2010 Nissan Altima 3.5 SR

Midsized sedan gets refreshed styling for 2010

By Nina Russin

2010 Nissan Altima Sedan

The Nissan Altima is a bread-and-butter sedan that’s remarkably un-bread-and-butterish. Designers pulled elements from the 370Z lexicon to give the Altima enduring style that makes sense in the Nissan family.

For 2010, the Altima gets a redesigned front end: a slight hood bulge and more aggressive grille give the exterior a more youthful appearance. Nissan’s updated navigation system comes with a 9.3 gigabyte hard drive for downloading music. XM traffic and weather updates minimize delays on crowded freeways.

Buyers can chose from two engines: a fuel-efficient four cylinder with 32 mile-per-gallon highway fuel economy, or a more powerful V-6 that gives driving enthusiasts something to look forward to on the weekend.

A speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion steering system provides positive on-center response at speed, while producing enough assist for parallel parking in tight spaces. Four-wheel disc brakes with four-channel antilock braking stop the car on a dime, even on rain or snow-covered roads.

Base price on the 3.5 SR is $24,520, not including a $720 destination charge. A premium package on the test car adds leather upholstery, heated front seats, Bluetooth interface, satellite radio, a USB port, auto-dimming rearview mirror, a four-inch display in the dash, and air conditioning vents behind the center console ($2380).

A sport package dresses up the exterior with a rear spoiler, replaces the standard halogen headlamps with brighter bi-xenon beams, and adds dual-zone temperature controls ($2370). The technology package which includes the hard-drive navigation system costs $1780. Read the rest of this entry »