Kumacho 
2016 Nissan Altima Sedan 2.5 SL 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
The 2016 changes make this car.
 I am a dyed in the wool gearhead.  I love cars, I have always loved cars.  However, as age caught up to me I felt it was time to leave my Detroit muscle and sports cars behind.  When I first decided to buy a more (as my wife puts it) “Adult” car I looked at the 2013 Altima.  I liked the features but I let the dealership steer me to a Dodge Avenger because that was the only car they had that would be suitable for getting me out of the Audi A6 I was upside down in.  They made it clear they could work the deal on the Dodge but not the Nissan.What a fool I was.  I should have stuck to my guns and not have gotten the Dodge.  When I decided on the Nissan I drove the Kia Optima, Hyundai Sonata, Chevrolet Malibu and the Toyota Camry.While I liked the Optima most of all (2.0 liter turbo) it was more expensive than the others and the dealer wouldn’t deal with us.  The Altima and the Sonata hybrid were actually tied as far as driving and initial quality.  But the Sonata hybrids in the area were all base vehicles and the limited were hard to find.The Malibu and the Toyota were both in last place as a tie.  The Malibu just didn’t have the fit finish and feel of the others.  Cheaper plastics and the infotainment system was not to my liking.  The Camry fell so low because it lacked styling and didn’t seem as advanced as the others.  The Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC) on the Altima works really well.  I was actually very surprised at what it could do.  To test it; I allowed it to slow me all the way to a stop.  When it came to a stop the car sat there for about two seconds and a chime warned me the ICC was turning off.The front seats are nearly lazy boy recliner comfortable.  Nissan’s Zero Gravity seats are not just a gimmick they really are very comfortable.  I find them just as comfortable as the 2005 Audi A6 I had two cars ago.Here is where most people have a problem with the Altima.  They are not accustomed to the Constant Variable Transmission (CVT) and the way it feels.  For a four cylinder car that gets as high as 42mpg on the freeway (I got that on a 180 mile trip) And 0-60 in 8.2 seconds is not that bad for a midsized 2.5l car!  It just doesn’t feel like a normal transmission.  Even in Ds (Sport mode) the transmission doesn’t give shift points really.  It tries to simulate them, but it does fail.  What the CVT doesn’t fail at is giving smooth power at a constant rate and delivers great MPG.I was a little concerned about the reliability issues with the transmission.  Until I read the article about Nissan demanding Jatco (the manufacturer of the CVT) make them right.  Everything I have read shows the early problems were just that, early problems…  I also own a Subaru Outback with a CVT and it feels different.  Much more “slushy” feeling.