2008 Midsize Hybrid Sedan Comparison

In the Camry Hybrid, Toyota's four-cylinder engine develops 147 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque. Total net peak output is 187 horsepower, including 40 from the battery/generator system.


For the Altima Hybrid, Nissan uses its 2.5-liter engine, producing 158 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. Nissan has borrowed its battery/generator setup from Toyota, with the same 40-horsepower rating. Prior to the debut of the Altima Hybrid, Pete Haidos, Nissan's director of product planning, noted that the "Camry is a little bit more refined." Under the Saturn hood, a 2.4-liter four-cylinder generates 162 horsepower and 159 pound-feet of torque.


According to estimates from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Camry Hybrid is rated at 33 mpg in city driving and just slightly more (34 mpg) on the highway. Nissan gets a topsy-turvy rating: 35 mpg in the city and a little less (33 mpg) for highway driving. Obtaining better gas mileage in city driving is not unusual, as hybrids use no fuel when the gas engine shuts off at a stoplight. Nissan claims that its Hybrid can go as far as 700 miles between fill-ups.


In comparison, with four-cylinder gasoline engines, the EPA estimate is 21/31 mpg for the Camry and 23/31 for the Altima. Highway mileage isn't so much better with a Hybrid, but city driving is considerably more frugal than with a comparable gas-engine model.


The fuel-economy picture differs considerably with the Saturn Aura Green Line, which gets a 24-mpg city rating and 32 mpg on the highway. That's only 2 mpg better than an Aura with a conventional four-cylinder gasoline engine. Saturn uses a milder hybrid system, in which battery power augments the gasoline engine to provide extra boost. GM's new Two-Mode Hybrid system, which lets the vehicle run on battery power alone at times, is available for several SUVs but not the Aura. Although the gas engine shuts off at stops, the Aura shows little other evidence of hybrid operation.

Interior Comfort

2008 Saturn Aura Green Line

All three sedans seat five passengers with ample space, front and rear. In Altimas, long seat bottoms promise good thigh support for the driver, though back support isn't quite as helpful. Though Toyota's Prius also qualifies as a midsize model, the Camry Hybrid feels less snug.


Saturn leads the group in trunk space, with 13.1 cubic feet. Camry and Altima Hybrid sedans have little more than 10 cubic feet.


All three models can provide navigation assistance. In the Aura Green Line, GM's standard OnStar system offers turn-by-turn navigation, with an OnStar advisor providing route instructions. The Camry Hybrid may be equipped with optional navigation, leather-trimmed seating, a moonroof, and heated seats/mirrors. Altima options include navigation and a RearView Monitor.

Safety
All three models have standard antilock braking. A stability-enhancement system, called Vehicle Stability Control, is optional for the Camry Hybrid. Saturn includes GM's StabiliTrak system as standard equipment in the Aura Green Line. Six airbags are standard in the Altima and Aura, but Toyota adds a driver's side knee airbag for a total of seven in the Camry Hybrid.


Each midsize hybrid sedan has earned five-star crash-test ratings all around, for both frontal and side impacts, from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gives the Camry and Altima a "Good" rating for frontal offset impacts, and the Camry also ranks "Good" for side impacts. IIHS has not tested the Saturn Aura.