2010 Nissan Altima MPG and Fuel Cost

The 2010 Nissan Altima gets up to 27 mpg combined with a gas engine and up to 34 mpg as a hybrid, across 6 EPA-tested versions.

EPA fuel economy

2010 Nissan Altima · 6 EPA-tested versions

Best gas version

27MPG combined

23 city 32 highway

$2,500 a year to fuel

2.5L 4-cyl · FWD · CVT

Best hybrid version

34MPG combined

35 city 33 highway

$1,950 a year to fuel

2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · CVT

Best version saves $2,250 in fuel over 5 years vs the average new vehicle (EPA)

Fuel cost: 15,000 miles a year at EPA's $4.47 a gallon (regular gas).

Data: US EPA, fueleconomy.govUpdated Oct 2, 2026

At EPA's price assumptions, fuel costs $1,950 to $3,200 a year.

Fewer complaints than a typical Altima year

The 2010 drew 64 owner complaints in its first three years, against 70 for a typical Altima year. Best years are picked only from 2016 on, since counts for older years say less: owners filed fewer complaints in the early 2010s.

Years to avoid: 2013 to 2015; best years: 2021, 2022, and 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.

Every Altima year ranked The 2010 Altima's recalls and problems

Every 2010 Altima version

EPA's ratings for each version it tested. Fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current prices.

Version	Combined	City / Hwy	Fuel / year
Hybrid
2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · CVT Best EPA listing: Altima Hybrid	34 mpg	35 / 33	$1,950
Gas
2.5L 4-cyl · FWD · CVT EPA listing: Altima	27 mpg	23 / 32	$2,500
2.5L 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed manual EPA listing: Altima Coupe	26 mpg	23 / 31	$2,600
2.5L 4-cyl · FWD · CVT · Coupe EPA listing: Altima Coupe	26 mpg	23 / 32	$2,600
3.5L 6-cyl · FWD · CVT EPA listing: Altima (also Altima Coupe)	23 mpg	20 / 27	$2,900
3.5L 6-cyl · FWD · 6-speed manual EPA listing: Altima (also Altima Coupe)	21 mpg	18 / 27	$3,200

Fuel cost at your prices

EPA's annual cost uses 15,000 miles a year, 55% city driving and its current prices: $4.47 a gallon for regular gas. Change the numbers to match your driving.

Version	Per year	Per month	5 years
2.5L 4-cyl hybrid · FWD · CVT	$1,972	$164	$9,860
2.5L 4-cyl · FWD · CVT	$2,483	$207	$12,417
2.5L 4-cyl · FWD · 6-speed manual	$2,579	$215	$12,894
2.5L 4-cyl · FWD · CVT · Coupe	$2,579	$215	$12,894
3.5L 6-cyl · FWD · CVT	$2,915	$243	$14,576
3.5L 6-cyl · FWD · 6-speed manual	$3,193	$266	$15,964

At the default settings the results match EPA's annual cost before EPA rounds it to the nearest $50.

Does the hybrid pay for itself? See the payback for every model sold both ways.

Nissan Altima MPG by model year

The best-rated version in each model year; the highlighted year is this page. Gas: 26 to 32 mpg (every year from 2010 to 2026); highest in 2019. Hybrid: 33 to 34 mpg (2010 to 2011); highest in 2010.

Best gas version
Best hybrid version

2010: gas 27 mpg · hybrid 34 mpg

Show as a table

Nissan Altima best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version	Best hybrid version
2010	27	34
2011	26	33
2012	26	–
2013	31	–
2014	31	–
2015	31	–
2016	31	–
2017	31	–
2018	31	–
2019	32	–
2020	32	–
2021	32	–
2022	32	–
2023	31	–
2024	31	–
2025	31	–
2026	30	–

Every Altima year's ratings in one table

How the 2010 Altima compares

2010 midsize sedans covered on this site, ranked by their best combined rating. Fuel cost is for each model's cheapest version to run, at EPA's prices.

2010 model	Best combined	Best gas	Fuel / year
Toyota Camry Best: hybrid	34 mpg	26 mpg	$1,950
Nissan Altima This page Best: hybrid	34 mpg	27 mpg	$1,950
Chevrolet Malibu Best: gas	29 mpg	29 mpg	$2,300
Honda Accord Best: gas	25 mpg	25 mpg	$2,700
Hyundai Sonata Best: gas	25 mpg	25 mpg	$2,700
Kia Optima Best: gas	25 mpg	25 mpg	$2,700

Nissan Altima vs Toyota CamryMPG, fuel cost, recalls and crash tests side by side

2010 Altima recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 393 owner complaints for the 2010 Altima.

Owners most often describe the engine not starting (33 complaints, 8%), then the airbag warning light (26).

See the 2010 Altima recalls and problems

Questions

How much fuel does the 2010 Altima hybrid save?

Comparing two-wheel-drive versions at EPA's assumptions (15,000 miles a year, $4.47 a gallon), the hybrid costs $1,950 a year to fuel against $2,500 for the gas model: $550 a year, or $2,750 over five years.

Does the 2010 Nissan Altima need premium gas?

No. EPA lists every 2010 Nissan Altima version on regular gasoline.

Sources and method

US EPA and Department of Energy fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 29, 2026.
EPA fuel price assumptions: regular $4.47, midgrade $5.07, premium $5.48, diesel $6.38 a gallon; electricity $0.15 per kWh.
Recall and complaint counts: NHTSA recall file dated Oct 2, 2026 and complaint file dated Oct 2, 2026.

Ratings are EPA estimates. Real-world mileage depends on how, where and in what weather you drive. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.