2002 Nissan Altima

In the dozen or so years I’ve been reviewing new vehicles, refinement has been a steady march. Whether it’s a truck or an economy sedan, simply doing its job in a reasonable, affordable way no longer cuts it. Competition has pushed expectations ever upward to where today’s Mercury sedan exceeds yesterday’s Lincoln and the average pickup truck has a “sound system.” Years ago, who would have thought we’d take power windows for granted in even the lowliest of econoboxes? It’s this environment that gives us the new 2002 Nissan Altima, a third generation sedan assembled in Tennessee. In its case, refinement hasn’t been just a steady march; it is suddenly a long, significant stride.The Good News
I have met plenty of economy-minded mid-sized sedans that I liked a lot, but I can’t recall seeing many that evoked real emotion. This new Altima does.

The one I tested for a week was the absolute top-of-the-line 3.5 SE with a new 240-horse/246 lb-ft of torque twin cam 24-valve V-6, the first V-6 in an Altima. This car was also fully loaded with every available luxury from heated leather seats to Bose sound. Certainly, some of the superlatives are directly related to this extraordinary outfitting, which all totaled sets you back almost $29,000. And that’s startling.

But those things I find most alluring in this new Altima are equally available in more basic models priced well under the $20,000 mark. For starters, there are its looks, which have never been the hallmark of this class as far as I’m concerned. Being inoffensive has been more the trend.

Nissan was gutsy enough to change that, stepping out here with a design that is bold and head-turning. This Altima arches gracefully from nose to tail for the elegant profile this class likes, but dares to challenge convention with its clear-covered taillamp geometrics and big wheels. It looks expensive.

It is a bigger car than its predecessor in every dimension, bringing it comfortably into the midsize category and among the best in class for interior room. This bodes a number of advantages, not the least of which is the fact that it’s now longer and roomier than two staunch competitors, the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry.

It’s also more powerful, even equipped with the also-new 175-horse 2.5 liter twin cam 16-valve 4-cylinder engine. The V-6 I tested moves this Altima with such urgency, I’m willing to bet the 4-cylinder delivers a satisfying, if not as seductive, response. In fact, from its ultra-smooth performance to its upscale interior and over-the-top amenities, this Altima impresses me as a slightly smaller version of its sophisticated sister, the Maxima.

That’s not my imagination, it turns out. Nissan apparently intends the Altima to compete directly with Camry and Accord, appealing to what would have been some base-model Maxima buyers. I believe they’re right on target.

The Bad News
A few things troubled me about this Altima. One was how much blips (or humps or potholes) registered inside the cabin. Is that a tradeoff for crisper handling or perhaps a case of overextended expectations given its overall polish? I don’t know.

The ride feels great at highway speed, and noise and vibration are negligible. Compared to its other performance characteristics, however, it comes off as a bit coarse around town.

The electronic 4-speed automatic transmission gets a little upset in extreme situations (who doesn’t), dropping rather abruptly into lower gear to tote the load. Otherwise, it’s seamless.

The one thing that bugged me most, however, is the odometer. As laughable as it sounds, the Altima’s petite mileage readouts are surrounded by this oversized, glowing orange box that looks like a big warning light right in the center of the instruments. Even after I knew what it was, it kept distracting me. What’s with this?

Gas mileage
EPA rated at 19 mpg city/26 highway

Price
Manufacturer’s base, $23, 149;
Price as tested, $28,732

Is it worth it?
Running up the price of my Altime 3.5 SE were an anti-lock braking (which should be standard) and airbag package that added front side airbags and front and rear head curtain airbags. The rest was pretty much icing: leather trim, heated seats, automatic heat/air system, power sunroof, Bose audio (that didn’t have much depth) and rear spoiler, among other things.

Without all that, however, you still get the Altima’s lovely looks, joyous performance and unexpected goodies like 8-way power driver’s seat, one-touch down and up windows (one of my faves), trip computer with outside temperature, tilt and telescopic steering column and much more.

I am really knocked out by this Altima. To me, it raises the bar for all sedans in this class, even those who have enjoyed blockbuster success. Thanks to its step-out style and driver-oriented engineering, simply being good at what you do without scaring anyone won’t be enough for Accords and Camrys anymore.

At best, they will be forced to “refine” their vision. At worst, the mid-size sedan buyer was just handed a distinctive, delightful choice.

Beth Stein is a life-long car buff and free-lance journalist living in Nashville. She has reviewed new vehicles in print for 12 years as a weekly columnist for Nashville’s daily newspapers and on television for Road Test Magazine and Motor Trend Television. Currently, her reviews appear nationally on Car And Driver Television.