2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid Preview

The 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid.

And TireKicker's unofficial "Green Week" (yesterday, the Nissan Leaf, Tuesday the Chevrolet Volt) continues with a car you can't buy yet. In fact, you can't even put in an order yet.

The 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid goes on sale sometime in spring of 2012 in  Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. The rest of the country waits until sometime in 2013. Orders won't be taken until late this year, but Toyota, which has been running a demonstration program of 600 Prius Plug-Ins for the last couple of years, has begun putting examples into the hands of automotive journalists, and that got us a week at the wheel.

The 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid's plug-in port.

Apart from the decal along the bottom of the doors reading "Plug-In Hybrid", that little door in the left front fender is the only obvious difference between a regular Prius and the plug-in. The Priuses on the street the past decade don't need to be plugged in. The batteries aren't allowed to drain fully and recharge through braking and other regenerative activity.

Charging the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid.

So what's the point of the Plug-In? Well, the standard Prius has extremely limited capabilities running on purely electric power...get above 25 miles per hour and the gasoline engine kicks in. Drive at most one mile on electricity alone, and the same thing happens.

The Prius Plug-In will operate in EV (electric vehicle) mode "under certain conditions" up to "near freeway speeds" for "approximately 10-15 miles".

The 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid's range indicator.

That's a lot of maybes, but it does allow people going short distances at city street and freeway speeds to do it (under certain conditions) without using gasoline. And you have the gasoline engine when the battery decides the party's over.

Because the battery isn't being asked to propel the car for 35 miles like the Volt, or 100 miles like the Leaf (both those are manufacturer estimates...under certain conditions), the Prius Plug-In Hybrid needs less recharging time. And this is likely to be a big selling point. Both the Volt and Leaf need 14 hours (give or take) to fully recharge a drained battery on 120V household current. Toyota says the Prius Plug-In will do it in 3 hours. And if you use a 240V charger, that drops to an hour and a half.

With at least 60 days to go before orders are taken (maybe longer) and perhaps six months or more before the first owners take delivery, it's too soon to come to conclusions about the Prius Plug-In, its usefulness, and where it will fit in a rapidly growing field of alternative vehicle. Will the limits of its pure electric operation be too much of a compromise for green buyers? Or will its either/or concept and the promise of quick recharge be a game-changer?

2011 Infiniti G37 Sedan Review



The 2011 Infiniti G37. Sleek styling, strong performance.

It's always nice to visit an old friend after a long absence and find that the things you liked the most aren't gone, haven't changed.

The Infiniti G37 sedan doesn't come around often enough in the press fleet...2006 (when it was the G35), 2009 and now. Two and a half years between visits. Not only does it never disappoint, it delights.

The '06 was a six-speed manual, but only 280 horsepower. The '09 had 328 horsepower, but there was an automatic (admittedly, a very good, very smooth seven-speed).

This latest visit put the good stuff together...the 328 horsepower 3.7 liter DOHC 24-valve V6, with a six-speed manual. Not only did I get to shift it myself and find the sweet spots in an engine full of them, but the Nissan press fleet people kept the options to exactly one...and a functional one at that: R-Spec high friction brake pads, a bargain at $370.



The fluid lines of the 2011 Infiniti G37 Sedan.

As with so many cars, not selecting options doesn't result in a low-ball version. The $39,450 asking price for the G37 Sedan 6MT (that's the official name for the six-speed manual version) has a huge list of standard equipment, including viscous limited-slip differential, sport-tuned suspension and steering, independent front and rear suspension, front and rear stabilizer bars, Dual Flow Path shock absorbers, sport brakes with 4-piston front and 2-piston rear calipers and speed-sensitive power steering.

You're also treated to a rear sonar system, high-intensity discharge bi-functional Xenon healdights, fog lights, LED taillights, 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels, performance tires, sport headlights, a power moonroof, leather seats (12-way adjustable and heated for the driver, 8-way adjustable and heated for the front passenger), power tilt and telescoping steering wheel, memory seat, outside mirrors and steering wheel, push button start, an AM/FM/SiriusXM Satellite/CD premium Bose audio system with 10-sepakers, a 9.3 gigabyte Music Box hard drive and a USB connection for your portable device.

The 2011 Infiniti G37 Sedan Interior. It looks great even when you're in the seat, instead of looking down through the open sunroof.

