Nissan debuts 2013 Altima 38MPG, $21,500
04-05-12, 12:37 PM
#91
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for a mid-range car, i'm blown away. 
04-05-12, 07:51 PM
#93
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04-05-12, 08:04 PM
#94
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As nice as the new Altima is, if I'm buying a 2013 sedan in this segment (and I actually may be), then I'm still drawn to the Camry - even with its lower MPG rating. Most Toyota's are under-rated by the EPA anyway.
The Camry's quality (reliability) is always better. The Camry's interior is a better. I just still could pull the trigger on a Nissan purchase.
Then there's the stunning 2013 Fusion. I'd probably choose this over the Altima as well. Fuel efficiency only falls short 1 mpg. Probably the best looking car in the class.
This is how I would personally order the segment (2013 field):
1- Camry
2 - Fusion
3 - Altima
4 - Optima
5 - Sonata
6 - Malibu
7 - Accord
8 - Mazda 6
9 - Passat
The Camry's quality (reliability) is always better. The Camry's interior is a better. I just still could pull the trigger on a Nissan purchase.
Then there's the stunning 2013 Fusion. I'd probably choose this over the Altima as well. Fuel efficiency only falls short 1 mpg. Probably the best looking car in the class.
This is how I would personally order the segment (2013 field):
1- Camry
2 - Fusion
3 - Altima
4 - Optima
5 - Sonata
6 - Malibu
7 - Accord
8 - Mazda 6
9 - Passat
Last edited by -J-P-L-; 04-05-12 at 08:10 PM.
04-05-12, 08:08 PM
#95
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Interesting. My apologies for saying one car looks better than the other.
Last edited by LexFather; 04-05-12 at 08:19 PM.
04-05-12, 08:38 PM
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04-07-12, 04:25 AM
#101
they are not replacing it with 1.8l turbo (which is also now older engine :P), because of the costs. It is not an technology thing.... more like Yaris having old 1.5l 4AT powertrain, despite them having better engines.
04-07-12, 08:24 AM
#102
Volkswagen to Replace Inline-Five with 1.8-Liter Turbo Four in the U.S.
Volkswagen will soon drop its naturally aspirated five-cylinder engine from its U.S. lineup and replace it with a turbocharged 1.8-liter four, two sources at the company have told us.
The new engine is a 1.8-liter version of the 2.0-liter turbo four VW offers in the GTI, GLI, and Tiguan—the engine family is EA888, if you’re the type that finds internal reference numbers of interest. In most of the 1.8′s European applications, it makes 158 hp and 185 lb-ft of torque. We don’t expect those numbers to change much when it arrives in the U.S., where it should become the workhorse engine for the Passat, Jetta, Golf, and Beetle. (It’s worth noting, too, that this new 1.8-liter turbo four is completely unrelated to the old “1.8T” engine that VW and Audi used across their lines during the 1990s and 2000s.)
The decision is at least partly based on fuel economy. A manual-transmission Jetta with the 2.5-liter five is rated by the EPA at 23 mpg city/33 highway. Compare that with the Jetta GLI, which is essentially the same car (save for the rear suspension) but uses the 2.0-liter turbo four: It is rated for 22/33 mpg. The installation of a smaller, less-powerful version of that 2.0-liter engine should bump the regular Jetta’s EPA figures enough to appeal to consumers seeing ads for 40-mpg Chevy Cruzes, Ford Focuses, and Hyundai Elantras.
The other large factor for switching to the 1.8 turbo is VW’s desire to simplify the manufacturing and service processes for its engines. As a close relative of the 2.0-liter, it can be built in the same factories, shipped in the same containers, installed with the same tooling, and maintained with the same equipment.
The 2.5-liter inline-five arrived in the U.S. in the previous-generation Jetta, which went on sale in 2005. It initially offered 150 hp, a number exceeded by many inline-fours from other automakers, and was subsequently upgraded to 170 hp. While offering a five-banger was certainly a rarity among automakers (with Volvo and Chevrolet also offering the layout here), sales of vehicles that offered the engine seem to have been achieved in spite of it, rather than because customers found it appealing in any way. The five was never particularly offensive, but we also can’t say we’ll miss it much.
http://blog.caranddriver.com/volkswa...ur-in-the-u-s/
04-27-12, 05:25 PM
#103
Hyundai Sonata caused Nissan to reassess 2013 Altima development
Hyundai Sonata caused Nissan to reassess 2013 Altima development
When Hyundai rolled out their outrageously styled Sonata three years ago, car buyers took notice. It's eye-catching exterior styling, well-appointed interior and affordable price was just what a lot of family sedan buyers wanted.
Few will admit it, but carmakers sat up and paid attention, too. However, Andy Palmer, Nissan executive vice president for global planning, doesn't mind telling the world that his company certainly saw the significance of the midsize Korean sedan. So much so that they briefly halted design work on the 2013 Altima.
"We even delayed development by a short amount just to check that the (new Altima's) proportions were right, the (package) was right (and that) the product overall was right," Palmer tells Ward's Auto. "I'd say they (Hyundai) are our major point of reference."
But with the Altima as the second-best selling car in its segment, Nissan is focusing not on the Sonata, but on Toyota and the No. 1 best seller: Camry.
"If you keep coming with better cars and better communications, telling better stories, over a period of time," Palmer says. "I guarantee you'll be talking about Toyota and Nissan."
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/04/27/h...a-development/