| Family sedans: The redesigned Nissan Altima accelerates to the top ...
The best family sedans provide agile handling and quick performance, and get decent fuel economy. And for years, the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Volkswagen Passat dominated our Ratings. But the redesigned Nissan Altima, perennially an also-ran, now ranks near the top of this segment.
For this test, we gathered basic and uplevel versions of five family sedans. Our selections include the four- and six-cylinder versions of the redesigned Nissan Altima, Kia Optima, and Chrysler Sebring. We also tested two versions of the new for 2007 Saturn Aura with different V6 engines, and four- and six-cylinder versions of the slightly revised Pontiac G6 (all models are available to subscribers). Prices ranged from $20,785 for the base G6 to $31,995 for the V6 Altima 3.5 SE.
Lack of reliability data keeps us from recommending some new vehicles, including the top-scoring Altima.
Consumer Reports rates Nissan Altima tops among family sedans
Yonkers, NY — The redesigned Nissan Altima accelerated to the top of Consumer Reports' ratings of family sedans in tests for the March 2007 issue. Rated “Excellent" overall the Altima now ranks alongside CR's top-rated Volkswagen Passat, Honda Accord, and Toyota Camry. The Altima 3.5SE virtually ties with the Honda Accord V6, Consumer Reports' top-rated family sedan. Among four-cylinder sedans tested by CR, the Altima 2.5S ranks just behind the Volkswagen Passat 2.0T. “The redesigned Altima is a well-rounded family sedan in both 2.5S and 3.5SE trim levels," said David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports' Auto Test Center in East Haddam, Connecticut. “Both the 2.5-liter four-cylinder and 3.5-liter V6 engines deliver very good performance while getting good fuel economy." For the March issue, Consumer Reports tested basic and uplevel versions of five family sedans—the Altima, Kia Optima, Saturn Aura, Pontiac G6, and Chrysler Sebring.
A Car is Born
At the starting point of the assembly line deep inside the sprawling Toyota production plant in Georgetown, Dennis and Debbie Cahalane's Barcelona Red 2007 Toyota Camry LE is in the hands of a Ford. More specifically, Jeff Ford, 41, of Cynthiana, an 11-year Toyota team member. Ford knows it's a good time to be making Toyotas. Booming sales around the world, high praise within the industry and technological advances may combine this year to establish Toyota as the world's biggest automaker, replacing General Motors, which has held that distinction for 75 years. Toyota has announced a production target of 9.4 million vehicles for 2007. Most auto industry analysts believe that if Toyota meets that goal, the company will edge past GM by the end of the year. Toyota's rise in sales, at a time when American automaker sales have been suffering, has been built fanbelt-by-fanbelt, cupholder-by-cupholder, car-by-car for people such as the Cahalanes of Finneytown, who special-ordered their Camry from Kerry Toyota in Florence.
Toyota's Next Matrix More Powerful, New Name Possible
Toyota is adding its 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine to more vehicles as it refreshes its lineup. The engine is in the Toyota Camry and the Scion tC and will also power the new Scion xB with 158 hp. Now, Toyota plans to put it into a radically different version of the Matrix, based on the next Corolla sedan. The new Matrix, already sold in Europe and Japan, will look a lot more like a Mazda3 and could get a new name. The vehicle is called the Blade in Japan and the company registered that name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office. While the Matrix may not be the most significant name in Toyota's arsenal, replacing it with something with somewhat violent imagery attached might do more harm than good. Plus, it doesn't really look like a Blade, does it? [Toyota cuts Matrix with Blade, AutoWeek]
Big changes greet shoppers for big pickups
People of a certain age will remember when pickup trucks were purchased primarily by farmers and those who worked in trades such as plumbing, or by people who towed camping trailers or boats or, in the case of compact pickups, by young guys who really couldn't afford anything else in dealer showrooms. Like pickups themselves, times have changed. While so-called "crossover" vehicles may be the fastest growing of all automotive sales categories, pickups continue to be the sales leaders - and it's not because there is any sort of surge in farming or the trades. Even with gasoline prices reaching record levels and with pickup trucks powered by fuel-thirsty engines, the best-selling vehicles in the United States in 2006, in order, were the Ford F-150 (a pickup), Chevrolet Silverado (another pickup), Toyota Camry (a passenger car) and Dodge Ram (another pickup).
Hempstead East
Cell phones and iPods were stolen from students' purses at Lawrence High School Jan. 30. The owners were at a dance practice in the high school auditorium.
East Rockaway
An Inwood woman, 56, was arrested Jan. 31 at Atlantic and Rhames avenues and charged with drunken driving.
Elmont
A 2005 Nissan Maxima was stolen Feb. 2 from Amethyst Street.
