The Nissan Altima looks quite stylish, especially for a mid-size car. The body was given a makeover for 2007, bringing a number of pleasing changes.

The Altima has enough Nissan design cues that, from the rear, you can see some in it. The deck is distinctively short, yet trunk space remains a useful 15.3 cubic feet. The fender flares are edgy and pronounced, allowing the rest of the body to be narrower and slip through the wind with less frontal area. The gap between the tires and flares was tightened. Altima presents a slippery 0.31 drag coefficient, thanks to many things, including the steeply sloped windshield.

The headlamps and taillamps are elaborate and appear almost exotic. The halogen headlamps are vertical irregular trapezoids with soft edges, with four bulbs inside for the high beam, low beam, turn signal and parking lights. Nissan calls the headlamp arrangement a multi-parabola, which means its coverage is all over the place. As for the taillamps, Nissan says they cost nearly as much as the headlamps, so don't back into anything, and they definitely do look expensive. They're covered with clear plastic like the headlamps, and contain a silver ray-gun looking cylinder with the red lamp, plus a round white beam for the backup light, and a big orange piece for the parking lamp and turn signal.