Introduction

Nissan Altima -2007 Review: Growing up can be hard, but not necessarily only for the one growing. Think about the second-string high school football player who is suddenly overshadowed by his younger brother, the new starting quarterback, or the financially-stable parent who needs a second mortgage to put Junior through college. Now you’ve understand the plight of the Nissan Maxima, a model that has been pushed one inch closer to the edge of redundancy with the debut of the 2007 Nissan Altima. Already a near duplicate in the areas of style, power, and size, the updated Altima takes each aspect up a notch, not to mention it courts suitors with more options and a wider price range. Which begs the question – Maxi what?

What We Drove

Nissan delivered our test car without a window sticker, so we used Autobytel’s research section to calculate the retail price of the Metallic Jade (light green) Altima in our parking lot. We came up with $23,065, which included the 2.5 S’s $19,800 base price, $615 for delivery, $500 for a continuously-variable automatic transmission (CVT), and $2,150 for a Convenience Plus package. That last bundle included a power driver’s seat, automatic headlights, illuminated vanity mirrors, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, a cargo net and tie-downs, a remote, a power sunroof, and 16-inch alloy wheels.