Elmont Memorial High School was broken into through a front door
Feb. 3. Two cell phones and files were among the items stolen.
Freeport
A 34-year-old man was arrested Jan. 30 and charged with theft of merchandise from Marshall's on East Sunrise Highway.
A 1989 Toyota Camry was stolen Jan. 31 from a Green Avenue location.
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Toyota Camry Specifications |
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| Toyota Camry Performance & Efficiency Standard Features |
-2,362 cc 2.4 liters in-line 4 front engine with 88.5 mm bore, 96.5 mm stroke, double overhead cam, variable valve timing/camshaft and four valves per cylinder 2AZ-FXE
-Electric fuel with additional unleaded 87
-Fuel economy EPA highway (mpg): 38 and EPA city (mpg): 40
-Multi-point injection fuel system
-17.2 gallon main unleaded fuel tank
-Power: 140 kW , 187 HP SAE
-Secondary power: maximum power (kw): 110, maximum power (hp): 147, maximum torque (ft lb): 138 and maximum torque (nm): 187
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| Toyota Camry Handling, Ride & Braking Standard Features |
-Four-wheel ABS
-Brake assist system
-Four disc brakes including two ventilated discs
-Electronic brake distribution
-Electronic traction control via ABS & engine management
-Immobilizer
-Spacesaver steel rim internal spare wheel
-Stability control
-Strut front and rear suspension independent with stabilizer bar and coil springs
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| Toyota Camry Exterior & Aerodynamics Standard Features |
-Body color front and rear bumpers
-Chrome/bright trim around side windows
-Day time running lights
-Driver and passenger power body color door mirrors
-External dimensions: overall length (inches): 189.2, overall width (inches): 71.7, overall height (inches): 57.5, wheelbase (inches): 109.3, front track (inches): 62, rear track (inches): 61.6 and curb to curb turning circle (feet): 36.1
-Projector beam lens halogen bulb headlights
-Luxury trim leather on gearknob, alloy look on doors and alloy look on dashboard
-Mica paint
-Fixed rear window with defogger
-Tinted glass on cabin
-Weights: curb weight (lbs) 3,680
-Windshield wipers with variable intermittent wipe
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| Toyota Camry Interior Standard Features |
-12v power outlet: front and 2
-Air conditioning with climate control and rear outlet 2
-Diversity antenna
-JBL audio system with AM/FM, Disc Autochanger and six-disc remote changer CD player reads MP3
-Automatic drive indicator on dashboard
-Cargo area light
-Cargo capacity: all seats in place (cu ft): 10.6
-Cellular phone Bluetooth
-Clock
-Coming home device
-Compass
-Computer
-Full dashboard console with covered storage box , full floor console with covered storage box , partial overhead console with covered storage box
-Delayed/fade courtesy lights
-Cruise control
-Front seats and rear seats cup holders fixed
-Door ajar warning
-Door pockets/bins for driver seat and passenger seat
-Nickel metal hydride electric Power source
-External temperature
-Driver front airbag with multi-stage deployment , passenger front airbag with occupant sensors and multi-stage deployment
-Bucket electrically adjustable driver seat with height adjustment, lumbar adjustment, five adjustments and tilt adjustment , bucket passenger seat
-Height adjustable 3-point reel front seat belts on driver seat and passenger seat with pre-tensioners
-Front seat center armrest
-Garage door opener
-Two height adjustable head restraints on front seats , three height adjustable head restraints on rear seats
-Headlight control with time delay switch-off and dusk sensor
-Illuminated entry system
-Internal dimensions: front headroom (inches): 38.8, rear headroom (inches): 37.8, front hip room (inches): 54.6, rear hip room (inches): 53.9, front leg room (inches): 41.6, rear leg room (inches): 38.3, front shoulder room (inches): 57.8, rear shoulder room (inches): 56.7 and interior volume (cu ft): 101.4
-Knee airbags
-Low tire pressure indicator
-Card key power locks speed sensing
-Power steering
-Front power windows with one one-touch , rear power windows
-Front reading lights
-3-point reel rear seat belts on driver side, passenger side and center side
-Rear seat center armrest
-Three asymmetrical bench front facing rear seats with zero adjustments
-Automatic operation rear view mirror
-Steering wheel mounted remote audio controls
-Remote fuel filler door release
-Remote control remote trunk/hatch release
-Front and rear roof airbag
-Front seat back storage
-Upgraded cloth/velour seat upholstery with additional upgraded cloth/velour
-Seating: five seats
-Service interval indicator
-Front side airbag
-Smart card / smart key automatic, includes central locking and includes ignition starter
-Eight speaker(s)
-Leather covered multi-function steering wheel with tilt adjustment and telescopic adjustment
-Driver and passenger vanity mirror
-Ventilation system with micro filter and active carbon filter
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