2009 Nissan Altima Sedan and Coupe

2009 Nissan Altima Sedan and Coupe 2009 Nissan Altima Sedan and Coupe
Review

Introduction

Nissan came up with the notion of a four-door sports car for marketing purposes, of course, although it must be said that it has actually delivered on the promise now and again. The front-drive Altima represents its current iteration. Although there are a number of thoroughly competent performers in the mid-size-sedan segment, the Altima sedan still manages to stand out by virtue of its eager responses, better-than-average engines, and snappy styling. If four doors seem too stodgy, there’s also a coupe version, added to the lineup for 2008.

Powertrains are common to both body styles, with a choice of a 2.5-liter four (170 or 175 horsepower, depending on emissions requirements) and a 270-hp, 3.5-liter V-6. The latter engine, frankly, pumps out too much power for the front-drive layout to handle, especially when paired with the six-speed manual transmission.

The manual is standard with the four in the 2.5S and the V-6 in the 3.5SE. The only automatic transmission is a continuously variable (CVT) unit, standard with the base car, optional with other models. We’re not enthralled with any CVT, really, especially in full auto mode, but Nissan’s paddle-shifted manumatic mode is more satisfying than most transmissions of this type.

Fuel economy ranges from 23 mpg city and 31 mpg highway for four-cylinder versions to 19/27 with V-6 power. The coupe is available in S and SE trim, and the sedan adds a luxurious, if pricey, SL model to the top of the lineup and a base model to the bottom. There’s also a hybrid. To read about the 2009 Nissan Altima hybrid, click here.

Verdict

That four-door sports car hooey is actually sort of true, as the Altima delivers a level of fun that’s missing from most other mid-size sedans—and the coupe is entertaining, too. Only the Honda Accord family rivals the Altima in this area, but the Honda handily beats the Nissan in refinement. We also question the quality of some of the Altima’s interior materials based on our recent long-term road test.

But we are fans of the Altima, and it remains one of our favorite cars in the segment, along with the Accord and Chevrolet Malibu. The Altima finished in second place in our most recent mid-size-sedan comparo.

Click here to read our full review of the Nissan Altima.

Click here to read our latest comparison test involving the Nissan Altima.

What’s New for 2009

Aside from standard automatic door locks, an upgraded manual-transmission shift linkage, and three new exterior colors, the Altima lineup is largely unchanged for 2009.

Highlights and Recommendations

Standard equipment is more comprehensive in the Altima than in some other cars in this class. The base Altima comes with ABS, body-colored power mirrors, power windows and locks, a tilting and telescoping steering wheel, air conditioning, and dual 12-volt power outlets—all for less than $21,000. That base Altima is equipped with a CVT, likely because it is intended more for rental fleets—where manuals are verboten—than for civilian duty.

As you move up the trim hierarchy, you can add such luxurious equipment as heated front seats, a nine-speaker Bose stereo, navigation, and leather upholstery, but these things can add lots of dollars and cents to the bottom line. The top-of-the-line SL, for example, is the only Altima with an MSRP north of $30,000. At that price, we’d suggest you start thinking pretty hard about an .Infiniti G35

The coupes are a smidge more expensive than comparably equipped four-door editions. They start with the four-cylinder S trim level for just over $22,000, and there’s a big price jump—almost $5000—from there to the V-6 versions.

We say go for the four-cylinder paired with the six-speed manual. Offered only as an S model in coupe and sedan body styles, the combination offers plenty of grunt for day-to-day driving, and the manual ensures you’ll be having fun. These models can be dressed up with a pretty impressive level of equipment—no nav, but you can go buy a TomTom—and their low entry prices (just under $22,000 for the sedan, slightly more for the coupe) can keep things from getting too expensive.

Safety

Standard features include anti-lock brakes, front airbags, front-seat-mounted side airbags, and curtain airbags. Unfortunately, stability control remains optional and is only available on V-6–powered cars.