Just when you thought you had the Nissan Altima all figured out, it changes like a shape-shifter from a Stephen King novel.
Well, not quite as scary, but you get the idea.
First, back in the 1990s, it was too small to really be considered a “mid-sized” sedan, so around 2002, Nissan made it bigger and outfitted it with a bigger engine. Then, the company hit on a design with mass appeal for the car it wanted to push as its new flagship.
The Altima pushed the Maxima out of the mid-car market (though I’m still not quite sure why Nissan decided to compete with itself and keep the Maxima as well) and became the flagship sedan Nissan wanted it to be.
Except that now, for 2008, the Altima is available as both a sedan and a racy coupe.
A split personality perhaps? Not so much as one might think.
I tested the coupe a while back, and found it to be every bit the car its sister, the Infiniti G35 is. It’s a fun-loving, borderline answer to a mid-life crisis, while the sedan is the older, more serious sibling.

PERFORMANCE

2008 NISSA ALTIMA 3.5 SE SEDAN
Base Price: $18,240
As Tested: $30,615
Fuel Economy: 19 mpg city, 26 mpg highway
Body Styles: Sedan and coupe
In The Market: Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion, Chevy Malibu, Pontiac Grand Prix.

I once had an acquaintance — one with an SCCA license and cars that had been on the Autobahn — who referred to the Altima sedan as “a nice appliance.”
At the time, I had to agree. It was a nice-seller for Nissan. It was difficult to find things that were truly, awful in the car’s performance or design. But to a car enthusiast such as my acquaintance — and myself — it was the conservative nature of the Altima that was easiest to criticize.
It did most things reasonably well — stopping, starting, turning, storing. But it took few if any of the chances that could make it exceptional — that could make it more than an appliance.
The 2008 Altima coupe is anything but an appliance, my acquaintance would have to agree.
And part of that luckily rubbed off on the more serious sedan.
If anything, other reviewers have found the Altima SE, which comes outfitted with a 270-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6, as more than a handful for typical in-town driving.
Personally, I prefer the spirit over the mundaneness of lesser cars.
The continually variable automatic transmission is smooth and helps with fuel economy.
There are options, of course. For the economy-minded, the base 2.5 and 2.5S come with 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder engines. The difference between the base and the “S” is essentially the offering optional anti-lock brakes.
The tested 3.5 SE got an EPA estimated 19 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway, which is very good considering the engine is at the top of the class when it comes to horsepower and torque.

AESTHETICS/ERGONOMICS
I do not have statistics on buyers, so I an only relate what I experience. The Altima, especially the sedan, seems to strike a chord with female drivers more than their male counterparts.
This is an observation to A., the number of women I see driving the Altima, and B., the reaction the car routinely gets from female friends, acquaintances, co-workers and, honestly, total strangers.
The Altima does have nice lines. Simply, it’s a pretty car. Still rather conservative, but attractive from the outside.
The $4,200 Premium Package included leather-appointed seats, a Bluetooth hands-free phone system as well as a stereo upgrade that included XM Satellite Radio. Of course, that expense added with a few other extras, pushed the tested car's price over $30,000.

FINAL THOUGHTS
I’m still wondering exactly what happened to the Maxima. Is the Altima now the Maxima? If it isn’t, then what is the Maxima?
I do know that I now find the Altima much more appealing than I used to, and other enthusiasts are bound to agree. It is more than a pretty car that “serious drivers” compare to refrigerators.
It is now a consistent performer in both coupe and sedan forms.