01/10/2008 06:49. Nissan seems pretty tentative about the whole hybrid thing, with a lone hybrid model that is only sold in a handful of states (CA, CT, MA, ME, NJ, NY, OR, RI, and VT, to be exact). The Altima's hybrid system is essentially the same as that in the Toyota Camry hybrid, although Nissan pairs it with its own 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. As in the Camry, a continuously variable automatic is the only transmission. The Altima hybrid would appear to be very much a me-too vehicle, but in many ways it's actually more satisfying than the Camry hybrid.

The first thing everyone wants to know about hybrids is their fuel economy, and the Altima's is quite good, with EPA ratings of 35 mpg city and 33 mpg highway, about on a par with the Toyota's 33/34 mpg ratings. With the steep hills in my town, I... // Automobile Magazine