2018 Nissan Altima

For 2018, Nissan has slimmed down the mid-size Altima's trim offerings and enhanced its standard safety features list with the addition of forward collision warning with automatic braking across the line.

Gone this year are the entry-level 2.5 model and the 3.5 SR, a move that leaves four four-cylinder trims (2.5 S, 2.5 SR, 2.5 SV, 2.5 SL) and a single V6-powered model in the 3.5 SL.

The Altima's styling remains the same, wearing sheetmetal introduced in a 2016 refresh that lent this family sedan a look borrowed from the pricier Maxima upscale sedan.

Also unchanged are the Altima's powertrain specs. The 2.5L four-cylinder makes 179 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque, while the 3.5L V6 is good for 270 hp and 251 lb-ft. Both come standard with a continuously variable (CVT) automatic transmission that powers the front wheels.

Drivers looking for a sportier character will want to look at the 2.5 SR, which gets a firmer suspension, 18-inch wheels (replacing 17s in lesser models) and LED headlights behind smoked housings. Otherwise, the Altima leaves the fun to the larger Maxima and focuses on a relaxed driving feel.

The now-entry level 2.5 S model comes with heated side mirrors, eight-way power driver's seat, heated front seats, backup camera, passive keyless entry and automatic headlights.

2.5 SV trim gets dual-zone climate control and a heated steering wheel, while the 2.5 SL gets leather seats. The 3.5 SL echoes the 2.5 SL's features list but adds the more potent engine.

Family sedan sales continue to take a hit thanks to crossovers and SUVs, the vehicles to which more families seem to gravitating with each passing year. Honda and Toyota have redesigned their Accord and Camry into all-new generations for 2018 in an effort to try to hold the public's attention, but the Altima, as one of the older designs in the failing mid-size car category, is being increasingly overlooked. In Nissan's own camp, the Rogue and Murano crossovers both handily outsell the aging Altima.

Fuel consumption estimates are 8.7/6.3 L/100 km (city/highway) for four-cylinder models (the 2.5 SR's figures are nominally higher) and 10.6/7.3 with the 3.5 SL's V6.