Introduction
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Introduced four years ago, the Altima is an ongoing success story for Nissan, filling
the gap between the compact Sentra sedan and the larger Maxima. Assembled
in Smyrna, Tennessee, the mid-size front-wheel drive Altima contends in
the fiercely competitive family sedan market against other smaller mid-size
entries such as the Ford Contour, Mercury Mystique, Mazda 626, Chryler
Cirrus and Dodge Stratus--to name just a few.
Positioned as "The Affordable Luxury Sedan," the Altima promises
Japanese-quality construction, spry performance and a touch of cachet--all
at an affordable price. The car has been a strong player for Nissan ever
since its debut, and was singled out by J.D. Power in 1996 as the Best
Mid-size Car Under $20,000 in terms of initial quality. Although newer
designs have come along since its introduction, and a major makeover is
just around the corner, this is still an appealing sedan that combines
solid engineering, competent performance and value in a stylish package.
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