The nav system comes standard, too...and includes XM NavTraffic (good) and XM NavWeather (better...a long summer drive with real-time radar in your dashboard can be a life-saver), plus the Zagat Survey restaurant guide. It's also got voice recognition, a rear-view camera, and a 7-inch color display. There's Bluetooth, HomeLink, controls for most of those things on the steering wheel, dual zone climate control and a bunch more (if you really want the full list, click here).

What matters most is this: The bones of this car are so completely and totally right. It is a fast, confident, balanced sport sedan...right on the heels of BMW (a gap it's been narrowing for years) at a lower price. So much of the equipment on the G37 Sedan 6MT enhances that...and (this is not always a given) none of it detracts from it.

A truly great car that breaks the $40,000 barrier only because of the destination charges. That's something to be applauded, bought and driven often.

EPA estimates: 17 city/25 highway.

New Car Review: Nissan Leaf



The 2011 Nissan Leaf. Park one next to a Juke and contemplate automotive styling.

 Nissan Leaf. No gas, and as the decals on the sides say (yep, our tester had them), "Zero Emission".

The interior of the 2011 Nissan Leaf: Futuristic, but functional.

It's a very nice, modern car. Not terribly gimmicky, yet with enough dashes of obvious tech here and there to remind you of your cutting-edge status. It drives well, is surprisingly quick, very quiet (no gasoline motor noise, for one), and is roomier inside than the outside suggests (the Nissan Tardis?)

$33,720 puts one in your driveway (our tester, with optional splash guards, ECO Design Package..that's the decals on the doors, Hologram 3D door entry plates and center console applique'...Protection Package, floor mats and cargo area mat, cargo net and safety kit, came to $35,430 with destination charges...but subtract the $7,500 tax credit and you're at $27,930).

Better yet, let that money put it in your garage, where hopefully you'll have the optional ($2,200) 240 volt charging station installed. The advantage...the ability to fully recharge a very-nearly-drained Leaf in just 7 hours. Use the charger that stashes in the trunk and hooks up to your household 120V current and it'll take 14.

Like optimism? You'll love the 2011 Nissan Leaf's range meter.

Nissan's early PR for the Leaf suggested a 100 mile range was attainable. The EPA, however, doesn't agree, and has issued a 73 mile estimated range on a full charge. Even that, though, can be optimistic. How you're driving, whether you're using the air conditioning, and things beyond your control such as traffic patterns, can all affect your range.

When the Leaf was dropped off for our test, it showed what the picture shows above...83 miles. But a 15-mile roundtrip from my office to run an errand brought that down to 57. No problem. I'd made arrangements with the building supervisor for a parking space next to a 120V outlet in the company garage. I'd get six hours worth of charge (not quite enough to get it to full, but giving me a comfortable cushion for the 25 mile drive home that evening).

Except.

The Leaf kept tripping the circuit breaker. Turned out to be the outlet's fault, not the car, but it meant no charge, and a drive home in rush hour with no more juice than was in the car.

57 minus 25 is 32. But the Leaf showed only a 19 mile range by the time I pulled into my driveway that evening....and it was estimating a 14-hour full recharge on household current. More trouble. I'd just finished a double shift. It was 7PM. I needed to leave for work at 4AM. That's only 9 hours of charging time.  I left the next morning showing 55 miles on the range meter, with a 25 mile drive (same as last night, just the other direction). Good news...it wasn't rush hour. Bad news...it wasn't rush hour. What that means is that while there wasn't much unpredictable about 4AM traffic, it also meant running 65 miles per hour on the freeway, which eats the charge quicker than say, 40 or 45.

The range meter showed 22 when I got to work. Thankfully, the building supervisor had sent an email. A good outlet had been located and blocked off for the Leaf. The bad news? The Leaf again needed 14 hours on 120V household current, and I was only going to be at work for 8.

The panel around the Nissan logo on the 2011 Leaf? That's the flap that opens for the charger.

This could have gone on forever, but Nissan scheduled a short loan. They dropped it with me at noon on Thursday, and picked it up the following Monday morning. So I finally got a full charge between 1PM and 3AM Friday afternoon/Saturday morning, but I wasn't commuting on Saturday and Sunday. I drove it for errands through the weekend on that one charge. And after giving it a full charge Sunday afternoon until 4AM Monday, I drove it to work and Nissan came and picked it up.

So what did we learn? A few things:

1. The Leaf is a much better electric car than the General Motors EV-1 of the 1990s, a car whose range meter could go from 80 miles to 45 in just three miles. It is far more comfortable, carries more people and their possessions and is simply more practical.

