Nissan Altima is Fun, Power and Roominess, with an Affordable Price

Whether you choose the coupe or the sedan, the 2010 Nissan Altima will provide you with a roomy, powerful ride that has plenty of style.

The Altima contains a 175-horsepower, 2.5-liter inline-four cylinder engine or a 270-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6. Both are linked to Nissan’s Xtronic continuously variable transmission.

For the most part, that transmission is pretty good, but occaisonally you might notice a bit of uncertainty -- as if the CVT can't quite decide which gear is best.

But that won't put much of a damper on the overall driving experience.

The coupe also offers a six-speed manual, should you choose.

The Altima attains EPA fuel-economy ratings of 18-23 mpg in the city and 27-32 mpg on the highway, which beats a key competitor, the Honda Accord.
There is also an Altima Hybrid, for the really fuel conscious, but those models can be tough to come by.

Most recently, Altima was upgraded on the interior, with revised fabrics and finishing trim pieces. Nissan says a new Bose upgrade audio system features a 4.3-inch color display screen, a USB port for portable media device connectivity, XM Satellite Radio and a CD player.

That package is linked with Bluetooth connectivity, and the display screen shows the picture from the rearview camera.
The optional Nissan Navigation System has a 6.5-inch display screen, and can mate with XM NavTraffic and XM NavWeather.


But the luxury doesn't stop there. There's a power sliding moonroof and dual zone climate control, available in the Altima 2.5 S sedan with the Convenience Plus Package and the Altima 3.5 SR sedan with the Sport Package.
That SR is a zippy little doozy, with its sport-tuned suspension package.
But most people just pick the base 2.5 model Altima sedan to save a few dollars.

For convenience, push-button starting is standard.

But Altima is not just fun and games. For safety, there is dual front, dual front-side and two-row curtain airbags, as well as active front head restrains. The Altima sedan gets a Five-Star score in NHTSA front impact tests, while the coupe gets Four-Star ratings up front and Five-Star ratings on the side. The Altima is equipped with antilock brakes and Nissan’s Vehicle Dynamic Control and Traction Control System.


Pricing ranges from just a shade under $20,000 to a little over $31,000.






When you are talking about quality features and lots of fun, you are talking about the Nissan Altima.