuinely wide with strong legroom, so three adults across the back works for a city hop and two ride in real comfort on a longer run. Fitting a child seat is easy here, the doors open wide and the bench is flat, and under-fours need one by law in Dubai. For a couple living here a month or a family of four doing mall runs and weekend trips, this is the kind of car you stop thinking about.

Heat, AC and the parked-cabin problem

A June afternoon at 45 degrees turns any parked car into an oven, and the first minute in the Altima is unpleasant like any other. The front vents pull hard once the AC catches, and a cabin this size cools to comfortable within a few minutes of moving, faster if you crack the windows for the first stretch. There are rear vents, so back-seat passengers aren't left to suffer while the front cools, which matters on a family car. Give it a moment with the fan high before you load kids in and you'll be out of the car park in the cold.

Parking, ramps and everyday manners

At nearly five metres the Altima is a proper midsize, and you feel the length in a tight multi-storey. Marina and older mall bays are snug, so use the reversing camera and take the swing into a corner space with care. On the open road it's an easy car, with light steering and a soft ride that shrugs off speed bumps despite a modest 130 mm of clearance. Take the steep mall ramps gently to avoid scraping the front lip. This is a road car, so keep it off sand and rough tracks.

A few rental basics worth stating plainly. Salik tolls run on your account, and any RTA fines during the rental pass to you, so watch the speed and the gates. Seat belts are mandatory in every seat.

Who should rent it, and who shouldn't

Rent the Altima 2020 if you want space, comfort and a big boot for daily Dubai driving or airport transfers, especially as a couple or a small family who'd otherwise overpay for an SUV. The rent-from-18 part makes it one of the few midsize options younger drivers can actually book.

Skip it if you're solo and parking in cramped basements all week, where a compact sedan is easier to thread and cheaper to rent. And if you want genuine pace or a high seating position for rougher tracks, step up to a turbo sedan or an SUV. The CVT is the trade for the comfort and the economy. Accept that, and the Altima is an easy car to recommend.