2010 Nissan Altima Coupe
A Poor Man’s Infiniti G37?
It used to be that you always had a choice when you bought a midsize car. You could select the traditional four-door sedan, or you could opt for the sportier coupe. That’s no longer the case. Now only two moderately priced midsize cars are offered both ways—the Honda Accord and the Nissan Altima. The Accord coupe has been around for decades, but the Altima just came on the scene in 2007. Now in its fourth year, Nissan has given the Altima two-door a facelift and a number of enhancements.
The styling changes to the Altima are modest, but pleasing. Nissan provided its sporty two-door with a power bulge in the hood, a brighter grille and more prominent front bumper, all of which contribute to a more aggressive look. The Altima closely resembles its more expensive corporate cousin, the Infiniti G37, which is not a bad thing.
The designers also upgraded the interior, which used to be pretty drab. It is still fairly plain, but it’s not austere. New soft-touch vinyl on the dash adds a touch of quality. The center audio and climate controls are pleasingly simple, and easy to use. The sport bucket seats are well designed for spirited driving, and look good too. And I really liked the push-button entry and start system, which is a nice upscale feature.
Buyers get a choice of two engines. The first is a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder, which generates 175 horsepower. The second is a 3.5-liter V-6 that provides an extra 95 horses for a total of 270. Both engines are offered with either a standard six-speed manual, or an optional CVT—continuously variable automatic transmission.
My test car came with the four-banger and CVT. While this combo won’t give you whiplash, it’s more than adequate, and will get you 28 mpg in everyday driving. The CVT works well with the engine keeping the power up, so that climbing a hill is no problem. However, you will want to use the manual shift mode to get the most performance.
The four-cylinder/CVT powered Altima is not the version of this car that is going to stir your juices—the V-6 model is designed for that. However, if you do drive this Altima vigorously, it will show you that it can knife through corners at a good clip. The steering is quick, and the sport suspension keeps body-roll to a minimum. However, the firm underpinnings detracts from the ride quality, which is stiff and bouncy on city streets.
The base price for the Altima coupe I drove was $23,660. My test car came equipped with the Convenience package ($1,070) that included a power driver’s seat, automatic headlights and satellite audio controls on the steering wheel, all of which were nice to have. It also came with the Premium package ($2,070) which added features like a moonroof, a nine-speaker audio system, satellite radio, and a rearview camera. This last item is a real boon on a coupe with limited rear visibility. It shows what’s behind you when you back up.
The four-cylinder Altima coupe is a fine all around sports coupe. However, if you really want the poor man’s Infiniti G37, you’ll need to order the V-6.
Snapshot Review:
Sporty Styling
Adequate Power
Good Handling
Firm Ride.
