AZCentral.com's view

Hey, Nissan, you call this an Altima? This car is good-looking, roomy and fast, which are not concepts associated with Altimas of the past.

But sure enough, for 2002, Altima has been absolutely transformed from a practical but boring economy car to an interesting midsize sport sedan. Bigger and better, Altima has decisively moved upstream into a new arena, posing strong competition against popular stalwarts Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.

Those are not words to be taken lightly. The midsize-family-sedan market is the bread and butter of the import crowd, a difficult segment packed with notable contenders, where Accord and Camry dominate.

The new Altima brings along some driving excitement that is sorely lacking in the Honda or Toyota. Equipped with a choice of class-leading engines, a 157-horsepower four and a romping 240-horsepower V-6, Altima sets new benchmarks in power and performance for this class.

The test car, a V-6 240-horsepower 3.5 SE, was a rocket, with the kind of explosive power usually reserved for expensive sports cars. Surprisingly muscular, it roars off the line and sails up to highway speed with an adrenaline-churning rush.

Neither Accord nor Camry has anything close.

Hard acceleration is accompanied by a fair amount of torque steer, that tendency for a front-drive car to pull to one side under power. In the Altima, torque steer is noticeable but easily controlled.

Aside from the hot engine, Nissan engineers have been hard at work on the steering and suspension, making this car drive and handle nearly as well as it accelerates. The brakes are awesome. All of which make Altima feel not only sporty and fast, but also balanced and competent.

No, the road manners are not quite those of a BMW or an Audi, but the overall upgrades put it within hailing distance. For the price, the power and performance are significant.

Altima has gained 6 inches in overall length, which is a couple of inches longer than Accord or Camry, and more than 7 inches on the wheelbase. It has also grown taller and wider.

The difference is apparent inside, where every occupant has plenty of space all around. Even this really tall driver found lots of sprawling room behind the wheel.

The interior looks very modern, even futuristic, with a deep dashboard that enhances the feeling of roominess. But inside is where Altima reveals its moderate price tag, which starts at about $16,000 for a four-cylinder, stickshift model. The surfaces and treatments seem flimsy and cheap, not up to the standards promised by the striking body style.

There’s also something missing: a clock. I hate that.

Some passengers complained that the rear seat back was raked too far rearward, putting them in a semi-reclined position.

The attractive exterior styling was a head-turner, especially for those who saw it from the rear. The look of the squared-off rear aspect and sculptured taillights was somewhat pola rizing: People loved it or hated it. I found it to be shapely and distinctive.

The 3.5 SE version comes well-equipped at just over $23,000, with a full boat of power features and electronic gizmos, even a chrome-tipped exhaust pipe.

The test car came loaded with options, including a leather seat package plus an auto-dimming mirror and HomeLink transceiver for garage-door openers and such, $1,399; a fantastic Bose eight-speaker stereo with CD, $899; power sunroof, $849; a safety package of side airbags, front and rear air curtains and ABS brakes (which of course should be standard), $749; a cold-weather package that you can ignore in central Arizona, $299; a tacky rear spoiler, $399; and traction control, $299.

Altima feels well-put together, testimony to Nissan’s overall improvement in recent years. Despite the economic downturn of 2001 and the terrorist attacks, Nissan has had a great run this year. The new Altima should continue the trend.