---
title: "‘It Keeps Me Humble’: New York Mets Outfielder Still Drives His 2010 Nissan Altima"
description: "Mets player Brandon Nimmo still drives his beat-up Altima despite having already made millions."
date: "2022-03-27"
modified: "2022-03-27"
authors:
  - name: "Nico DeMattia"
    job_title: "Contributing Writer"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/44938/it-keeps-me-humble-new-york-mets-outfielder-still-drives-his-2010-nissan-altima"
categories:
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
  - "Nissan News"
tags:
  - "Altima"
  - "Nissan"
  - "sedan"
---

# ‘It Keeps Me Humble’: New York Mets Outfielder Still Drives His 2010 Nissan Altima

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2022/03/2010Altima_128-source.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Athletes love to show off their rides. After all, what better way to measure one’s massive… talent than by showing off high-dollar toys? Showing up to practice in flashy exotics is almost a right of passage for most professional athletes, proving to themselves that they’ve made it. Not for New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo, though, because he's sticking with his 2010 [Nissan Altima](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/33937/watch-this-body-shop-erase-a-totaled-nissan-altima-before-your-eyes>) through thick and thin, according to [MLB.com](<https://www.mlb.com/news/brandon-nimmo-on-driving-a-2010-nissan-altima>).

Nimmo rolls into the parking lot at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Florida—home of Mets Spring Training—in his gold Nissan that’s clearly seen better days. Manually adjustable cloth seats aren’t typically something you’d see in a stadium's parking lot, nor is a cracked dashboard, but Nimmo’s Altima has both.

“But it still does what I need it to do,” Nimmo told the league's website in a recent [interview](<https://www.mlb.com/news/brandon-nimmo-on-driving-a-2010-nissan-altima>). “When I throw luggage in the back, do I want to be doing that on a $100,000 Mercedes?”

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3Dn3X_Feyj

His teammates might disagree, as they use their Ferraris, [Rolls-Royces](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/43448/this-rolls-royce-dually-pickup-was-built-to-tow-other-rolls-royces>), and Porsches for the very same gear. However, Nimmo’s pragmatism is just a front for his sentimentality.

As the interview highlights, when Nimmo got his scholarship to the University of Arkansas, his parents decided to use some of the money they’d originally saved for his schooling to buy him a new, reliable car. Nimmo’s father found a Nissan dealership slashing prices on leftover 2010 Altimas and snagged a great deal on a gold one. Not only does the Altima ground him (after reportedly having already made more than $10 million in the MLB) but it’s a constant reminder of his beginnings.

“It keeps me humble,” he said. “It kind of reminds me of where I came from. When I have a bad game, I can hop in and be like, ‘I’m glad I didn’t buy that $100,000 Mercedes.’ I’ll probably run her till she’s ragged, and then we’ll see what happens.”

The Altima is also now part of his persona. [His teammates rib him](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/1790/these-athletes-car-pranks-are-professional-grade>) for it but even fans comment on it, telling him how much they love that he still drives it. There’s a real *Man of the People* quality behind the Altima that his fans appreciate, y'know?

https://www.instagram.com/p/QnCZx1Dd_I

Will Nimmo upgrade to something a bit nicer, something worth more than just a few thousand dollars? Maybe. He actually owns another vehicle, a 2011 GMC Sierra pickup truck that he reportedly keeps at his place in Wyoming while the Nissan remains on the East Coast. But even *if* or *when* he buys another ride, the Altima isn’t going anywhere. “She’s worth more to me than that," he said.

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## Author
Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/ndemattia/>)  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/nico-demattia-90885540/>)