Cars Release Date

2012 Nissan Altima

2012 Nissan Altima Reviews-Nissans midsize Altima is available in both coupe and sedan body styles. The coupes powertrain offerings are similar to the sedans, but the coupe has unique styling elements. The coupes main competitor — the Accord coupe — is larger overall.

There are many advantages to owning the 2012 Nissan Altima. Not a lot is new with the Nissan Altima. The 2012 Nissan Altima is available in three trims: 2.5, 2.5 S and 3.5 SR. The upscale 3.5 SR trim adds a sport-tuned suspension, a V6 engine, a sunroof, mirror-mounted turn signal repeaters, dual-zone automatic climate control, 17-inch alloy wheels and heated side mirrors. The Technology package adds digital music storage, a hard-drive navigation system and Bluetooth.

The 2012 Altima is a front-wheel drive vehicle. Two engines are available. All Altima sedans come standard with a continuously variable transmission or CVT. The 2.5 Altima with a CVT transmission has a fuel economy rating of 23 mpg in the city, 32 mpg on the freeway and 27 mpg combined; the 3.5 Altima with a CVT has a fuel economy rating of 20/27/23 mpg.

Even without the Technology package, though, the Altima is a nice enough vehicle. In terms of roominess and comfort, the 2012 Nissan Altima fares pretty well. At 15.3 cubic feet, the trunk on the Altima is wonderfully roomy. Coupe versions of the Altima have trunks that offer just 8.2 cubic feet of space.

The 2012 Nissan Altima has fared quite well in government crash tests. It comes standard with traction control, stability control, side curtain airbags that cover rows, antilock brakes and front seat side-impact airbags. All in all, the 2012 Nissan Altima is a very nice car for the money.

The Altima is available as a practical sedan or a sporty coupe. Coupe versions of the Altima are lower and shorter, and feature unique styling that really set them apart from their more serious sedan siblings. Under the hood, both the coupe and sedan share two engine options: a 175-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder and a 270-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 that comes with the 3.5 SR trim. The Altima sedan features an Xtronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) with manual mode, although coupe versions are also available with a six-speed manual for a more engaged driving experience.

For those who like to carry their music with them wherever they go, the Altima can be outfitted with a Music Box hard drive that stores over 9 GB of music.

The 2012 Nissan Altima takes safety seriously with an electronic stability system, antilock brakes, six airbags, and traction control all standard. The NHTSA gave the Altima four-stars overall for its performance in crash tests.

The Lotus Elise is a track-ready car with minimal interior comforts, nearly no cargo space and a rock-hard suspension. It offers supercar acceleration and handling in a striking design.
The new Lotus Elise body has a fresh sculptured front, including a new bumper, front clam and access panel that combine to give the Lotus Elise a wider look with more road presence.

Power for the Lotus Elise is delivered through the high-tech and reliable 1.8-liter four-cylinder, 16-valve engine from Toyota. Lotus engineers designed an ultra precise shift linkage mechanism for fast, positive gear shifts, transforming the transmission into the perfect tool for harnessing every ounce of the Elise’s performance potential.

The 2011 Lotus Elise SC has a power increase over the standard Elise from 189 hp to 218 hp (15 percent) and torque increase from 133 lbs.-ft. to 156lbs.-ft. (17 percent) via an Eaton rotor pack non-intercooler supercharger designed especially for the Elise. The entry level Lotus Elise weighs 1,931 lbs., making it one of the lightest fully homologated sports cars in the world.

The 2011 Lotus Elise has slightly updated styling and minor feature availability updates. A new Lotus Elise? For the time being, the Lotus Elise continues to deliver supercar performance without the supercar price. The resulting acceleration and handling makes the "Lotus Elise" one of the most entertaining sports cars on the market.

Creature comforts also fall by the wayside, as common amenities like power steering, a glove box, cruise control, vanity mirrors and power seats are not even offered as options.
In terms of exhilaration, the Lotus Elise reigns supreme.

The 2011 Lotus Elise is a two-seat roadster that is offered in two main trim levels. The Elise SC adds a supercharger, rear spoiler and unique wheels. However, it lacks the base models leather seating, iPod interface and extra sound deadening; these can be added back with the Touring Pack. A Sport package is available for either Lotus Elise and adds unique wheels, traction control (already standard on the base Elise), Brillstein dampers and sport seats. Stand-alone options include paint protection film, black-painted wheels and diffuser, a limited-slip differential and a selection of limited and lifestyle paint colors.

A special Roger Becker Edition Elise debuts for 2011, honoring the recently retired head of Lotus vehicle engineering.
Every Lotus Elise is powered by a 1.8-liter inline-4 Toyota engine (Yamaha did the actual engineering). The Elise SC is rated just slightly less at 20/26/22 mpg.

Since the lightweight Lotus Elise has been designed for all-out performance, safety equipment is as minimal as federally mandated rules allow.

In Edmunds brake testing, the previous Lotus Elise SC with the Sport package came to a stop from 60 mph in a very short 110 feet.
The 2011 Lotus Elise interior has everything you need and nothing you dont. Weight savings are taken to extremes with the Lotus Elise, as even the passenger seat lacks any sort of fore/aft adjustment.