It seems like ages ago, but in the not too distant past, Nissan had virtually no presence in the mainstream family sedan market. Stuck between the strong selling Sentra and high-end Maxima was the forgettable Nissan Stanza, a car that failed to resonate with buyers. Meanwhile, the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry had already established themselves as the cars to beat. Twenty years ago, Nissan had enough, and introduced the Altima, a legitimate player with a lot to prove. How the times have changed. 2013 marks the introduction of a new, fifth generation Altima, which is currently Nissan’s best-selling car, and one of the best selling cars in the USA.
Taking a look at the Altima’s sheetmetal, it’s clear Nissan went conservative with the redesign. Yes, it’s curvy, even elegant at some angles, and with ample chrome trim it is apparent a more upscale look was desired. The Altima is pleasant to look at, and offends no one. And that works for the huge audience the Altima appeals to. The tradeoff is a completely forgettable car. It’s sort of like listening to Micheal Buble. Yes, he has a fantastic voice, sings the American Standards as good as anyone, and I enjoy his music while I’m listening to it. But if I’m not exposed to his music, I’m not thinking about it. I’m not replaying his songs in my head, or dying to hear his song again. So it is with the Altima. Nice enough to look at, classy enough to show your neighbors, but leaves absolutely no lasting impression at all.
The Garage reviewed the fourth generation Altima in 2010, and we had no qualms about the interior. The new design inside is warmer, more inviting, and more thoughtful than the old car, which is good considering you’ll be spending the bulk of your time inside than out. It’s clear Nissan spent a lot of energy designing a thoughtful, easy to live with, and easy to use cabin. Even our feature laden test car’s controls were simple and intuitive. Comfortable and roomy, the Altima strikes all the right notes. While some critics have moaned about rear seat room, the reality is the Altima has all the room the average family could possibly need. In sum, the Altima’s interior is just right for a trip to the grocery store or a long distance drive.
In the engine room, the Altima offers updated versions of its previous engines. The base engine is a 2.5L four, rated at 182hp. Although some of the Altima’s competition has abandoned the option of a V-6, the Accord and Camry continue to offer one, and so does the Altima. Here, a 3.5L V-6 makes 270hp. Both engines are paired to an updated CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission). No manual is offered. While our last time out with an Altima had the powerful V-6, this time around we had the four cylinder, which makes sense-it is estimated 90% of all Altimas sold have the four. Which I am pleased to say is quite a refined engine, and for this car, and the typical Altima buyer, is all they really need. However, the Altima has a few feathers in its cap worth mentioning when equipped with the four. Nissan claims 0-60mph in 7.1 seconds, which is plenty quick for a four cylinder in this size. But, when you take in consideration the car’s EPA ratings of 27/38 MPG city/highway, the results are impressive. That sprint to 60 was once the territory of Porsche 944′s and Mazda RX-7′s. Now it’s a family sedan that can sip 38 MPG on the highway.
Yes, it is Nissan’s XTronic CVT that helps make it all happen. And the numbers look great, but mash the pedal to the carpet, and the buzz-killing engine drone sucks all the fun out of the equation. Again, another reality check is needed here. Most Altima owners are not going to floor it. They will drive gently through town, merge seamlessly into highway traffic, and likely never push the engine hard enough to even notice the ‘motorboat’ effect that is the curse of the CVT. And I would be fine with that, but the trouble is, the Altima’s handling is absolutely superb. Steering, brakes, chassis, the whole package is, well, exemplary for this class of car. Put a six-speed manual in this car and the Altima becomes quite the package for the family man with a knack for driving fun. Sadly, the vast majority of Altima owners will never appreciate just how well this car can handle.
The Altima is available as a sedan or coupe, but the coupe is a continuation of the fourth generation car. The four cylinder sedan is offered in Base, S, SV, or SL trim. Our car was the 2.5 SV, the most popular Altima. With a base price of $24,100USD, standard equipment is generous. All 2.5 Altima SV’s come standard with 17″ alloys, power driver’s seat, SiriusXM satellite radio, Bluetooth, RearView monitor, dual zone auto climate control, iPod integration, push button start and chrome exhaust tips. Our test car added the Convenience Package (moonroof, auto dimming rearview mirror with HomeLink, fog lights, and LED turn indicators), floor mats, and navigation. All in, our Altima totaled $27,005, including destination. Overall, a competitive price for a car with sought after features, but nothing that is remarkable.
With the fifth generation Altima, you get a clear sense of what Nissan wanted. To their exterior/interior designers, the message must have been “Listen, we have a good thing going here, let’s not take any risks and screw this up.” And that leaves us with a pretty vanilla car, judging by appearance only. Yet, to the engineers, a different message: “The last Altima was good. Make it better.” The beauty of the Altima lies within it. The engineers were let loose to make the impossible possible. An extremely efficient car that can seat five, sprint from 0-60mph in just a click over seven seconds, and deliver 38MPG. All in supreme comfort with all the amenities of a modern luxury car. The magic of the Altima is not what you see, but what you feel.
