A lot of people used to buy midsize coupes, but not anymore. Back in the ‘80s, virtually every manufacturer had at least one such coupe in their product lineup; today, only a handful are left, and a market segment that was once dominated by the domestic brands has been turned over to the Japanese and Korean manufacturers.
Rivals to the Nissan Altima Coupe are scarce: the
Honda Accord, the
Hyundai Genesis Coupe, the soon-to-be-dumped
Mitsubishi Eclipse, and that’s it. We could figure out several reasons to explain the lost interest in coupes: typically higher insurance premiums, limited practicality and less-adventurous styling are just a few.
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| The Altima Coupe is a few years old, but still gets the stares. (Photo: Michel Deslauriers/Auto123.com) |
Still looks good
Yet, the 2012 Nissan Altima Coupe is a sight for sore eyes. It resembles the Altima sedan, but shares virtually no body panels aft of the A-pillars because it’s lower, shorter and rides on a smaller wheelbase. It might be a few years old, but it nevertheless still gets the stares on the road.
During a week without the kids, I coasted from Montreal to Toronto and back in the Altima Coupe. I was actually looking forward to a road trip in Nissan’s midsize two-door, with only me, a suitcase, a computer and a USB key filled with my favourite tunes.
Luckily, my $27,698 Altima Coupe 2.5 S tester was fitted with the $4,400 Premium Package, which adds a rearview camera, Bluetooth connectivity, dual-zone climate control, leather seating, and a nine-speaker Bose stereo with XM radio as well as a USB port. It also includes a $1,300 continuously variable automatic and a three-coat paint job worth an extra $300.
Straightforward cabin
In this car, an upright seating position doesn’t exist. The low roofline means you’ll be tilting your seatback at a 60-degree angle to avoid scraping your head on the ceiling and messing up your perfect hairdo. After a few hours in the seat, I was either dozing off or squirming from tiredness. Maybe I didn’t stop often enough, because the driver’s seat did prove itself comfortable and supportive.
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| The centre stack controls are easy to use while driving. (Photo: Michel Deslauriers/Auto123.com) |
