Nissan keeps Altima up to date

This sedan is very sporty with sleek lines, dual exhaust and what are described as "jet fighter-inspired taillights." I've never got close enough to such a vehicle's rear end to note the shape of its lights!

Inside: The interior has elegance typical of a prestige line such as Nissan's own Infiniti brand, with a choice of metallic trim or wood-tone accents. Smart move, because that choice certainly broadens the generational appeal.

There's comfortable seating for five *****s with good adjustability of position up front. The gauges are recessed in a way that guarantees no reflective glare from other light sources, and the central stack of controls is nicely compact.

There is no shortage of stowage space, and the over-caffeinated will find plenty of room to house their monster mugs. The trunk is cavernous.

Safety: Standard fare includes dual front airbags with additional dual front side airbags and roof-mounted side airbags, anti-lock brake system, electronic brake force distribution, remote keyless entry system, engine immobilizer and theft-deterrent system.

Power: 2.5L DOHC, 175-h.p., 16-valve, four-cylinder/3.5L DOHC, 270-h.p., 24-valve V6, six-speed manual transmission or continuously variable automatic transmission with manual mode.

Fuel consumption: 2.5L: 8.9/6.1 L/100 km. 3.5L: 10.5/7.7 L/100 km (city/highway)

Warranty: Full vehicle: Three years/60,000 km, Powertrain: Five years/100,000 km. Corrosion: Five years/unlimited km, Roadside Assistance: Three years/unlimited km.

Drive: Push-button starters are making a comeback and, after three days at the wheel, I finally stopped looking for the ignition! The sloping coupe-style rear and side windows do not inhibit vision when parking as might be expected.

The tester was a V6 and had bags of accelerating power on the freeway. The base 2.5 is no slouch, either, according to one owner to whom I spoke. The bigger engine certainly comes into its own on a journey, with antelope-like characteristics on the steep incline.

When I drive such well-appointed and performance-oriented sedans as the Altima, I seriously question the purchase of so-called prestige cars with more zeroes on the sticker price.

Price range: $24,498 - $31,498

Next Friday, the Toyota Camry , another of the Dream Driveaway prize cars is profiled.

The contest questions starting Monday will focus on traffic controls, also the topic for a commentary in Wednesday's Driving. For the answers to this week's questions visit theprovincecontests.com from tomorrow. Second in a series of profiles of the six prize cars for our weekday Dream Driveaway contest

Source: [url=http://www.canada.com/theprovince/columnists/story.html?id=d2f2453e-86de-4e5a-85b0-c04323c30dc1]Vancouver Province[/url]