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Wednesday, February 23, 2000 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER D3 AUTOMOTIVE ALTIMA gets makeover issan has wisely chosen not to ignore its bread-and-butter Altima for 2000, giving it an updated nose and tail. The result is a car that more closely resem bles the larger, more expensive M axima. W hile tinker ing with the ca r's appearance, Nissan also took the time to fiddle under the hood, upping the horsepow er rating of the 2.4-litre D O H C four-cylinder engine to 155 from 150. If you order the optional 16-inch wheels, Nissan stiffens the front body structure by adding a strut tow er brace. Altim as come in four trim levels starting with the bargain basement X E that includes dual airbags, pow er w indows, pow er steering, CD sound system and cruise control. The G X E adds air condition ing, pow er locks and remote keyless entry. Progressing up the food chain, the SE adds rear disc brakes, firm sus pension, alloy wheels, rear spoiler and leather-w rapped steering w heel. By contrast, the GLE has a m ore com pliant suspension and adds such ritzy features as pow er leather seats. All m odels except the G LE come standard with a five-speed m anual transm ission. Optional on all models and standard on the GLE is a four-speed automatic. N N issan 's A ltim a m odel gets a new look for 2000 to m ake it m ore closely resem ble its big brother, the M axim a A quick buyer's guide to Nissan Altima and all models now ride on 16-inch rims. Inside, the Taurus gets a roomier seating area and a new dashboard. The base 3.0litre pushrod V 6 has been retuned, result ing in eight more horsepower, now 153, and 12 lb.-ft. more torque com pared to last year. The optional 3.0-litre 24-valve DOHC V 6 retains its 200-hp rating. Both transmit their power via a smoother shift ing four-speed automatic transmission. For 2000, Ford is offering adjustable brake and gas pedals as an option on the Taurus. FO R D TAURUS AT A GLANCE Type: Sedan Type: Sedan Base price: $20,000 Base engine (hp): 2.4-litre D O H C 14 (150) Optional engine: None Layout: Front-engine, front-w heel drive Transmission: Five-speed m anual/four-speed autom atic (opt.) Fuel consum ption (1/100 km, cty/hwy): 10.2/7.1 (M T) Safety: Dual airbags, ABS (opt.) W eight (kg): 1,320 Basic w arranty: 3/60,000 R oadside assistance: Yes W eb site: nissancanada.com New look for Ford' s venerable Taurus Let us now shed a tear in mem ory of the SHO, the high-performance V 8-powered bad boy o f the Taurus lineup. A lso gone for 2000 are most of the car's oval styling cues, most noticeably the rear window. Sure, the Taurus still looks like a Taurus, but the redesign has added a few new character lines as the car morphs into a more traditional-looking sedan. On the outside, the doors are the only body panels that carry over from last year. Adjustments have also been made to the car's steering gear and align ment settings for improved stability. The Taurus' chassis has also been revised, Base price: $24,500 Base engine (hp): 3.0-litre O HV V6 (153) Optional engine (hp): 3.0-litre DOHC V6 (200) Layout: Front-engine, front-wheel drive Transmission: Four-speed automatic Fuel consum ption (1/100 km, cty/hwy): 12.0/7.7 (3.0, OHV) Safety: Front airbags, side airbags (opt.), ABS (opt.), traction control (opt.), inside trunk release Weight (kg): 1,510; Basic warranty: 3/60,000 Roadside assistance: Yes Taurus for 2000: new lines for F ord w ork horse Fuel your dream s at International Auto Show C anada's largest A uto Show , in C a n ad a's w ith Z -rated Pirelli tires. T he X K R 's centerpiece biggest C onvention C entre, in C a n ad a's m ost is its supercharged 4.0-litre A J-V 8 engine that extensive A utom otive m arket will once again has proved a versatile perform er in the X JR feature C anada's m ost com prehensive selection sedan. To accom m odate installation in the sports o f new autom obiles and everything else th a t's car chassis, the air-to-w ater intercooler assem bly auto m o tiv e, ` as the C a n ad ian In tern atio n al and cooling system have been m odified slightly. A utoShow continues its run through S unday at T he supercharged engine is upgraded to a higher the Toronto C onvention Centre. level o f em issions controls and onboard diagnos On display will be over 1,000 new cars and tics fo r the 2000 m odel year. T he c a r's perfor light trucks in tw o buildings co vering ov er m ance credentials are balanced by a full com ple 550,000 sq.ft. (55,000 sq.m.). m ent o f luxury features, including the classic M anufacturers have responded to the new Jaguar interior treatm ent o f burl w alnut and m illennium w ith a flood o f new m odels that are leather, as w ell as a standard 320-w att prem ium sure to catch the public im agination and guaran audio system w ith six-disc C D changer. tee that interest in things autom otive will be at an A udi A6 4.2 all tim e high. H ere are a few highlights that w ill, R aising the bar even further is the