Popular opinion is popular for a reason. And no, I’m not being sarcastic. Sweeping generalizations are often sweeping and general because at one time or another, they were fairly accurate. That doesn’t preclude them from being wrong from time to time, but if I do any more backtracking you’ll have to finish reading this column in the sports pages.
That logic applies to the 2013 Nissan Altima in the following ways. First, the mid-size sedan segment hits the sweet spot for nearly every buyer, if at least once. Four doors and four cylinders for four people each with four appendages must resonate in some strange biorhythmic way, I suppose. But beyond unintended natural coincidences, mid-sized sedans appeal to our instincts of practicality and utility like Swiss Army Knives in our pockets.
Second, and more important, mid-size sedans have a habit of being really good cars. Consider the current crop. Toyota Camrys and cockroaches will outlive a North Korean nuclear attack. Ford Fusions prove that Ford can find designers with good taste and the Volkswagen Passat unbelievably proves that Tennesseans are capable of making great German cars. These are all feats of engineering on par with the Roman aqueducts in some circles, I’m sure.
All of that comes into play when considering the Nissan Altima. New this year, but just barely, the Altima has the unenviable task of competing in the most competitive segment in America. Thanks in large part to the previous generation’s CVT transmission and better-than-average looks, the 2013 Nissan Altima plays the role of the follow-up single to a summer hit.
Nissan isn’t shy about saying they broke out the tracing paper for the new 2013 model. The new model’s wheelbase is exactly the same as the outgoing model, and the overall length increased by less than an inch. Cargo capacity stayed the same, as did rear passenger legroom and headroom. In other words, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. In even more words, if it sells you 1,000 cars a day on average, keep it that way.
Roughly 90 percent of the models will be the 2.5-liter, four-cylinder variety, according to Nissan. That’s because most of the Altima’s buyers will be attracted to the $21,760 starting price and would opt for options before dropping $4,000 more for the 3.5-liter V6. But don’t worry: the 182 horsepower produced by the four cylinder packs more than enough punch for the Altima. (Psst … between you and me, I’ve driven the V6 twice now, and I can say that the 270 horsepower is just too much for this car, something I don’t say often.)
Additionally the standard equipment for a relatively base SV, which starts at $24,460, seems downright opulent: 17-inch wheels, 5-inch color display, remote start, Bluetooth audio and leather-wrapped steering wheel. The tire pressure monitoring system that honks the horn when you’ve reached adequate pressure — maybe you’ve seen the commercials — is just as impressive. There are other options, such as leather appointed seats, moonroof and navigation, all of which are nice if you’re the sweet talkin’ sort.
Our test model, a 3.5-liter SL tipped the balance sheet at more than $32,000. That’s a price range where few Altima buyers would venture, according to Nissan spokespeople. It’s still nice to know that an overpowered Altima, with options you may never need, still can’t reach the average new car price of around $33,000.
Among the other numbers that likely matter most to most Altima buyers: 27 and 38 mpg, city and highway respectively for the four-cylinder model. Those figures are a point of pride for Nissan engineers, considering they represent a nearly 20 percent improvement over a nearly identical car last year. Those gains can be attributed to an improved CVT transmission, an essentially infinite single gear that keeps the engine in an ideal RPM range for economy and a diet that dropped 60 lbs.
That weight loss, partially from the patented “Zero Gravity” seats that still have me baffled, risked stripping what the 2012 Altima sorely lacked — sound buffering from the noisy CVT. Although the nerdy transmissions boast a mileage gain that others can’t, the continuously variable rackets remain a bane to civil conversation with their obnoxiously loud racket. Nissan engineers have tamed the 2013’s gearbox under civil/city circumstances, but if you’re in the mood to make a mountain pass, prepare your face for a wince or two for the subsequent whine and whine-down.
That’s not meant to be controversial in what is an otherwise fairly commonplace car. The Altima lives, competes and thrives in an average segment that’s more afraid of change than the Kansas Board of Education. The 2012 Altima succeeded partially in Toyota’s PR flap, and buyers unintentionally found a good car that could compete just the same.
It’s Nissan’s job now to carry that banner for new buyers and avoid changing the formula too much to alienate old fans.
After all, mass appeal starts first with mass. It’s the stuff that makes up the best kind of sweeping generalizations.