2007 Nissan Altima Review

By  Bengt Halvorson, Editor

Why do we always review the most expensive, fully loaded models with the top engine, you ask? Well, it makes pretty good sense to us, because we want to check out all the doodads and tell you whether they’re worth it or not, and it makes sense to the automakers because they want us to have the most positive impression possible, thanks to all those doodads, and to our rabid addiction to horsepower.

But there’s a reality check due here when it comes to mid-size sedans. Looking at the mid-size stalwarts like the Camry, Accord, Malibu , or Altima, to varying degrees in each case, the four-cylinder versions generally outsell the six-cylinder versions. Furthermore, most mid-size sedans sell with a modest selection from the options list, but not completely loaded like a journalist’s test car. Yes, these are practical, value-priced four-door sedans, and thus most customers have frugality on their mind — both at the pump and at the car lot.

 

So when a new ’07 Altima recently came our way, equipped modestly, the way a small family on a budget might really order it, we thought it worthwhile to report how this car goes through the paces.

 

The base 2.5 starts at a bargain-basement $17,950, with the six-speed manual. It does have standard air-con and power accessories, but in some respects it’s a stripper, with no standard radio, very basic front seats, and not many available options. Our test car, a step-up 2.5 S, upgrades to six-way adjustable seats, a six-speaker CD sound system, and the potential for some popular options like a navigation system, rear spoiler, moonroof, fog lamps, satellite radio, and Bluetooth hands-free. Ours only had the optional floor mats ($170), anti-lock brakes ($300), and the Convenience Plus package ($2150), which includes a moonroof, alloy wheels, a power driver’s seat, and steering-wheel audio controls, along with several other extras, bringing the bottom line to $23,535 — well under today’s average new-car price.

 

Especially gutsy for a four

 

Under the hood there’s an aluminum-block in-line four, a 2.5-liter making 175 hp and 180 lb-ft of torque. While its output is impressive for a base engine, it isn't as glassy-smooth as the Toyota Camry’s standard four, nor quite as eager as the Honda Accord’s base four-banger, but it's a perfectly adequate, gutsy engine that seems to have an advantage in off-the-line torque. Unless you plan to frequently carry a full load or take on mountain passes, it’ll do the job with power to spare.

 

Pardon our sense of humor here, but we think it’s funny that the four comes with a dual exhaust — chrome tips and all on our bad-boy test car. It’s a little embarrassing, as people expect it to have the powerful, available 270-hp V-6 and then, well, it doesn’t.

 

And on the subject of embarrassment — unless you’re a teenager — the four actually has enough torque to spin the front wheels, or rather, one of them quite spectacularly from a standing start, underlining the observation that the Altima does not come with traction control or stability control on four-cylinder models (except the high-line SL).

 

And if you missed the brief mention above, there’s another surprise: anti-lock brakes are optional. When we’ve often asked automakers why ABS remains optional on many value-priced models, they’ve usually said that it’s because their competitors don’t, and they have to be competitive. But c’mon folks... Airbags are aplenty, however; side-impact front-seat side airbags and curtain supplemental airbags are standard on all Altimas.

 

A six-speed manual transmission is standard, though our test car had the optional automatic, a ‘shiftless’ continuously variable transmission (CVT). CVTs can be a buzzy affair with smaller four-cylinder engines, but it functions quite well here. At any around-town speed, the transmission will settle down well below 2000 rpm when you reach a steady speed, then dart quickly up to higher revs for acceleration. And there’s very little of the surging feeling under leisurely acceleration that we've experienced with the CVT and the V-6.

 

Responsive CVT makes the most of it — at the pump, too

 

The CVT also helps bring great fuel economy — perhaps better than you’d get rowing through the gears on your own — and unlike the V-6 regular unleaded is just fine. The EPA rates the Altima a very impressive 26 city, 34 highway, and although we seldom meet those estimates we came closer than we usually do, with an average of 24 mpg over a half-tank of mostly city driving, with plenty of cold starts — probably about 5 mpg better in real-world driving than the V-6.

