2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid - Automobile Magazine
Nissan seems pretty tentative about the whole hybrid thing, with a lone hybrid model that is only sold in a handful of states (CA, CT, MA, ME, NJ, NY, OR, RI, and VT, to be exact). The Altima's hybrid system is essentially the same as that in the Toyota Camry hybrid, although Nissan pairs it with its own 2. 5-liter four-cylinder engine. The Altima hybrid would appear to be very much a me-too vehicle, but in many ways it's actually more satisfying than the Camry hybrid. The first thing everyone wants to know about hybrids is their fuel economy, and the Altima's is quite good, with EPA ratings of 35 mpg city and 33 mpg highway, about on a par with the Toyota's 33/34 mpg ratings. With the steep hills in my town, I rarely get close even to the city mpg figures during the week I spend in a test car, but in the Altima hybrid I averaged an indicated 33 mpg. Compared to the Camry hybrid, the Altima's powertrain corrals 11 more ponies, and they're saddled with about 200 fewer pounds, so acceleration is reasonably brisk. Like all hybrids, the Altima has electrically-assisted power steering, which can make for limp, lifeless steering, but Nissan has done an admirable job tuning this system. Source: www.automobilemag.com