2. If you drive more than 10 miles one way to work in a day, spend the $2200 for the 240V charger for your house. You'll have a full charge when you leave each morning and reserve power for lunch runs and unforseen emergencies.

3. If you drive more than 25 miles one way to work in a day, seriously consider doing whatever it takes to get a second 240V charger installed where you work. Again, a full charge in the morning, a full charge to get home on and reserve power for the stuff that comes up. If you can't make a 240V work charger happen, think twice about the Leaf.

4. If you ever have days where you drive more than 75 or 80 miles, or if your life or job are simply unpredictable in terms of how much and where you might have to drive at any given time, there's probably a better option for you.

Still, purely electric vehicles have a place in the future of the automobile, and there's no doubt Nissan will improve and refine the Leaf as battery technology improves. It's a good car, a commendable effort, and for some drivers, a solid choice.

2011 GMC Acadia Denali Review

The 2011 GMC Acadia Denali.

Almost 20 years ago,  I bought a GMC Suburban (now known as the Yukon XL). In those days, there was nothing to differentiate the GMC from the Chevrolet except for the badges and the price tag. GMC's was generally a bit more, but I found a dealer who beat all the local Chevy dealers.

It occurred to me at the time that GMC could do very well for itself by making its Suburban a much more luxurious piece than the Chevrolet...leather seats, say...and how about upgraded audio systems? Maybe automatic climate control. Nicer wheels...maybe even a sunroof.

Hard to imagine now, but this was radical thinking at the time, though within 5 years, GM embraced the concept beyond what I was thinking. The GMC version became almost Cadillac-like in its luxury...and then came Cadillac's Escalade, taking it all one giant leap further. And they sold like hot cakes.

The Suburban, Yukon XL and Escalade ESV are all still in production, and still sell, but the strike zone has moved to smaller machines. That's not keeping GM from going back to the playbook for what worked so well a decade and a half ago.

Behold the GMC Acadia Denali. The base Acadia is a reasonably priced vehicle...$32,000. And it's very much like the $29,370 Chevy Traverse. The Denali fixes that...for a price.

Rear three-quarters view of the 2011 GMC Acadia Denali.

The all-wheel-drive Acadia Denali we tested starts at $45,220. 13 grand and change more than the vehicle that underpins it all. And not a penny of it is under the hood. The base Acadia has the exact same 3.6 liter V6 mated to a 6-speed automatic as the Denali.

There's two inches less front headroom and one inch less in the rear, thanks to the standard sunroof,  and you can carry one fewer person thanks to the standard second-row buckets. Otherwise, the dimensions and statistics are the same.

So where's the $13K? On the outside, it's in fog lamps, Xenon HID headlamps, a remote tailgate release, heated exterior mirrors, chrome wheels, performance tires, a trailer hitch reciever and a Denali-specific grille.

The 2011 GMC Acadia Denali interior.

Inside, the Denali steps up with a rear-view camera (always a good idea, especially in SUVs), rear parking assist, dual zone climate control, remote vehicle start, the aforementioned sunroof, power heated driver and front passenger seats, the 2nd row buckets, memory seats, a premium sound system, rear seat audio controls, Bluetooth, a universal home remote control, leather-wrapped steering wheel, auto-dimming rear-view mirror with memory and a power lift gate.

That plus all-wheel drive, which is worth about two grand, so yeah...that's probably about $11,000 worth of options. And our tester had more...$1,890 for nav with 3 months of SiriusXM NavTraffic, $1,445 for a rear seat DVD entertainment center, including headphones, and $795 for White Diamond Tricoat paint (which is very pretty). Bottom line on ours after destination charges: $50,125.

I can't knock the end result...a very luxurious, well mannered, fast, capable SUV. I'm even okay with the price. And the mileage is in the ballpark, too: 16 city/23 highway. What I don't get is why GMC sells an Acadia other than the Denali. Unlike the Yukon/Escalade and Yukon XL/Escalade ESV deal, Cadillac doesn't have a clone of this model...so why bother selling the $32,000 version at all? Why not let that be Chevy's?  If you've got thoughts on that one, I'd love to hear them. Just click the "comments" button.

First Drive: 2011 Chevrolet Volt

The 2011 Chevy Volt.

It's a picture a lot of us have entertained in our brains...home for the night, having commuted without using a drop of gasoline, our new Chevrolet Volt sitting out front for the neighbors to envy.

