I Sold My Nissan: Here’s How Much I Got for It and What I’m Driving Instead
Written by
Jake Safane
Edited by
Rebekah Evans
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Nissan makes some of the most popular car models, but they often don’t have great resale value. After five years, the average Nissan has a resale value of 50.8%, ranking No. 14 among popular non-luxury brands, according to CarEdge.
Some models perform better than others, but the Nissan Altima, for example, only has a five-year resale value of 50.2%, ranking No. 114 among popular non-luxury car models, finds CarEdge. And the seven-year resale value of an Altima is 36.7%, ranking No. 155 among this group.
Meera Watts, CEO and founder of Siddhi Yoga, experienced similar depreciation firsthand. While she lives in Singapore and thus car values and conversion rates differ, she said she purchased her 2017 Altima 2.5 SL brand new for the equivalent of $28,500. Here’s how much she got for it and what she’s driving now instead.
Sold for $11K Due To Maintenance Issues
Roughly six and a half years later, she sold the car for around $11,000. Still, Watts had a good run for most of the time she owned the Nissan Altima.
“The car was very reliable for commuting to work everyday and taking trips on the weekends to teach yoga workshops throughout the state. I loved how the Altima handled long drives and had enough room to carry my yoga props and teaching materials. It was also efficient on gas and the maintenance costs were reasonable during the first few years of ownership,” she said.
However, she eventually ran into maintenance issues, which contributed to her trading it in.
“I began having some trouble with the CVT transmission around the fifth year, which I later found is true of many owners of these Nissan models. Occasionally, the transmission would hesitate when I was trying to accelerate and that would make me anxious when I was merging on the highway,” Watts explained.
“I also thought that the infotainment system was outdated compared to newer models of cars by other manufacturers. Knowing I spend a lot of time driving and commuting between yoga teacher training locations, I wanted reliable technology for navigation and hands-free calling,” she added.
Buying a Toyota Camry Instead
Given these issues, Watts decided to trade in her Altima to buy a new 2024 Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE for $36,800. While that’s far more than the $11,000 she got for the Altima, it was worth it given her situation.
“The CVT issues hurt what I could get for it. The dealer actually pointed out that those transmission issues are widely known around the industry and they negatively impact the resale value pretty significantly across the Nissan lineup,” she explained.
Plus, she wanted the upgrades that can come with a newer car.
“I wanted better reliability ratings, higher safety ratings and advanced technology. I was attracted to Toyota’s reputation for longevity as my work requires a lot of travel between our training centers and sites for retreats and I wanted a vehicle that I could put my complete trust in and use for a very long time,” Watts said.
Plus, the better fuel economy on her Camry hybrid — around 50 miles per gallon (mpg) versus 32 to 35 mpg for her Altima — made the upfront cost more palatable. She said she now saves around $150 per month on fuel based on her driving trends.
“I did the calculations on the savings made on fuel and given the reliability track record of the Toyota, it made financial sense in my situation. I drive so much between the yoga training centers that the cost of the new car will work itself out over time,” Watts added.
She has also been enjoying the technology and safety features of the new Camry.
“The lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control have become nearly essential when we take four-to-five-hour drives between cities for teacher training programs. I also noticed the acceleration feels smoother and more predictable. No more hesitation when merging onto busy highways like I experienced with the Nissan’s CVT issues,” Watts said.
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