Nissan’s Altima continues to hold its own

Special to the Star-Telegram

Still among the top midsize sedans on the market, the Nissan Altima is one of the affordable family cars that continues to hold its own in the current down economy.

The Altima, which got a complete makeover two years ago, returned for 2009 with only a few minor changes, including a new automatic door-lock system.

Two engines are offered again for ’09, the base 2.5-liter four-cylinder, which has an impressive 175 horsepower and 180 foot-pounds of torque, and the 3.5-liter V-6, one of the best engines ever made. It boasts 270 horsepower and 258 foot-pounds of torque, and turns the Altima into a true sport sedan.

For 2009, the Altima sedan still comes in four trim levels, starting with the 2.5 with a continuously variable automatic transmission (base price $19,900 plus $720 freight), followed by the 2.5 S with a six-speed manual gearbox ($21,040); the 3.5 SE with the manual transmission ($25,180); and the top-of-the-line 3.5 SL ($29,380), which comes only with the CVT. On the two mid-level models, the CVT is a $500 option.

The Altima has consistently been one of the best driver-oriented midsize sedans on the market, along with the Mazda6 and Volkswagen Passat.

The previous-generation model was already the fourth-best-selling car in the United States. With the 2007 redesign, though, Nissan made the Altima significantly better. The upgrades were numerous, ranging from edgier exterior styling to more power to a new, very refined interior more like that of a premium car such a Lexus or Mercedes.

Our test car, the 3.5 SE, with a V-6 engine and leather interior (part of the $2,460 Premium Package) came with a long list of amenities that definitely pushed this version into the premium class.

We also had the automatic transmission, giving our car a base price of $25,680, but with all of the extras, the sticker end up at $33,350 (including freight), which is around the starting price of some premium-brand sedans.

Beyond the stylish redesign, Nissan also virtually eliminated the sometimes-annoying torque steer that owners had complained about on the previous model. Steering was improved to give the car more of a sport feel, Nissan said. Torque steer is the tendency of front-wheel-drive vehicles to try to turn in the direction of the wheel that’s getting power, and it’s present to some degree in almost every vehicle that has front drive.

In the redesigned model, power of the V-6 was increased even as torque steer was reduced, a difficult feat for the Altima’s engineers.

Our V-6 engine made this car one of the most-fun mass-market sedans we’ve tested. But with all the concern over fuel economy these days, it’s good to know that even the Altima’s base four-cylinder engine is no slouch, It’s an enhanced version of the engine from the previous generation of the Altima, and is the second-most-powerful base four-cylinder in the midsize class.

With the manual gearbox, the four-cylinder is rated at 23 miles per gallon in the city and 32 on the highway. With the CVT, the ratings are 23 city/31 highway.

Looking for comments?