2012 Nissan Altima Review

The top-selling Japanese car and its mid size mainstream Sedan is the 2012 Nissan Altima. Like the Accord, its best competitor, the Altima is also available in a 2-door version and is not available as a Hybrid any more, also just like the Accord.
A wide number of families find the Altima quite appealing due to the fact that it is better to handle than most in the class and it has a choice of four-cylinder and six cylinder engines. The safety scores of the Altima are somewhat lower however, than those of the best cars in the class, and it has a disadvantage in performance due to its continuous variable transmission.
The small back seat and tight head room is not ideal at all for family usage and so we are leaving the coupe model for pre children families and empty nesters.
The 2012 Altima has only just managed to earn respectable safety ratings in a class filled with overachievers. Four stars overall were awarded to the Altima by the NHTSA with a 5-star approval for protection from side impacts.”Good” ratings were given to the Altima for side impact and frontal tests by the IIHS but an “acceptable” rating was dished out to the sedan for roof strength and rear impact. Rear view cameras which are displayed on a small LCD screen are now available and anti lock brakes and curtain airbags are standard. Advanced technological features such as blind spots are unavailable.
Most families will be comfortably accommodated by the interior space. Good all around space and supportive buckets are offered by the front seats. The backseat has the long wheelbase of the Altima, though if adults are wedged in there, head room could be tight. It is on par with the rest of the class as it relates to trunk space, and adequate in-car storage bins are available, as well as a center console and door pockets. The interior of the Altima has a look and feel that is rather dull, with hard plastics that are differently grained from doors to console.
With that being said, the styling of the interior still has a fairly fresh look and rework on the front end of the Altima last year will allow it to stay up to date in these final years of its present model cycle. Every one of its many competitors, including the Kia Optima and the Hyundai Sonata, have been remodelled with brand new themes but the profile of the Nissan still has a racy shape and does not look distraught. It has a clear-cut and uncomplicated dash and the trim work is bright and helps to hide the dull plastic look and feel.
The Altima is now offered with just gas only 4-cylinder and V6 engines since its Hybrid edition have been lost. The standard 2.5 four-cylinder has 175 hp and accelerates nicely with the continuous variable transmission (CVT), although it has a tendency of amplifying noise that lingers in the power band.