48 DECEMBER 2019 ~ CAR AND DRIVER
4th Place: The Nissan
Yes, we’re guilty of grading on a curve
here, but second to last strikes us as a big
win for the Altima. Notice that it nearly
snuck into third, ahead of the sales-
giant Camry. After years of pulse-low-
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showing signs of life.
There are shades of sports sedan
lurking in the Nissan’s chassis tuning.
The all-season Hankooks hang on to the road with a tena-
cious 0. 9 1 g of lateral grip. With its quick and light steering,
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pedal is easily modulated.
The harder you push it, though, the more disjointed the
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the steering too quick and darty. We all agreed the ride is
brittle and needs more damping compliance.
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with some agreeable manners. At part throttle, the transmis-
sion executes almost convincing, simulated upshifts. They
allow the revs to rise and fall as the car accelerates so that
the 2. 5 -liter inline-four never lingers on a discordant note for
too long. You have to dig in your spurs if you want the Altima
to gallop. Unlike the lively chassis, the powertrain prefers to
loaf. It’s good at that, at least. Despite lugging and churning
that all-wheel-drive hardware, the Nissan tied the Toyota
Nissan Altima Plus Holds its own in corners, CVT does a decent
job mimicking a conventional automatic. Minus Flinty ride, abys-
mal rearward visibility, light on convenience features. Equals An
injection of character into the Altima gives us hope for Nissan.There’s a lot of Maxima in
the Altima’s styling and
some sports sedan in its
handling. If its optional
all-wheel-drive system
stops the sale of a Rogue,
we consider that a win.N[QaUR5fb[QNVNa Z]T@aVYYaURNYYdURRYQ_VcR`f`-
tem is probably more trouble than it’s worth. Opting for
it hikes up the rear of the car, which, combined with the
high parcel shelf and the large center brake light, gives
the driver a perfect view of the sky behind them.
With wind, engine, and road noise equally in check,
the Altima is tranquil at highway speeds. Cushy front
seats swallow you like the 40 -year-old sofa in Mom’s
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of long-haul support. Every thing you grab, push, pull,
turn, and touch inside the cabin looks and feels right.
It’s the hard plastic expanses in between that make the
Altima appear cheaper than it is. The Nissan is also miss-
ing a number of features expected at this price, such as
heated seats. If a $26,183 Camry comes with adaptive
cruise control, so should a $30,7 20 Altima. A little more
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