After a week and lots of miles behind the wheel, my inner enthusiast and roadtripper considered the V6-powered Altima to be their new best friend.

Competition comes in various flavors, ranging from an inconsequential 5th-grade spelling bee to a race between a gazelle and a salivating lion. Battles within the cutthroat family-sedan segment fall under the latter category, where models not on their A game are quickly discarded. The redesigned 2013 Nissan Altima, always a top seller but further strengthened by more upscale features and improved fuel economy, is sure to avoid that fate.