2013 Nissan Altima
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2013 Nissan Altima Review:
With its zero gravity feature, the 2013 Nissan Altima conjures dreams of floating serenely above snail-moving, bumper-to-bumper traffic. That alone would get customers pounding down the doors in this era of maddening gridlock.
Alas, it doesn’t work that way. It’s all about the new front seats. But even there, it doesn’t mean that the folks up front will arise, rapture-like, through the sunroof.
However, it does mean that the captain and first mate can travel on a voyage of comfort, with blood coursing merrily through arteries and veins as never before in an automobile—if the Nissan designers are to be believed.
Zero gravity, though forgivable hyperbole, is one component of the all-new Altima, now celebrating its 20th anniversary as one of the leading mid-size sedans in American. It is consistently top rated by just about everybody, and in 2011 finished second in mid-size sedan sales behind the evergreen Toyota Camry.
Start with those front seats, which are listed as one improvement among many. Nevertheless, they are the sorts of features that luxury car manufacturers employ to lure big-bucks buyers. Here they are offered, routinely, as an inducement to choose a mid-size sedan that has a starting price of $22,280.
The seat design, inspired by research done by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) into the effects of weightlessness in space, uses a one-piece seatback that distributes muscular and spinal loads to improve blood flow. Nissan says it reduces fatigue on long trips, and there is no argument here. The front seats are relaxing and supportive.
Comfort in back is decent as well, except for the center-rear seating position, which has a punishing seat bottom and no headroom. However, that’s a shortcoming shared by almost every sedan.
Unlike some of its mid-size competitors who have dropped their six-cylinder engines, the Altima continues to offer a 270-horsepower V6 engine as well as a182-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. Regrettably, the manual gearbox has been scrapped in favor of continuously variable automatic transmissions for both engines.
Except for die-hard stick shifters, that’s not entirely a bad thing. Nissan has become the world leader in CVTs, which operate with internal belts and pulleys to seamlessly deliver changes in gear ratios without shift points. Nissan claims that the all-new CVT in the Altima delivers a broader range of ratios than the eight-speed automatic transmission in the Lexus LS 460.
Unlike the CVTs in some other cars, the unit in the Altima has a tight, connected feel. There’s none of that annoying sensation that the transmission is slipping. Moreover, if you choose, you can paddle shift the V6 Altima’s CVT manually with computer-derived faux shift points.
Despite sleek new styling that makes the Altima look like a bigger luxury sedan, it actually is 79 pounds lighter than its predecessor thanks to an increased percentage of aluminum and high strength steel. With that and the new CVT, an alternator that only pulls power from the engine when braking or coasting, and other aerodynamic and tuning magic, the Altima earns an EPA city/highway fuel economy rating of 27/38 miles to the gallon. The highway number is the best among popular mid-size sedans.
The rating, of course, is with the four-cylinder engine. It is 22/31 with the V6, which appeals mainly to people who enjoy the six’s feel of smoothness and strength. But buyers of the four-banger give up little in performance.
The latter was aided by the Altima’s new active under-steer control. Under-steer is the tendency of a car, especially one with front-wheel drive like the Altima’s, to plow straight ahead in corners.
With the new system, if onboard sensors detect under-steer, the brakes on the inside front wheel are imperceptibly applied to change the course to a more neutral attitude.
The new Altima is loaded with gobs of other high-tech features, including navigation, blind spot warning, remote starting, lane-departure warning, hands-free text messaging, Bluetooth streaming audio and Pandora radio, and smart phone integration.
But the coolest of these is the so-called easy fill tire alert. Not only does it tell you when tire pressure is low, it helps you pump up the offending tire even if you don’t happen to have a pressure gauge. As you pump the air, the exterior lights flash and the horn chirps to tell you when the tire is properly filled.
Six versions of the 2013 Altima are offered, each with its own level of equipment. The 2.5 four-cylinder costs $22,280, with the tested 2.5S at $23,280 and the 2.5SV at $24,880. V6 models are priced at $26,140 for the 3.5S, $29,340 for the 3.5 SV and $30,860 for the 3.5SL. Three options packages are offered: convenience (four-cylinder only) $1,350, technology $1,090 and navigation $590.
Specifications
Model: 2013 Nissan Altima 2.5 S four-door sedan.
Engine: 2.5-liter four-cylinder, 182 horsepower.
Transmission: Continuously variable automatic.
Overall length: 16 feet.
EPA passenger/trunk volume: 102/15 cubic feet.
Weight: 3,114 pounds.
EPA city/highway fuel consumption: 27/38 miles to the gallon.
Base price, including destination charge: $23,280.
Price as tested: $23,555.
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