Nissan Altima 2.5 S Near-Zero Emission PZEV

Driving in Southern California is often a challenging driving experience. It’s all about dodging traffic, last-minute lane changes, and carefully timing passes so that you make the next freeway connection because, if you’re trying to get anywhere in L.A., you’ll be changing freeways a lot.

We’re behind the wheel of our long-term Nissan Altima 2.5 S test car and, frankly, unconcerned about the controlled chaos surrounding us. In fact, driving in these kinds of conditions brings out the best in the near-zero emission sedan we’re piloting. Acceleration is sprightly, as we so appreciatively observed on more than one occasion while merging onto a highway only to find a massive semi-truck occupying the intended lane. Chalk that up to the healthy 175 lbs-ft of torque being churned out by the 2.5-liter, DOHC four-cylinder.

The turning radius is tight, useful for making the occasional unplanned U-turn that is the hallmark of city driving. The suspension is also sufficiently compliant to dissipate all but the most jarring potholes and concrete seams. Credit there belongs to the extensive use of lightweight aluminum in the front suspension and a multi-link rear suspension setup that takes its inspiration from Infiniti’s flagship Q45 sedan.

Inside, the cabin is quiet and calm, which takes some of the stress out of barreling along with traffic at 80 plus mph. Even at high speeds for extended periods of time, the engine’s efforts were imperceptible. This smoothness is due to a silent chain drive and a balance system that negates vibrations, leaving us to enjoy the standard six-speaker AM/FM/CD audio system.

The descent into the smog that often fills the L.A. basin is an unpleasant reminder of the effect of the automobile on the environment. In this hazy reality, the Altima shines. With its Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (PZEV) certification, our Altima releases about 90 percent fewer emissions into the air than the average new car. This means that, as we were driving through the most heavily polluted areas of L.A., the air leaving the Altima’s exhaust may actually have been cleaner than the surrounding air. Putting the mind further at ease – and part of the PZEV package – is the knowledge that virtually no emissions from the fuel system are allowed to escape, and that all this cleanliness is guaranteed for 15 years or 150,000 miles.

Our quibbles with this car are few: occasional reflections from the chrome surrounding the gauge cluster, a horn that beeps every time the vehicle is locked via remote, and gear hunting between third and fourth gears during some uphill grades. That said, these are minimal issues. The four-speed automatic’s gated shifter makes it easy to manually select third or drive when hunting occurs. And while the beeping horn syndrome wears thin while locking the car, it is a handy item when parked in a crowded lot and you need to locate your ride.

After 12,500 miles of driving, the car’s average fuel economy of 24.2 mpg is pretty much where we’d expect it to be. Plus, additional money is saved every time a gallon goes in the tank since this car only needs regular fuel. Our memories of the Altima will surely revolve around the high-performance and comfort of this sedan, not to mention the ease with which it seemed to do everything while emitting so little. There isn’t a great deal of room for improvement, but Nissan aims to do just that with the recently introduced and redesigned 2007 Altima. We’ll review that car sometime soon to see how they pulled it off.