I’m looking to replace the car my son is driving (college sophomore). He uses it mainly for highway driving for several hundred miles to and from the school during school breaks (not a daily commute). The school is in the northern US and routinely sees temps below zero (Fahrenheit) for weeks at a time during the winter. I’ve been pleased with my experience with Nissan/Infiniti cars we’ve owned, and we think a newer (2013-2014) Altima would suit him well (and he liked it during a test drive).

My question is whether the 3.5 engine might be worth the extra expense over the 2.5.

Aside from the handling differences, does anyone have any thoughts about how the engines differ over the long term in very cold winters and not being driven daily?

Thanks for your thoughts.

Based on the context of your post the 2.5 Altima would be the best bet.