But how realistic is that daydream? To find out, we borrowed a Volt from the good folks at Courtesy Chevrolet in Phoenix for four days, shorter than our usual tests, but enough to give us an overall impression of the car Motor Trend has named Car of the Year. First of all, the Volt isn't a purely electric car. It has a gasoline engine, too. But it's not a hybrid.

Hybrids blend the gas and electric motors in driving, switching between them as conditions warrant. The Volt runs solely on its electric motor, not using a drop of gas...until the battery runs out of power. And at that point, the gasoline engine (a 1.4 liter four) takes over.

Is the 2011 Chevy Volt running on gas or electric? Only the driver knows for sure.

If you can keep the Volt charged, it's possible to drive for days, weeks even, without using a single drop of gas. The range on pure electricity is 35 miles, according to Chevrolet (though we could never get the dashboard display to tell us more than 29 on a full charge). We managed it until day four, when the to-do list required about 55 miles worth of driving, and the car hadn't had enough time on household current to fully charge before the trip.

Still, in 122.9 miles, we only used 1.8 gallons of gasoline...an average of 65.1 miles per gallon. Not too shabby.

The 2011 Chevy Volt interior. Detroit meets Sci-Fi.

What's it like to drive? Very much like a Malibu...roomy, smooth...and, especially on electric power, quiet. There are some "future car" touches...like the gauge clusters (there are two...one which monitors charging, energy use and efficiency that shares the audio/climate control/nav screen, and the one in front of the driver) and the contrasting white center stack that replaces buttons for audio/climate/nav with a touch-sensitive surface. Oh, yeah...and the "whooshzoom" noises that accompany opening the car and starting it. A little too cute. You can turn it down or off (you can also set it to ear-splitting volume and fool the neighbors into thinking a movie with THX is about to start).

The base price is $40,280 and the one we drove had the leather trim package for $1,395, a rear camera and park assist for $695, forged polish 17-inch alloy wheels for $595 and a front license plate bracket for $15. Total price with destination charge: $43,700.  But remember, there's a $7,500 tax credit for buying one...so the real bottom line is $36,200. And that is a fair price for what you get.

But should you get one? Well, the key is how much you drive and how often (and where) you can charge. The car comes with a 120 Volt portable charging cord, so you can plug it into household current...but fully drained, it'll take 12 hours to get to a full charge that way.

It's only 4 hours with a 240-volt charger, and Chevy will sell you one of those for $490. Want it installed? That'll be $2,000.

                                  

Ideally, there'd be a charging station near where you work, too...but they're not everywhere yet.

Still, our first impression is a good one: It's possible to not use gas or to use a lot less than you otherwise would, and if you have to drive farther than your charge allows, you've got a gasoline engine that can take you 344 miles further (again, according to Chevrolet...we couldn't get the gauge to promise more than 231). That's a nice safety net to have and makes the Volt practical as your only car.

A full weeklong test is coming shortly.

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo X 4X4 Review



The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Best looking Grand Cherokee ever?

Jeeps are famous for being able to go anywhere. Well, the Grand Cherokee has been to hell and back, thanks to owners (especially Cerberus) who didn't understand what the brand was all about and rushed not-quite-Jeeps to market while letting the Grand Cherokee get long in the tooth and behind the competition.

There wasn't much in American automotive business the past few years to suggest a successful U-turn could be pulled off on short notice, but not only did Jeep's new masters hang such a U, they then put it in 4 Low, climbed the tallest hill around and parked the new Grand Cherokee on it.



Rear view of the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

No, that's not hype. Yes, the new Grand Cherokee is that good. Easily the most solidly built GC ever, with the magnificent new 3.6-liter V6 Pentastar engine, a powerplant so smooth I would have bet you stupid money not long ago that Chrysler of all companies could never build it. And it transforms the driving experience with a 38% bump in horsepower over last year's six, and an 11% increase in torque as well. All it needs is a six-speed automatic rather than the five-speed. It would help mileage, which is about what you'd expect...16 city/22 highway.

The Laredo is the first rung on the Grand Cherokee ladder. Even the "base" Laredo comes with Quadra-Track 4WD, Electronic Stability Control, Anti-lock four-wheel disc brakes, hill start assist, trailer sway damping, speed control, a power 8-way driver's seat with power 4-way lumbar adjust, a six-speaker audio system with AM/FM/CD/mp3, a one-year subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio and an audio jack input for your mobile device. They also come with Power windows, tilt and telescope steering column, audio controls on the steering wheel, and 17-inch painted aluminum wheels. There's no such thing as a "stripper" Grand Cherokee.



Most improved player: The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee interior.

