I have to confess one of my recent guilty pleasures has been watching the Martha Stewart documentary, “Martha”, on Netflix. She’s as perfectly pleasant and prone to details as ever, but post-prison Martha has a bit more edge, hanging with Snoop Dog and dropping F-Bombs like garden flower ordinances. I like this Martha a lot, and if she had an automotive alter ego, it may be something like the 2025 Nissan Altima SR with all-wheel-drive.
Splendid Attitude
This angry cake gets frosted through a tall black grille with red SR logo, 19” bronze alloy wheels, more aggressive ground affects, flat body color spoiler, and rear diffuser. Lines are crisp and the roof hovers above with a broken C-pillar. Nissan designs all look sporty and there’s consistency in theme from the lowly Versa through the compact Sentra and mid-size Altima. Crack open the trunk and flip down the rear seats to haul almost any gear you want.
Martha may appreciate styling flourishes throughout the cabin, but would be underwhelmed by its luxuries. Let’s start with the positives. I’m a big fan of the soft seats with red stitching and cloth inserts that hint at houndstooth. Red stitching on the console and doors pop. Piano black and faux carbon fiber trim pieces add panache. The touchscreen couldn’t be easier to use and has actual knobs for volume and tuning. Mad props for that. Connect devices via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The flat-bottom leather-wrapped steering wheel is perfect, but there’s a focus on value, so don’t expect automatic climate control, Bose audio, sunroof, nor adaptive cruise control. There are no heated seats either. It all looks picture perfect, but is a bit light on substance. Safety, however, was given its due with automatic emergency braking, rear cross traffic alert with auto brake, lane departure warning, blind spot alert, and forward collision warning systems.
Peppy Performance
While efficient and peppy, the engine is less spirited than the exuberant styling promises. Behind the sinister black grille is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine delivering 182 horsepower and 178 lb.-ft. of torque. Routed to the all-wheel-drive system through a continuously variable transmission, that’s enough power to travel comfortably at comfortably above the speed limit, but a sports car it is not. How nice would it be with a turbo…maybe attached to the variable-displacement engine in the Rogue crossover? Even so, it is efficient, achieving 25/34-MPG city/highway.
Handling is more Martha than Mario. I suppose if you wanted to toss the Altima SR down a two-lane country road it wouldn’t embarrass itself, but the suspension and steering are more tuned for long-distance highway journeys and comfortable daily commutes. I don’t love the continuously-variable transmission that’s sleepy in its action, but it does keep the engine in the right rev range for power and efficiency and can be shifted via paddles should your inner Snoop bark. It rumbles over rough pavement with aplomb, so place that cake on the floor without worry.
If we’re being honest, the Altima SR is a bit below a highly accomplished woman known for owning a string of General Motors SUVs, Mercedes S-Class sedans, Mercedes-EQS SUV, Aston Martin DB9, and even a classic Edsel station wagon. But, maybe “new Martha” would give it a twirl.
I love the new Martha and her F-bombs, but engineers really need to drop a T-bomb and make the Altima SR a real sport sedan. Then again, it might dislodge its considerable value. Base Altimas start at $27,000, but our fancy-pants SR came to $34,580. Also consider the Toyota Camry SE, Honda Accord Sport Hybrid, Hyundai Sonata N Line, Chevy Malibu RS and Kia K5 GT-Line.
Storm Forward!
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