It`s that time of year again, all the little monsters, and big ones I suppose, are off to school and a huge sigh of relief echoes from households around the city.
The kids have their new school clothes - uniforms in some cases - and several bags have been packed with all the copy books, scissors, 10 erasers, 20 sticks of glue, 400 pencils, 2 gross of crayons, a crate of tissue and a shopping cart load of pencils.
It doesn`t leave much in the kitty when you are in the market for a new vehicle, and if you can still afford one, it better have decent room in it for the kid`s walker, `cos he`s probably going to suffer irreparable back damage carrying all the stuff in to the classroom.
But, in the odd case that there is enough cash in the kitty after the Walmart or Zellers truck pulls away after dumping everything on the front lawn you may want to give the 2013 Nissan Altima a look.
Not only is it a car any kid or teenager would be happy to show up to school in, with the front seat pushed back to accommodate my relaxed driving position, there was still huge leg room in the back. So the kid who had a big growing spurt over the summer and whose pants now look like he is preparing for a flood can easily fit in the back with his siblings and most of their school supplies.
Any supplies left over can easily be thrown in the trunk or strapped to the roof, and this is where the CVT transmission comes in to play. The transmission differs from a traditional one in that there are no actual gears, and this makes for a super smooth ride as far as changing gears is concerned. It is a technology that was introduced to the mass auto market several years ago but only Nissan seems to have totally embraced it, with pretty much every vehicle in its lineup except for the nail spitting, track shredding super GTR having it.
The Altima`s seats were comfy yet supportive enough to keep my carcass firmly planted in the seat during some sharp cornering, and with all the room I could sit in my old LazyBoy reclined position.
The Altima came with 182 horses from its 2.5-litre four cylinder engine, which gives the Altima plenty of get up and go and unless the windows are open there is minimal engine noise when you hammer it. Nissan has also used several means to save weight over the 2012 model meaning the new Altima moves faster with the same power and you get better gas mileage.
The driver gets a power seat and both front seat passengers get automatic, dual-zone climate control. Overhead is a power moonroof and storage space for the specs, and the driver can take full control of the satellite stereo from the steering wheel. You won`t want to be on the phone when you pull in to the school parking lot with all those little monsters running around so the voice-activated Bluetooth will come in handy. So will the rear backup camera for that matter, especially when you have to back up your trailer full of school supplies.
The ride in the Altima is smooth and there is a tight feel when changing lanes, turning corners or doing doughnuts in parking lots. Some vehicles tend to feel a little soft when making some of these manoeuvres, and even take a split second to do what you at the wheel are telling it to do. The Altima`s moves were precise and immediate.
All the usual safety features have made it into the Altima including the air bags, tire pressure monitoring system, traction control and vehicle dynamic control. You also get heated seats, manufacturer-installed remote starter, push button start and heated mirrors.
The Altima is also quiet and peaceful inside the cabin, so on the chance that you do purchase one and you have to drop off or pick up the kids from school, make sure the plugs are inserted prior to opening the doors as it is sure to be a shock to the ears.
Vehicle:
Nissan Altima
Vehicle type:
4-door sedan
Transmission:
automatic
Engine:
2.5-litre four cylinder
Horseppower:
182 @
Torque:
180 @
Price as tested:
$3,588
Mileage:
8.7 l/100km 32 mpg city
6.0 l/100km 58 mpg hwy
