2019 Nissan Altima

Pros: Good road manners; available all-wheel drive; performance of available turbocharged engine

Cons: Passenger room is average at best; stingy small-item storage space

CG Says: Nissan’s midsize sedan is redesigned for 2019, gaining new engines, new technology features, and the availability of all-wheel drive. Among those newly available features are rear automatic braking (which detects objects when the vehicle is in reverse and can automatically apply the brakes if necessary) and Nissan’s ProPilot Assist, a driver-assistance system that combines adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, road-lane-marking recognition, and lane-centering automatic steering assist (though the driver’s hands must remain on the steering wheel). The base engine remains a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder, but Nissan says it is 80-percent new; it gains nine horsepower, for a total output of 188. The previously available V6 has been replaced by a turbocharged 248-horsepower 2.0-liter 4-cylinder with Nissan’s variable-compression-ratio technology. Both engines are paired with a CVT automatic transmission, but all-wheel drive is only offered with the base 2.5-liter engine. Available safety features include forward-collision warning/mitigation, lane-keep assist, driver drowsiness alert, 360-degree camera display, and Easy Fill Tire Alert. The redesigned 2019 Nissan Altima comes up a bit short in interior room compared to some class rivals, but its new tech features and available turbo engine make it a worthwhile competitor nonetheless. The availability of all-wheel drive is another strong draw in this segment; the Subaru Outback and Legacy, and the soon-to-depart Ford Fusion, are the only other class rivals that offer it.