2013 Nissan Altima

2013 Nissan Altima

Episode 3148
Auto Value and Bumper to BumperTire Rack "The Way Tire Buying Should Be"

Every full line carmaker offers a mid-size family sedan, which inevitably, is compared to the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. Now some have tried to beat the segment leaders with sharper styling, while others have packed in more performance and features. Well, the latest design looking to upset the status quo is the 5th generation Nissan Altima. Already popular, let’s see if the all-new Altima is ready to make a run for the gold.

When the 2013 Nissan Altima was unveiled at this year’s New York Auto Show it didn’t exactly wow anyone, including us. And, we weren’t really sure how serious Nissan was in taking on Camry and Accord. But, truth be told, the outgoing Altima sold very well, and that’s mostly because people recognize that compared to Accord and Camry, the Altima was a great value. Well, after spending some quality time with the all-new Altima, early indicators are that Nissan has indeed done a lot to challenge Camry and Accord, and done it well. 

For starters, the Altima is a real joy to drive. The ride is impressively solid with an athletic feel, very similar to the larger Maxima, and more nimble than its size would indicate. Standard Active Understeer control brakes the inside front wheel during cornering to quicken turn-ins. Now, you won’t forget that this is still a mid-size family sedan, but it’s one that now falls on the sporty side of things. Steering is precise, braking is direct. And consider us now impressed. 

We’ve had our quibbles with CVT transmissions over the years but Nissan’s latest Xtronic is by far one of the best. It still makes for lots of engine roar when you really get it cranking, but it remains smooth. And, that’s critical since the interior of the new Altima gains the biggest upgrade. There’s far less hard plastic, though it hasn’t gone away entirely. And we appreciate the piano black trim adorning our SL test car’s center stack. It’s a first rate upgrade overall, lavish, but not opulent. Gauges are clear and easy to scan, but some icons and words in the center info screen, which includes readouts for the available driver assist systems, could be a little bigger. 

The Nav. screen is also small compared to many rivals, but there are some nice big knobs for controlling our car’s optional 9-speaker Bose stereo. With more front legroom than Camry, the Altima’s “Zero-gravity” front seats are pleasant for trips both short and long, and came trimmed with charcoal leather in our SL. Rear legroom is more than adequate, although here Altima trails Camry. Fold the split rear seats for identical trunk room, 15.4 cubic feet. The trunk has a nice, big opening but the finish is a little bit disappointing. Blind spots and lane departure warnings are just a few of many available safety features that complement the standard VDC and Traction Control. Standard power comes from an updated 2.5-liter 4-cylinder with 182-horsepower and 180 pound feet of torque. That’s only 7-horsepower more than before, but with the updated CVT, and over a hundred pounds less weight than last year, it feels much peppier. 

And, at the track, there’s good punch off the line. Once your speed catches up to the high RPM buzz of the CVT, things do quiet down in more ways than one. Still, 7.9-seconds to reach 60, and 16.1-seconds and 89 miles per hour for the quarter mile, are very decent results for a mid-size 4-banger. If even more speed is your need, Nissan’s familiar 3.5-liter V6 is still available. 

As for the styling, the new Altima is more of an evolution than revolution. It is sleeker, with dynamically flared headlights, and definitely more substantial. Yet while more modern, it is still rather conservative looking. So the targets are clearly Camry and Accord, not Sonata and Fusion. Or, maybe the new Altima is actually aiming a bit higher. As your eyes walk to the back there are definite Infiniti cues in the green house, trunk lid, and rear facia.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings sound great at 27-City and 38-Highway. But, we averaged on the low end of that range with 30.6 miles-per-gallon of Regular. When it comes to pricing, Altima is available in a staggering 7-models, beginning slightly below Camry at $22,280 and topping out at $30,860, while our 2.5 SL falls at $28,830. The price competition for mid-size family sedans is intense so it’s no surprise that the Altima has a few things that seem like they were built to a price. So, while we don’t think it garners the gold, it is still a very solid effort, and one that easily out handles and is more fun to drive than its main rivals. That makes it a very appealing family four-door to us, and judging by how well the outgoing car sold, we think the 2013 Nissan Altima will be an even bigger success.

Specifications

  • Engine: 2.5-liter 4-cylinder
  • Horsepower: 182
  • Torque: 180 lb-ft.
  • 0-60 mph: 7.9 seconds
  • 1/4 mile: 16.1 seconds @ 89 mph
  • EPA: 27 mpg city/ 38 mpg Highway
2024 Audi RS 7 Performance 1

2024 Audi RS 7 Performance

Up For Grand Touring Around A Racetrack

Episode 4329
Auto Value and Bumper to BumperTire Rack "The Way Tire Buying Should Be"

In recent years, Audi has done an increasingly better job at merging luxury, high tech and sportiness equally into all of their vehicles, but that doesn’t mean they all have the same priorities. So, if you’re wondering what this car is all about… well, it’s right there in the name, the Audi RS 7 Performance!