There is a glimmer of hope for us enthusiasts. Nissan has prepared an Altima for the Australian V8 Supercar race series. The chassis is so well sorted it deserves to be raced. Surely, an Altima SR could be in the works. For that matter, a NISMO Altima? Take the V-6 with a hot cam and a reprogrammed ECU with a manual, and Nissan has a bargain-priced Audi S4. NISMO, Nissan, are you listening?
Nissan Looking to Trim Models?
In an article from Automotive News, an organization that caters to automotive media and industry types, reported that Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn has hopes of raising Nissan market share here in North America, but not by adding models for greater appeal, but by possibly scrapping some. He did not name any models, but the bottom line as I heard it was looking for overlap, and weeding out undesirable cars. Which got me thinking-what Nissan cars could be at risk? And what are their chances of survival?
Pathfinder
It’s hard to believe, I know. The Pathfinder was huge for Nissan, and a significant player in the SUV market throughout the 1990′s. But that was when the SUV reigned supreme. Buyer’s preferences have shifted, however. Realizing that off-roading is an unlikely venture, buyers have migrated to the more car-like crossover, and the proof is in the numbers. For every Pathfinder Nissan sells, more than two Muranos go out the dealer’s doors. Considering the current Pathfinder has been with us since 2005, the vehicle is practically ancient, and seemingly forgotten by Nissan. That lack of development is a troubling sign that Nissan may be on the fence of the future of the Pathfinder.
Xterra
The Xterra is just as old as the current Pathfinder-the last time a new model was introduced was in 2005. So, once again we have a relic residing in the Nissan line, with no news of an upcoming replacement. It’s also the slowest selling SUV/CUV in Nissan’s line. But the Xterra sits on the same platform as the Frontier and Titan, which makes it cheaper to keep on going. While a slow seller for the brand, the Xterra gives Nissan some street cred for being a legit old school SUV capable of doing off-road duty. Given its ties to Nissan’s trucks, and the rugged image it provides the brand, I stand to reason that the Xterra’s future may not be guaranteed, but the reasons for keeping it around outweigh forgo scrapping it.
Maxima
Like the Pathfinder, the Maxima is a long-time member of the Nissan family, and it’s hard to imagine not having it around. But the Altima has taken the place as Nissan’s mainstream mid-size sedan, easily outselling it by a 2:1 margin. Given the raging success of the Altima, I’m left a bit confused of where the Maxima fits in Nissan’s portfolio. While the Altima dukes it out with the Ford Fusion and Toyota Camry, does the Maxima go head on with their larger cars, namely the Taurus and Avalon? The message from Nissan is blurred, since it continues to market it as a ‘four door sports car’, a tag that fit years ago. But today, with front-wheel drive and a boring CVT transmission, the Maxima hardly comes off as to what I’d consider to be an honest sports sedan today.
Nissan airs a TV commercial where a guy awakes to find his wife is expecting a baby. He then stands in the driveway, gazing longingly at his Nissan 370Z. He then ‘pulls’ the car, transforming it into a Maxima. Let’s be real. If I owned a 370Z and needed a car with a back seat, and did not want to give up on performance, Nissan already builds that car, and it is not the Maxima. It’s called the Infiniti G37. Rear or all-wheel drive? Option of a manual tranny or a 7-speed automatic? The G37 is the obvious choice. If Nissan wants to continue with the Maxima, it needs to seriously rethink just who they are targeting.
cube
The cube is a tough one to figure out. We sampled one, and generally came away impressed. But I’m an automotive journalist who tends to like something new and different, and the cube does just that. While I applaud the cube for its individuality, it is the market that ultimately speaks. The notion of a small, boxy utility vehicle is a distinctly Asian innovation that did get some traction in the North American marketplace. But Honda has abandoned the Element, and the once popular Scion xB has seen its sales dwindle. The Kia Soul enjoys a good level of success, and is highly promoted by Kia with their catchy hamster TV commercials. In comparison, Nissan does little to promote the cube. Despite its lack of sales volume, Nissan indicated they remain committed to keeping the cube in the current product line, for now at least.
Murano CrossCabriolet
Again, a vehicle that really leaves us scratching our heads. The Murano CrossCabriolet, the first convertible crossover looks like an answer to a question no one ever asked. While The Garage has yet to sample one, the automotive media has bashed the car in reviews. While I’m all for niche marketing, this car just goes to an extreme that I simply cannot rationalize. If Nissan wanted to add a drop top to its line, I feel their money would have been much better spent on taking the Altima Coupe and turning that into a convertible, not to mention filling the void when Toyota cancelled the Solara coupe and convertible.
Mr. Ghosn’s remarks struck me as quite interesting, not because Nissan is not selling well, but because they are. As a whole, Nissan is a fairly successful car company. In the small sedan market, the Versa completely dominates. Nissan is on a roll with the Altima, selling over 222,000 cars in the US by the end of October, an increase of 18% from a year ago. The Rogue and Murano crossovers are also sales successes. But in the hyper-competitive car business, there is always room for improvement, and I can see where Mr. Ghosn is thinking of the ‘less is more’ concept. What vehicles remain is unknown, but it is definitely food for thought.