The Altima (pronounced ALL-teh-mah) is a mid-size car (formerly compact) manufactured by the Japanese automaker Nissan, and is arguably a continuation of the “bloodline” that began with the Nissan Bluebird in 1957. It has historically been larger, more powerful, and more luxurious than the Nissan Sentra but less so than the Nissan Maxima.

The front-wheel drive, five-passenger Nissan Altima combines performance and an attractive exterior as either a two-door coupe or a four-door sedan.

The Nissan Altima is powered by either a 175-hp 2.5-liter V6 or a 270-hp 3.5-liter V6 and the transmission choices include a six-speed manual or continuously variable transmission (CVT). The trims on the Altima include: the 2.5 Base (on the sedan only), the 2.5 S, the 3.5 SE and the 3.5 SL (on the sedan only). Safety features include: four-wheel disc brakes, anti-lock brakes on all trims except for the Sedan 2.5 Base, six airbags, front seat-belt pre-tensioners and a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). The coupe’s roofline is 2.6 inches lower than the sedan’s and flows back into a long and nicely sculpted tail section that narrows between wide shoulders above prominent wheel arches. The suspension is tuned to provide the driver with a more nimble feel and heightened responsiveness.

For 2009, the Nissan Altima Coupe and Sedan are a carryover.

Other Information

• Manufacturer: Nissan
• Assembly: Smyrna, Tennessee, USA and Canton, Mississippi, USA
• Body style: 4-door sedan, 2-door coupe
• Platform: Nissan D platform
• Class: Mid-size
• Layout: FF layout

Price

• MSRP: $19,900 – $29,380
• Invoice: $19,078 – $27,221
• Market Price: $17,730 – $25,937

Tags: 2009, automaker, Nissan, Nissan Altima