 

The Altima’s been redesigned for ’07, and though the profile is quite similar to that of the outgoing car, much has changed underneath and inside. It’s actually built on a new global platform, which allows the engine to be mounted more than an inch lower than the previous Altima, helping to bring the center of mass down for flatter cornering. Its overall length is 2.5 inches shorter than last year’s model, but most dimensions remain the same.

 

Front suspension geometry is completely new, with a symmetrical layout that helps quell torque steer (the tendency of some front-wheel-drive vehicles to pull to the side when accelerating quickly). It’s extremely effective; we didn’t feel any such effects.

 

The ride tends to be absorbent but firm, a touch sportier than the base Camry. Road isolation seems especially stellar, with a quiet cabin and few coarse surfaces and expansion joints reverberating inside. Turn-in isn’t sport-sedan crisp, but the Altima has enough body control in tight corners while at the same time keeping things quite serene inside.

 

With vehicle-speed-sensitive assist, the steering wheel is almost fingertip-light at parking lot speeds, yet quite firm at highway speeds. The Altima has impressive poise, and the steering feels just right on curvy two-laners, but we ended up wishing for a stronger on-center feel during high-speed Interstate cruising with a slight crosswind, as we kept wandering and overcorrecting.

 

Comfy in front, a little tight in back

 

Inside, there’s plenty of space in front, and the seats were more supportive than we would expect in this class. Rear legroom is impressive, but rear headroom feels tight. A friend who is about 5’11” reported it as tight, but seemed to be near the top end of tolerable. Here’s a strength of the new Camry, which could, just barely, accommodate me in back, at 6’6”.

 

We had the Altima during a period of persistent rainy weather, and couldn’t help but notice that whenever parallel-parked, the passenger-side front occupant would be greeted with a release of water onto their shoulder and/or lap upon opening the door.

 

One other thing we weren’t so fond of was the push-button, keyless start that comes standard. To us, it seems like a test-drive gimmick that salesmen would love. But seriously, what’s the point? Yes, you can keep the key in your coat pocket, but it’s also much easier to leave the key in the car.

 

Otherwise, we liked the interior. The cloth upholstery on our test car was rather plush without seeming too delicate or grippy, and both of the front windows have driver-activated one-touch up and down, a mysteriously neglected feature on some vehicles. There are also two secure cupholders in front and plenty of storage space. The interior feels less gimmicky and more functional than much of the competition, yet at the same time has a style of its own that doesn’t mimic Honda and Toyota . If anything, the interior feels, positively, a little American, with cues like the round vents, ribbed dash contour lines above them, and red-orange lighting seeming a bit like what Pontiac has been trying to do in recent years, only better.

 

Our Altima felt very well put-together overall, assembled in Smyrna, Tennessee , with better materials than we’ve come to expect from Nissan, which in recent years has gained notoriety for superior interior design delivered with sub-par materials. Now they’re getting it right.

 

Overall, the Altima has a certain feel behind the wheel that evades the rental-car norm of miserly equipped, anonymous mid-size sedans with the cheapest powertrain available. The interior, combined with the peppy powertrain, and nice road isolation make it a very likable mid-size sedan, even when you’re on a tight budget.

 

2007 Nissan Altima 2.5 S
Price: $20,300 base, $23,535 as tested
Engine: 2.5-liter in-line four, 175 hp/180 lb-ft
Drivetrain: Six-speed manual or CVT automatic transmission, front-wheel drive
Length x width x height: 189.8 x 70.7 x 57.9 in
Wheelbase: 109.3 in
Curb weight: 3093 lb
Fuel economy (EPA city/hwy): 26/34 mpg (CVT)
Safety equipment: Dual front airbags, front-seat-mounted side airbags, side head-curtain airbags, front-seat active head restraints
Major standard equipment: Air conditioning, power windows/locks/mirrors, trip computer, height-adjustable driver’s seat, split-fold rear seat, rear defroster, six-speaker AM/FM/CD sound
Warranty: Three years/36,000 miles

 

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