And as good as the mechanicals are, Chrysler really knocked it out of the park with the interior. Chrysler was notorious in the Cerberus years for having some of the worst interiors in the business...poor fit and finish and 99 Cent Store materials. No more. All gone. They've gone from worst to first. Leader of the class.

Our tester got gussied up even further by the press fleet folks, who added the Laredo 26X Package: Leather trimmed bucket seats, power 8-way driver and front passenger seats, both getting the power lumbar adjusters. They're heated, too. The audio system gets bumped up to include DVD and a hard-drive, plus 9 speakers, a 506-watt amplifier and subwoofer plus a USB port. That's $4080.

How about the All Weather Capability Group? Ours had it. Now, I'd suggest that a Grand Cherokee is already plenty capable in all weather, but $695 buys the Selec-Terrain system, tow hooks (in case you exceed capability?) and an engine block heater.

And the piece de resistance...another audio system upgrade...this time to a 30 gig hard drive that can hold 4,250 songs and throws in satellite navigation for the low, low price of just $395. At that point, I'll drop my usual objection to in-dash GPS.

Result: One seriously luxurious Grand Cherokee for $38,085. A vehicle you can take to the opera and not have the valets turn up their noses. But the goodness and real-honest-to-God-Jeepness of it will have you plotting a course for the Rubicon Trail on the weekend.

Just proves the old saying: Never say never. Chrysler and Jeep were down, but clearly not out. And now, the Grand Cherokee is king of any hill it cares to climb.

2011 Buick Regal CXL Review

The 2011 Buick Regal. A whole new look for GM's longtime old-guy division.

Turning points are usually things that become obvious well after the fact...noted by historians looking at the big picture. It's rare when we can see one in real time and realize it.

I could be wrong here, but I think we're looking at one right now.

It's been many years since Buick built a car enthusiasts could get (pardon the pun) revved up about. It was a Regal, too, come to think of it.

Well, 1987 was 1987 and 2011 is 2011 and Buick wisely resisted the urge to join the retro-mobile bandwagon and instead built a sedan for our times.

Slick European lines highlight the rear view of the 2011 Buick Regal.

Buick's aiming for an interesting spot in the sedan spectrum...sportier than Lexus, cushier than BMW (the American alternative to Infiniti, perhaps?), and the Regal hits that very small bulls-eye. Simply put, it drives better than any Buick of the last 25 years, perhaps than any Buick ever...and better than many contemporary sedans out there.

That's a big enough accomplishment for Buick, but here's the kicker...it does it with a four-cylinder engine under the hood. In fact, that's the only way you can get a Regal right now...your choice is turbo or non-turbo...and that's what we got...the stock engine. 182 horsepower. Doesn't sound like much considering what else is on the market, but it moves the Regal with authority, and mated to a six-speed automatic, it delivers pretty good mileage, too. 19 city isn't awesome, but 30 highway is a strong selling point these days.

$26,245 is the price of entry, bringing with it Stabilitrak, a full complement of airbags and curtains, battery rundown protection,  a six-month subscription to OnStar Directions & Connections with automatic crash response and turn-by-turn navigation, tire pressure monitoring, brake assist and ABS, 18-inch alloy wheels, power heated outside mirrors, halogen headlamps and fog lamps, leather seats (heated up front and 8-way power adjustable for the driver), remote keyless entry, cruise control, dual-zone climate control, auto-dimming inside rearview mirror, power door locks, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, controls for audio and cruise on the steering wheel, a seven-speaker AM/FM/CD/SiriusXM audio system with USB port and Bluetooth, and two power outlets.

The 2011 Buick Regal interior will remind you of anything but Buicks past.

In our book, that's loaded. Especially for a tick over $26K. But Buick added one....just one...option package. It's called RL6, the Comfort and Convenience Package. It gives the front passenger the same 8-way adjustable seat the driver gets, along with 4-way lumbar, adds a 120-volt power outlet, Ultrasonic rear parking assist, a power sunroof, rear seat mounted airbags, GPS navigation and ups the audio system to a premium unit with 9 speakers instead of 7. 

It costs $4,785.

I think the Regal's one helluva car without it at $26,245. But I can't really object to anything in the option package either (other than satnav....say it with me now: "My phone does that."), and at $31,780 with destination charges, it's still one helluva car, and fairly priced for what you get. It's just not the jaw-dropping value it represents at almost five grand less.

2011 Mazda 2 Review

The 2011 Mazda 2 comes in a lot of colors. But this is the one you'll see most.

