In Colorado, sloppy and slushy weather was a welcome opportunity to drive a '13 Altima 3.5 sedan today. Why? The last time I drove the new L42L Altima was last year in good weather when the new model was introduced. While test drives in PT units are always interesting, it's when the weather is less than perfect that you can appreciate both the strengths and the flaws.

The Altima has a nice, supple chassis that really soaked up the potholes and chunks of ice that littered Denver streets. ABS brakes were strong and predictable at every turn. Traction came easily and the VQ35DE routed 270-hp smoothly through the CVT gearbox as we splashed (and slid) through turns. For a large FWD sedan, the Altima remained fun to drive with the only downside being the steering. Last year several journalists criticized the Altima's steering as being "too stiff", but I found the boost dropped off perfectly right when you approached 50 MPH. Lots of road and steering feel. For 2013, Nissan seems to have reworked the electric rack & pinion and the steering was now over boosted for my taste. Guess we know who Nissan is listening to.

But speaking about the steering, I have to mention that the Altima has such a nice steering wheel that it wouldn't look out of place on a Z! Its ergonomic shape encourages drivers to hold it at 9 and 3 o'clock- the best way to maximize control and flexibility. The grey leather is beautifully stitched and rivals the steering wheel from many a higher end car. The he new aluminum wheel trim twists downwards and holds CC, Bluetooth and entertainment settings in an innovative design. This drive reinforced just how good this new Altima is--even in poor weather--but begs the question of why so many consumers continue to drive and buy cars like the Camry as the bigger mystery.

I couldn't agree with you more. I bought a 2013 3.5 SL last October and it has been a great car, even through a tough winter. The biggest and best surprise was the mileage I get with the V6. I routinely see 28/29 mpg around town and 34/37 on the highway cruising at 70 mph. The V6 is a wonderful engine, very smooth with ample power when you need it. All the little features like the navigation system are just frosting on the cake. I would not be surprised if the Altima eclipses Camry this yea r in sales, it's a much better car.

In the past, the Nissan Altima has been a scrappy, nearly sporty sedan that hasn't always delivered on the priorities of the families that drove it. However, that's changing with the new Altima–redesigned for 2013–which has transformed into a comfortable, five-star-safe sedan that's no longer the fastest to steer or quickest to get a grip.

No, with its simplified powertrain lineup, a pared-down and dressed-up cabin that makes way for new infotainment systems, and space-race seats that go long on comfort, the 2013 Altima has gone mainstream, in all the right ways. It's addressed its shortcomings, and struck a better balance between its formerly taut, lean feel and the premium ride and quietness it now delivers.
The new Altima begins life with a new shape, which Nissan says comes from an emotional take on styling, and some advanced manufacturing techniques that enable some complex surfaces on the attractive new body. The front end wears some of the angled, arrowed cues of other Nissans and Infinitis at the headlamps and taillights, while the side glass tapers gradually to a tasteful backstop. The fenders swell out in ways that recall Nissan's compact Juke crossover. The interior's a big contrast: it's conservatively drawn, with straight lines dividing off the center stack of controls from the driver and the passenger.
2013 MERCEDES BENZ SL-CLASS