In redesigning the Altima, Nissan engineers were assigned to create more cabin space, and given one inch less to work with, on account of the reduction in wheelbase. They met their goal by stretching the distance between A-pillar and C-pillar, thus shortening the cowl and deck. There are 1.7 inches less legroom in front, but 3.1 inches more in the rear, and that's a lot; however, 0.8 inches of rear headroom has been lost. Trunk space has grown from 15.6 cubic feet to 17.9.

The seats are relatively large. They feel firm and longer and higher than in last year's models. They also have power lumbar support and elevate higher, something that most cars do nowadays, as people need a better view of the road, with all the SUVs out there blocking visibility.

Our test model, a 3.5SL, came standard with leather, and it was very rich-feeling in gray. We've been in many luxury cars that didn't feel this classy inside. More soft materials are used, for touches like padded armrests, and the overall level of refinement is higher than with the former Altima. There's a new four-spoke steering wheel having an original artistic design, with two spokes flowing vertically downward.

The gauges are new, called Fine Vision Gauges by Nissan. It's the common and practical tripod design, with speedo in center, tachometer on left and gas and temp on right. The lettering is sharp, white on black, with red needles.

The center stack is neatly designed, with three dual-zone HVAC vents at top over the sound system and good knobs, leading down to usable storage slots and the transmission lever, in this case for the CVT. However the lever is located in an ergonomically awkward position, so if you use the manual mode, shifting is compromised.

The glovebox is huge; we're not sure of the volume in cubic inches, but Nissan says the capacity is 13 liters (should you ever want to fill it up with Diet Coke). It locks, so you can store a laptop computer in there. The space for the big glovebox was created by downsizing the air conditioning unit, but Nissan says there's no compromise in AC effectiveness; in fact, Nissan says the AC is best in class, thanks to improved airflow and a quieter fan.

The Intelligent Key is standard on all Altima models, but we don't think it's so smart. It may be true that women don't like to bother with putting a key in an ignition, as the manufacturers say, and like to keep their keys in their purse at all times; but it's also true that since intelligent keys have been invented, there has been a rash of dead batteries. This happens if you inadvertently (and easily) press the ignition button two times instead of once, to shut down the car. It's left on the accessories mode, and drains the juice. We've had three such experiences with intelligent keys in the last couple of years, including with our test Altima, and have heard of many more.

A stiffer chassis contributes to a reduction in noise and vibration in the cabin, and the Altima proves it. However you can still hear the front wheels whacking bumps, and the open sunroof blew out the silence with a big whooshing sound. There are no less than nine cupholders in the cabin, allowing two big cups of coffee for almost everyone in your carpool.

The touch-screen, voice-command DVD navigation system is the first Nissan and first non-luxury car to offer real time traffic information. We got stuck in a traffic jam on a Sunday afternoon trying to get across the Golden Gate Bridge and through San Francisco to the airport, but our pre-production Altima didn't have an owner's manual, and without one we couldn't begin to figure out the nav system to hear the real time traffic information. Not even with a passenger totally devoted to the challenge, while we were stuck in traffic. So pay attention during the post-sale walkaround and study your owner's manual.

Had we been able to breathe deep and relax, we might have enjoyed the Bose nine-speaker sound system more. However there were other times during the three-day weekend, driving up the California coast, that the Bose offered much pleasure with its rich sound in the quiet Altima.