Nissan has re-invented the
Altima for the second time in its four generations. The
Nissan Altima has been totally redesigned for 2007. It offers more performance, comfort, safety, economy, and better looks than last year's model. It looks more like the
Maxima now. It's a couple of inches shorter on the outside, but has more room on the inside, including a spacious trunk. Fold-down rear seats allow the trunk to expand into the cabin for carrying big long things.
The object of the redesign was to bring the feel and power of a luxury car to this everyman's midsize sedan, and Nissan has succeeded, at least with the Altima model that has the V6 engine and all the options, including plush leather. There are still models with a four-cylinder engine, which offer good power and get 26 city and 34 highway miles per gallon.
The 3.5-liter V6 is a new engine generation. It makes 270 horsepower, more than what's available in other midsize cars (excluding turbocharged or expensive sports sedans), along with 258 pound-feet of torque. The price for that power: The V6 requires premium fuel and gets 22/28 mpg.