First and foremost, the 2024 Audi RS 7 Performance is absolutely fantastic looking. A gorgeous car from all angles. But this posh performer is a lot more than just a visual treat. Under its silky skin lies a menacing sounding V8 that delivers insane amounts of power and, as we discovered, a gloriously intoxicating driving experience.

RS elements added to Audi’s S7 five-door coupe include new aero treatments with a matte gray finish and silver 21-inch Audi Sport wheels. Those silver wheels are wrapped with 275 Continental summer performance tires and allow for seeing plenty of the enormous brake rotors with black-painted calipers. Up front, there’s a wide grille inhaling all kinds of air and headlights with uniqueness that’s pure Audi. This five-door coupe with frameless door windows speaks a true hardtop design.

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Now that we’ve gotten that out of our system, time to hit the corners of Savannah’s Roebling Road Raceway, and it’s been quite some time since we’ve had anything here or on any road course that exhibited this much body roll. It didn’t matter what drive mode we had dialed in, it just liked to roll. You could sense that soft suspension in our acceleration runs too. Bystanders got a clear view of a lot of its hardware, thanks to major rear-end squatting as it exploded off the line. Those explosions resulted in a quick 3.7-second trip to 60 miles-per-hour and full quarter-mile runs of 11.9 seconds at 118 miles-per-hour. Fast indeed, though we’re sure both times would improve in warmer temps than our 40-degree test day.

Drive modes have been recalibrated and shifts by the eight-speed Tiptronic in Dynamic Mode are quick. Indeed, noticeably quicker and firmer than in the RS6 wagon we tested just a few months ago without the “performance” treatment. Quattro all-wheel drive is standard.

We’ve never experienced a car that can feel this soft yet was absolutely point-and-shoot through corners.

The driving force for that acceleration is a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 cranking out an additional 30 horsepower from the standard RS 7 thanks to installing bigger turbos. That makes for a 621-horsepower rating, with an even more impressive boost in torque from 590 to 627 lb-ft. And Audi was kind enough to remove a little sound deadening material so we can appreciate it even more through the optional RS sport exhaust system.

For what is really a Grand Tourer built for blasting you away on luxurious adventures, the RS 7 performance is amazingly track capable. Steering is very direct with great feel, and all four wheels are engaged in the process. They’re connected to a new mechanical self-locking center differential that is not only capable of handling the additional power but is lighter and quicker to respond. Chassis software has been recalibrated to make it all work together seamlessly. There must be some serious engineering wizardry happening in the RS-tuned air suspension as we’ve never experienced a car that can feel this soft yet was absolutely point-and-shoot through corners. Brakes were truly phenomenal too; there was some significant nosedive happening, but no wandering or fading no matter how hard we worked them.

And yes, it’s hard to call this actual work, considering this work environment is far from hostile. Absolutely nothing has been compromised when it comes to delivering the luxury car experience you expect from a six-figure Audi. Whether it’s the fabulous real metal, leather, and detailed woven carbon-fiber materials or the fine stitch-work and the always impressive comprehensive digital gauge display, the RS 7 performance feels truly special inside.

2024 Audi RS 7 Performance Dash
2024 Audi RS 7 Performance Shifter
2024 Audi RS 7 Performance Seat
2024 Audi RS 7 Performance Trunk
2024 Audi RS 7 Performance Engine
2024 Audi RS 7 Performance Dash2024 Audi RS 7 Performance Shifter2024 Audi RS 7 Performance Seat2024 Audi RS 7 Performance Trunk2024 Audi RS 7 Performance Engine

The front seats were supremely comfortable and were only mildly bolstered yet held us in place just fine out on the track. Plenty of room for rear seat passengers too, and there’s even a great 24.6 cubic-feet of cargo space with hatchback versatility. Less practical is all touchscreen all the time for just about every cockpit control.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 14 City, 22 Highway, and 17 Combined. That’s a below average Energy Impact Score of 17.5 barrels of yearly oil use with 8.8 tons of CO2 emissions.

Pricing starts at $129,490, and Audi knows they have a good thing going with the RS 7 performance; so much so, it’s now the only RS 7.

So, could they have just made the RS 7 better instead of tacking “performance” onto the name? Sure, but there’s just something about adding performance to a car name that draws people in. And when it backs it up by delivering more actual performance, well, that’s what we call a win-win. We’d be happy to run some victory laps in the 2024 Audi RS 7 Performance anytime.

Specifications

  • Engine: 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8
  • Horsepower: 621
  • 0-60 mph: 3.7 seconds
  • EPA: 14 City | 22 Highway | 17 Combined
  • Transmission: 8-speed automatic
  • Torque: 627 lb-ft.
  • 1/4 Mile: 11.9 seconds at 118 mph
  • Starting Price: $129,490