Keeping warm during the deep freeze
The deep freeze is finally over, or so we all hope. After learning that our last winter was the second coldest on record in the last 75 years in Winnipeg, I was extremely happy to see single digit temperatures. Bring on spring!
At -51C with the windchill, there were two things I immediately looked for when I picked up the 2014 Nissan Altima 3.5 SL. First, did the Altima have heated seats? Yes it did. Secondly, how fast can the car warm up to make driving slightly more enjoyable in our frigid Mars-like temperatures?
Actually, there’s a third feature I was hoping the Altima was equipped with. For many media vehicles, most of them are not equipped with factory installed remote starters. Luckily, the Altima included a remote engine starter and knowing I’d be able to come to a warm car pretty much made my entire week behind the wheel that much more enjoyable.
An even bigger bonus was the heated leather wrapped steering wheel. My hands and backend were happy with the heated features.
The remote car starter, heated seats and a heated steering wheel are definite comfort and convenience features that I thoroughly enjoyed. I could easily end my review based on those features during our long cold winter experience in Manitoba.
The Nissan Altima comes with a 3.5-litre V6 that pumps out 270hp and 251 lb-ft of torque. This is great for highway driving or commutes into Winnipeg. On fuel efficiency, I was able to get close to 14.1l/100kms. Fuel economy is decent based on the approximate figures but you also have to remember the warm-up/idling period that also played a role in the car’s overall fuel efficiency.
The Altima 3.5 SL as tested, starts at $31,898. The media vehicle included the factory installed Technology Package ($1,355) which includes a colour navigation system, blind spot warning, lane departure warning and a moving obstacle detection system. Price as tested including freight and PDE was $34,828.
Other cars in this segment include the Ford Fusion, Honda Accord, Kia Optima, Mazda 6 and Passat. That’s some pretty stiff competition.
Photos by Ron Cantiveros | Filipino Journal
