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2008 Nissan Altima Coupe
2008 Buick Enclave CXL AWD


Base price: $25,390

As tested: $31,980

3.5L, 270-horse V6

Continuously variable transmission

19 city/26 highway

More info:
www.nissanusa.com



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Where the hell did this come from? For several years, the design of the Nissan Altima has been frumpy and uninspired. Suddenly they slam this slick coupe onto the street. Actually, we know exactly where it came from -- it's a more subtle take on the bold Nissan Z and stylish Infiniti G coupe. Our only question: What took them so long?

Start with a bright, tri-colored instrument cluster that is jet cockpit-worthy. In our top-of-the-line 3.5 SE tester, add a breathless combination of amenities including nav, satellite radio, six-CD sound system, sunroof, leather and a back-up cam (which is essential because visibility can be limited). Ours came in just short of $32K, which certainly seems pricey for an Altima, but at least Nissan didn't skimp.

Probably the freakiest thing about this SE Coupe is that when you fire up its 3.5L, 270-horse V6, the engine note sounds not unlike a Mustang GT -- certainly not what we expected. We were also surprised that it jumped off the line, because strong G-forces are not synonymous with the word "Altima" (zero to 60 in about six and a half seconds). The continuously variable transmission felt firm and sturdy, and in manual mode it seemed even more responsive and smoother than what we have driven in some non-CVT autosticks.

-- by John D. Thomas

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