When was the last time you had your internal fun-meter pegged (we reserve the right to edit comments posted to TireKicker-Ed.)?  As in "12" on a scale of 10?

The Mazda 2 will do just that...it had us grinning about as big as the car itself does with the Mazda trademark smile up front.

If you haven't driven it, the temptation is to lump it in with the Ford Fiesta, another member of the mini-car freshman class of 2011...but while the Fiesta is a fine car, where the Mazda wins is in sheer fun at the wheel.

Rear view of the 2011 Mazda 2...promising fun and utility.

There's a difference between speed and power (which, with 100 horsepower and 88 pounds per foot of  torque, the 2 doesn't have tons of) and fun. This little puppy begs to be revved high and driven like you mean it. It's a slot car..find the right gear, a winding road and prepare to be entertained despite the low horsepower rating.

How'd they do that? Well, it's not new to Mazda. MX-5 Miatas aren't powerhouses either, but for more than 20 years, they've been one of the most entertaining cars to drive because of their eagerness to rev and their handling capabilities...essentially the same formula as the MGs and Triumphs of the 50s and 60s.

The businesslike instrument panel of the 2011 Mazda 2.

The price is pretty sweet, too. A base of $16,235, which includes a tilt leather steering wheel with cruise and audio controls on it, power door locks and windows, remote keyless entry, air conditioning, floor mats, an AM/FM/CD/mp3 audio system with auxilary input jack, a trip computer, ABS with brake assist, an anti-theft immobilizer, a tire pressure monitoring system, dynamic stability control and traction control, and front and side airbags and curtains.

And just to drive the point home that that's everything you need, that's exactly how Mazda sent the test vehicle...not a single option. Tack on delivery charges and the bottom line is $16,985. Leaves lots of money in your pocket for dues at your local autocross club (or to start your own), as does the EPA estimate of 27 city/33 highway.

Very low bucks...very high fun quotient. You can look responsible and socially concious by driving a small car and then go carve canyons on the weekend (or on unnaturally long runs to the store).

The 2....is a 10.

2011 Nissan Altima Review

The 2011 Nissan Altima. Sleek styling that's aging well.

Popular misconception about automotive journalists: We're spoiled by high-end cars. Thinking about it, that might be true about some automotive journalists, but never us. The joy isn't about the price tag, the top speed or the 0-60 time, it's about how well the car does what it was intended to.

And that's why we love the Nissan Altima. This has become the sleeper...the car that is everywhere but no one really notices...until you get back behind the wheel again.

Nearly three years ago, shortly after the launch of TireKicker, we drove the Altima Hybrid...the first hybrid to under-promise and over-deliver in terms of mileage, and do it at about the same price as smaller gas/electric machines.

On the heels of that review, we spent a week in the Nissan Altima 2.5 S...and found that was a terrific family car, too...minus the complexity of the hybrid (which Nissan keeps to a minimum anyway) and at a more reasonable price.

The 2011 Nissan Sentra's slippery shape no doubt helps gas mileage.

So what's changed in two and a half years? Well, there's been a styling refresh, the engine is up by five horsepower (to 175), it feels a bit smoother and sounds a bit quieter than the '09...and Nissan's done a terrific job of holding the line on price, which is up only $520 in two years, to a still reasonable MSRP of $22,060.

Nissan's press fleet folks added the 2.5 S Premium Audio Package (Bose Audio system with 9 speakers, a 4.3" display, rear camera, Bluetooth, USB and SiriusXM) for $1,240, The Convenience Package (8-way power driver's seat, 16-inch alloy wheels to replace the stock steel sixteens, auto on/off headlights, dual illuminated vanity mirror, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and steering wheel-mounted audio controls) for $1,150, the Convenience Plus Package (yes, really...that adds a power moonroof with sunshade, dual zone automatic climate control and manual folding sideview mirrors with integrated turn signals) which was also $1,150.

$175 for floor and trunk mats and $135 for splash guards brought the bottom line to a still-quite-reasonable $26,660 with delivery charges.

The all-business cabin of the 2011 Nissan Altima.

The Altima is one of those cars that becomes your faithful travelling companion...over time you find it just plain fits...there's nothing that it does poorly or even so-so. 23 miles per gallon in the city, 32 in the highway doesn't strain the relationship either.

The midsize family sedan field is a crowded one. But a car this good for between $22,000 and $26,000, with that kind of mileage makes this not just a must for a test-drive, but a reason to start your short list of finalists in advance.