Going from my 1999 station wagon to a brand new 2013 Nissan Altima for a couple weeks was...quite an adventure.  Oh, who am I kidding?  It was AWESOME!

I've never owned a car younger than 10 years old; and, while perfectly content with my cars over the years, I really had no idea how many amazing modern features I was missing.  Now, I don't know how I'll go on without them!  So I just had to share some of my favorite features with you, that I would never have known I needed if not for the Nissan Altima...

  • GPS Navigation

    In the past, I've had a GPS in my smartphone that I often used in my car, but it's a completely different experience when it's built in!  No more balancing my phone on a cupholder, no more worrying about not hearing the turn-by-turn directions.  The GPS in the Altima is built right into the dash, and the directions are spoken through the car's own stereo speakers.  It's so nice never being lost!

    Drew Cuthbertson, TSM
    Drew Cuthbertson, TSM
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  • Heated Steering Wheel

    Whenever cold weather rolls in, I know I'm going to have to deal with my fingers going numb in the car, even if I'm wearing gloves.  That is, I did worry about that, until I climbed into the Altima and experienced the heated steering wheel!  A push of a button is all it takes to bring feeling back to those fingers.  Talk about luxurious!

    Drew Cuthbertson, TSM
    Drew Cuthbertson, TSM
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  • Heated Seats

    Speaking of heat: you don't truly know comfort until your driver's seat warms you up on a freezing morning.  Both the Altima's front seats are heated, and each has it's own independent control switch.  So my wife could control her heated passenger seat anytime, without worrying about turning off my seat. (She pretty much just always had it on.)

    Drew Cuthbertson, TSM
    Drew Cuthbertson, TSM
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  • Paddle Shifters

    I've seen these in other cars before, but I never understood why anyone would want them.  Now, thanks to the  Altima, I totally get it.  Automatic transmissions are great, but don't you wish you had a little more control sometimes?  That's exactly what paddle shifters provide.  Give yourself the extra torque you need to pass that slow semi on the interstate, or shift into a lower gear to give you more traction and control on an icy road.  Complete control is literally at your fingertips with these babies!

    Drew Cuthbertson, TSM
    Drew Cuthbertson, TSM
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  • Keyless...EVERYTHING!

    This is, by far, my favorite thing about the 2013 Nissan Altima:  You don't need a key for anything.  With the electronic key fob, you can literally do everything from unlocking the doors to starting the engine!  Heck, as long as the remote in in your pocket, the car will unlock automatically when you walk up to the door, and let you start the car with the push-button ignition as soon as you sit down.  If you get out of the car while the engine is running, the car won't even move until it detects you get back in.  Basically, the Altima turns you into the key; and it's absolutely amazing!

    Drew Cuthbertson, TSM
    Drew Cuthbertson, TSM
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