By ANN M. JOB
For The Associated Press

Don't be surprised if you innocently slip and refer to the 2002 Nissan Altima as the Nissan Maxima.

I did the same thing during my Altima test drive, verbalizing what my subconscious had picked up on -- that the newly re-engineered and redesigned Altima is a big improvement in size, styling and power over its predecessor.

This is the third-generation Altima and the first sized so it's truly in competition with the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord sedans. Previous Altimas had been smaller than the two main rivals.

The Camry and Accord also have offered V6's over the years, while previous Altimas had only four-cylinder power.

No more. Not only does the 2002 Altima's new, 2.5-liter, double overcam four-cylinder have more power than the fours in the Camry and Accord, a new V6 in the Altima provides a surprising 240 horsepower and 246 foot-pounds of torque. This required an upgrade for the previously most-powerful Nissan sedan, the Maxima.

The first thing shoppers notice is the larger size of the 2002 Altima. It's bigger in nearly all dimensions, with 5.7 more inches of overall length and an additional 7.1 inches in the wheelbase.

Trunk space is improved by 1.8 cubic feet, making the 15.6-cubic-foot area better than the 13.6 in the Accord trunk but 1.1 cubic feet smaller than the Camry's.

The new Altima is wider than the previous model by 1.3 inches and taller by at least 1.9 inches.

With standard wheels and tires that are larger and pushed farther out to the corners as well as new, more dynamic styling, this mid-size sedan now looks more upscale than before.

Still, pricing remains aggressive. The test car, a 2002 Altima S, was one trim level above a base car, which starts at $16,889 for manufacturer's suggested retail price including destination charge. Yet, the Altima S, with five-speed manual transmission, four-cylinder and a few options, topped out at just over $20,000.

The performance alone seemed worth a higher price. I zipped around slower cars in city traffic. The Altima didn't labor to keep up with pedal-to-the-metal drivers on the freeway, either.

In fact, after passing several other cars easily, I had to pull over to make sure the car had just a four-cylinder engine. By working the gears, I felt a real nice tug of power each time I needed to pass another car.

The Altima S also worked well in the mountains. Again in lower gears, it ran eagerly up the hilly roads.

There is some engine and road noise in this model -- much more if you get an uplevel Altima with larger tires and 3.6-liter, double overhead cam V6.

Note the 2002 Camry's 2.4-liter four generates a maximum 157 horses and 162 foot-pounds of torque at 4,000 rpm, and the Accord sedan's 2.3-liter four offers a maximum 150 horsepower and 152 foot-pounds of torque at 4,900 rpm.

The Altima's 20-gallon fuel tank is noteworthy, too, compared to the 18.5-gallon tank in the Camry and the 17.1-gallon tank in the Accord.

The 2002 front-drive Altima has a new platform, one that's destined to be used for other Nissans as well.

There's a strut-type front suspension, but the strut rear that was used on previous Altimas is gone. In its place is a multi-link rear suspension that's designed for better handling.

The Altima S satisfied with the way it rode and handled. I traveled nonstop on the highway for six hours and arrived with little fatigue.

The car cushioned most road bumps but provided a feel of the road at the same time.

It felt light on its feet as it traveled. No wonder. The hood and trunk lid are aluminum on this new Altima, helping to reduce weight by 72 pounds.

Steering was responsive but not so touchy that you'd confuse it with a sports car.

Overall, the interior looks smarter than in earlier Altimas. I liked the easy-to-read gauges and controls but thought the height-adjustable top on the center console/armrest between the front seats was clunky. Once, the top of the adjusted armrest came down unexpectedly and smashed a finger.

The hooded look of the Altima's three round gauges in front of the driver adds a sporty flavor. But I wished the orange lighting could be adjusted more freely. In the test car, I wanted the lighting a bit dimmer than it was, but a catch on the roller adjustment prevented that. It allowed either a bright orange light or an orange that was too dim.

Front seats had a sort of form-fit design, but not as aggressive as big side bolsters would be. The fabric in the tester helped hold me in place, and the overall feel was that I was settling on heavy foam each time I sat down.

Rear windows and doors are good-sized, and the windows go down nearly all the way.

Three adults sit fine in back, not on top of each other. The middle person doesn't have a head restraint but does get a soft resting spot and three-point safety belt like everyone else.

Front-seat head restraints are adjustable; those in the back seat are not.

The Altima's rear seatback splits by thirds and can be folded down. However, reaching inside to get at the latch can be a bit awkward.

I liked the Altima's big-car horn to go with its big-car look. And headlamps had strong beams that even illuminated the sides of the roads nicely.

Nissan officials are aiming to sell 190,000 new Altimas this year.

They expect more buyers to be men and more educated than in the past. Specifically, 55 percent of new Altima buyers are likely to be men compared to the 40 percent who bought the 2001 cars. Median age is projected between 30 and 40, with 60 percent college graduates, Nissan said. Half will be married, 25 percent of those with children, and household income is expected to be between $50,000 and $75,000.

The 2002 Camry has a starting MSRP, including destination charge, of $19,455 for an LE model with four-cylinder engine and five-speed manual transmission. The 2002 Honda Accord starts at $15,940 for a DX model with manual transmission and four cylinder.

Because the 2002 Altima is a new model, Consumer Reports does not provide a reliability rating.

End Adv

2002 Nissan Altima S

BASE PRICE: $16,349 for base Altima with manual transmission; $17,149 for base Altima with automatic; $17,999 for Altima S with manual transmission.

AS TESTED: $20,297.

TYPE: Front-engine, front-wheel drive, five-passenger, mid-size sedan.

ENGINE: 2.5-liter, double overhead cam four cylinder.

MILEAGE: 23 mpg (city), 29 mpg (highway).

TOP SPEED: NA.

LENGTH: 191.5 inches.

WHEELBASE: 110.2 inches.

CURB WT.: 3,035 pounds.

BUILT AT: Smyrna, Tenn.

OPTIONS: Convenience package (includes power driver seat, alloy wheels, automatic headlight control, leather-wrapped steering wheel, alarm and cargo net) $1,679; floor mats $79.

DESTINATION CHARGE: $540.

End Adv