Prior to 2002, the Nissan Altima languished as a wallflower, though a very good one. The Altima was slightly smaller than the Accord and Camry, but bigger and more expensive than the highly popular Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic. It was, as the saying goes, neither fish nor fowl. And it only came with a four-cylinder engine.

Now everything has changed.

This year marks the first time Altima has ever offered a V6 option. It's the same 3.5-liter engine that powers the 2002 Maxima, and it's one of the best V6 engines available today. Last year's Altima was smaller than the Camry and Accord, but the 2002 Altima is bigger than either of them. This means roomier seating for four people.