exterior. Far from being avant-garde--as West Coast designs so often are--the Altima

relies on quiet, efficienty good looks for its appeal. The rounded nose is unadorned,

free of excessive brightwork, the profile is smooth and the tail is neatly contoured,

with only a pair of large taillights for decoration.

Even so, there are nice touches everywhere. A shape that might be bland is made

better-looking by smooth contours and subtle modeling, the wrapover doors increase

ease of entry/exit and the few applications of bright trim around windows and on the

door handles add the right touch of class.

The Altima's body has more than quiet good looks to recommend it. The unitbody

structure is commendably rigid, and all seams and gaps are narrow and uniform. Precise

panel fit allied with a low-drag shape and flush glass has much to do with the

Altima's noteworthy lack of wind noise.

There are few external clues to differentiate the base Altima XE from the GXE, SE

and fully-equipped GLE versions. The SE and GLE ride on stylish aluminum alloy wheels,

while the others make do with steel rims and wheel covers, but all have dual outside

mirrors and tinted glass. The more expensive pair also have added fog and front

cornering lamps, though these are subtly integrated into the front end design.

All members of the Altima family use the same 2.4-liter dual overhead cam 16-valve

4-cyl. engine, and all but the GLE have a standard 5-speed manual transmission. A

standard 4-speed automatic transmits power to the GLE's front wheels; automatics are

optional in the others.

Suspension--MacPherson struts at all four corners--is also the same across the

entire model range, although the sportier SE gets a larger rear antiroll bar and

4-wheel disc brakes. When antilock brakes are ordered--a $999 option for all

models--4-wheel discs are part of the package.