ultim ate "fuel the dream s", o f CLAS visitors at the 2000 expression o f A6, the A 6 4.2. To craft this luxu AutoShow: ry grand touring car, A udi started with its A6 Toyota S eq u oia SU V sedan. T he sleek nose w as extended w ith new T he Sequoia, scheduled to go on sale in late front fenders and hood to m ake room for the five2000 as a 2001 m odel, w ill be built alongside the valve 4.2 litre V 8 engine. E ven the face o f this Toyota T undra pickup and w ill share the full-size A 6 w as changed w ith a deeper grill and larger p ick u p 's p la tfo rm an d V8 p o w ertrain . headlights fo r a subtle yet striking difference. S ignificantly la rg e r an d ro o m ie r than th e T he w heel arches have been w idened and subtly 4Runner, S equoia w ill co m p lem en t T oy o ta's w idened side skirts have been added to give the SUV lineup w ith the size, features, perform ance A 6 a dynam ic, understated outline. T he front and pricing that are currently in such high track has been w idened by 38 m m to 1,578 mm. dem and w ith re c re atio n ally ac tiv e fam ilies. A t the rear, the track is now 21m m wider, at Sequoia will feature the sam e 4.7-litre i-Force V 8 1,590 m m . T he body has been low ered by engine that pow ers Tundra. T he engine w ill pro approxim ately 10 m m at the front and 5 m m at duce 240 horsepow er and 315 lb/ft o f torque, and the rear as a result o f the new alum inum suspen will be the first T oyota truck engine to be certi sion com ponents and the revised suspension set fied as ULEV, o r ultra-low -em ission. S equoia tings, w hich have been chosen to satisfy the m ost will ride on a slightly m odified version o f dem anding o f drivers. T u n d ra's s t o u t ________ platform . The independent doub le -w is h b o n e type front su s pension w ill be nearly identical to that o f Tundra. The rear suspen sion, revised for increased ride com fort and excellent control, will feature a five link live axle with coil springs. Four-wheel discs with A n tilo ck B raking S ystem (A.B.S.) will be standard on all models. Jaguar X K R A vailable in both coupe and convertible body Call for further details. styles, the X K R is d istin g u ish ed D rive C lean visually by its AUTO R ep air C entre w ire-m esh radia SERVICE to r grille, func tional hood lou vers, a m odest Q .E .W . 3 S . S E R V IC E R D . J d eck lid sp o iler 573 Chartwell Rd. N 5 I O A K V ILLE and 18-inchW+ E < f l < s d ia m eter alloy (9 0 5 ) 8 4 4 -9 6 4 1 S PE ER S RD C O R N W A LL HO ° S3 w heels fitted ROLE M i J % n v. 1 H F S | - h « .-j - *4 "k. I /, FOR THE $ A P / J Altima: "Best Entry Midsize Car in initial Quality in the U.S., 3 out of the last 4 years."* - J.D. Power and Associates L 3D / m o , Lease for 48 months Only $2,491 down 155-HP 2.4-litre engine, man. 100-watt AM/FM/CD audio system Air conditioning Remote keyless entry system with panic alarm Dual airbags Power windows, mirrors, door locks, trunk release, and more... v r i ' j A 'J 'J '/ 'J i r J "Best New Family Car"**," to$250W $ O A Q Lease for 48 months v O / m O . Only $3,000 down 222-HP 3.0-litre V6 engine' automatic transmission1 6-speaker 120-watt premium AM/FM/CD with cassette Automatic climate control air conditioning · Anti-theft system Remote keyless entry system with vehicle immobilizer system and more... FRONT END REPAIR SPECIALISTS! We are skilled at replacing · Ball joints · Tie rod ends · CV joints · Rack & pinion steering · Computerized wheel alignment · Axle shafts, etc. ytB J "Canada's *1 selling import V6 compact SUV 7 years running."** 5 J P P 09 9 / m o . Lease for 48 months Only $4,000 down ' 170-HP 3.3-litre V6 engine, man. 6-speaker 100-watt AM/FM/CD audio system with cassette ' Air conditioning ' 16" alloy wheels' Remote keyless entry system Power windows, door locks, power-heated mirrors, and more... DRIVEN. OAKVILLE 1450 Speers Rd., Oakville NISSAN LTD. 827-1177 L A K E S H O R E RD Sm art people always read the fine print And they always wear their seat belts. Limited-time offers on 2000 Altima GXE (TR4G50 AAOO), (model shown with optional alloy wheels); 2000 Maxima GXE (U4RG70CK00), 48 month lease; 7.8% ALR, down payment or equivalent trade of $3,0002000 Pathfinder XE (5CLG50 AAOO), « - m o n t t lease: 6.79% ALR, down payment or equivalent trade of $4,000; Pathfinder leases based on maximum o f 96 ,000 km with excess km charged at $0.08/km. A f offers are Q.A.C., and exclude destination and delivery ($966/$972), license, insurance and taxes. 12.8% financing available on the Altima and Pathfinder for terms up to 26 months. See your Nissan Dealership for details. ` The Nissan Altima was the highest-ranked Entry Midsize Car in J.D. Power and Associates 1996-97 and 1999 U.S. U U Qu^ity Studies 2.m 1999 stitdy based on a t o t f of 41,004 consumer responses indkatint owner-itported problem d u n* A c first 90 days of owners!*. " Based on Corrvusearth data, January to Aupat 1999. DRIVEN and the Nissan lop are Nissan trademarks. Velkles may not be exactiy as shown. i