are nissan altimas  compact cars
But the Nissan Altima has not always been as big, and it has not always been in the form that we see it now today. When it debuted in 1993, the Altima was basically a rebadged version of the Nissan Bluebird, a car whose size comes in between the compact and mid-size category in the American car market. This model was sold through 1997, after which the Nissan Altima was given a redesign.