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Sometimes it's important to ignore your instincts. Say, for instance, you're going 130 mph down an empty stretch of highway in a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG wearing European plates, and suddenly you see blue lights flashing in your rearview mirror. Instinctively, you're going to breathe in sharply and let off the gas. Which is silly. The only rational thing to do in this situation is to let the patrol car - a dark blue Dodge Charger emblazoned with the seal of the Policía Federal - fly by and then lay back onto the throttle to stay on his tail. Welcome, amigos und Freunde, to Mexico. At least, that is, the version of Mexico brought to you behind the wheel of Mercedes-Benz's newest halo car.inline_mediumwraptextright0029015053/features/great_drives/1006_2010_mercedes_benz_sls_amg_panamericana1006_01+2010_mercedes-Benz_sLS_aMG+interior_and_200SL.jpgtrue

The most outstanding feature of the Altima is its powertrain, as the continuously variable transmission smoothly transmits the substantial 270 hp produced by the V-6 engine to the pavement. The exterior styling is nice but doesn't stand out in any meaningful way, and much the same can be said of the interior. In a category that is still dominated by the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord powerhouses, and with the recently redesigned Ford Fusion and Subaru Legacy also making a place for themselves, the Altima seems to have become somewhat lost in the shuffle.inline_mediumwraptextright0027719156/reviews/editors_notebook/1005_2010_nissan_altima_3_5_sr1005_02+2010_nissan_altima_3_5_sR+front_three_quarter_view.jpgtrue

The most outstanding feature of the Altima is its powertrain, as the continuously variable transmission smoothly transmits the substantial 270 hp produced by the V-6 engine to the pavement. The exterior styling is nice but doesn't stand out in any meaningful way, and much the same can be said of the interior. In a category that is still dominated by the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord powerhouses, and with the recently redesigned Ford Fusion and Subaru Legacy also making a place for themselves, the Altima seems to have become somewhat lost in the shuffle.

Sometimes it's important to ignore your instincts. Say, for instance, you're going 130 mph down an empty stretch of highway in a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG wearing European plates, and suddenly you see blue lights flashing in your rearview mirror. Instinctively, you're going to breathe in sharply and let off the gas. Which is silly. The only rational thing to do in this situation is to let the patrol car - a dark blue Dodge Charger emblazoned with the seal of the Policía Federal - fly by and then lay back onto the throttle to stay on his tail. Welcome, amigos und Freunde, to Mexico. At least, that is, the version of Mexico brought to you behind the wheel of Mercedes-Benz's newest halo car.