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Challengers to the 2021 Nissan Altima continue to fall by the wayside with each passing year. For 2021, the Fusion officially takes its exit. The dwindling selection doesn't make it any less difficult for Nissan, though. Hyundai has charged back with the stellar Sonata, and Kia with the attractive K5. And that's before we even mention the updated Honda Accord and similarly refreshed Toyota Camry.

It's tough sledding out there, but the Altima's marquee features like optional all-wheel drive and the technologically impressive VC-Turbo engine help set it apart from others. Nissan's mid-size sedan is also pleasing to the eye with sharp styling and an upmarket-feeling interior. This generation of Altima is genuinely good to drive, too, but even the sportier SR VC-Turbo trim is lacking in driver engagement and handling versus an Accord or Mazda6. Being able to spec all-wheel drive is a big bonus, but it's dampened by similar capability from the Subaru Legacy and Camry AWD, both models we'd take over the Altima. There's no doubt the Altima is worth a look, but it's still overshadowed by the long-time winners from Japan and Korea's latest.

Do the 215/60R16 Continental ProContact TX tires on your 2020 Nissan Altima lose air and feel a bit off? It's not your fault, because they are the reason behind a safety recall announced earlier this month.

Nissan is paring down the midsize Altima lineup for the 2021 model year, eliminating some trim/engine combinations and effectively streamlining the remaining offerings, while also repositioning the sporty SR grade just above the SV (and below the SL) as it becomes the only variant available with the Altima's more potent turbocharged engine option.

The thinning of available trim combinations is by far the biggest news for the 2021 Altima. The 2.0-liter turbocharged, variable-compression engine is now exclusive to the SR trim, where previously it was also available on the loaded-up Platinum grade. All told, the adjustments eliminate three Altima variants: the aforementioned Platinum/VC-Turbo combination, the 2.5-liter Platinum with front-wheel drive and the base S model with all-wheel drive.

Though trucks, crossovers and SUVs rule the earth, there are still a lot of good, honest sedans around. And many people actually like them. Though sales in the segment have slipped, automakers still moved more than 1.5 million sedans in the U.S. last year, and sales of the perennially third-place Nissan Altima remained stable at more than 209,000 cars, a bright spot in what has been an otherwise difficult period for Nissan following the Carlos Ghosn saga.

Keeping the fire stoked, so to speak, is the 2020 Nissan Altima, which returns with minimal updates after a complete redesign last year. This latest Altima has a sharp, sophisticated look, with a floating roof, a creased character line down its flanks, and the corporate V-Motion grille. Aside from being a vast improvement inside and out over the generation it replaced (not to mention being better to drive), the 2020 Nissan Altima also has the distinction of offering all-wheel drive, an option that might give it an edge on shoppers' pro/con lists. Only the Subaru Legacy and the recently introduced AWD version of the Toyota Camry offer this feature. Those would also be two of the Altima's top competitors, and in general, we think they are stronger than the Altima. So too are the well-rounded Honda Accord, sporty and luxurious Mazda6 and stylish, value-oriented Hyundai Sonata. With the midsize sedan pie shrinking, it takes a lot to get noticed, and although the Altima can certainly do that, its competitors do a better job of getting people to take them home.

God bless those silly promo/giveaway events they stage during breaks at sports events, amirite? Here's Exhibit A.

At an Ole Miss men's basketball game against their hated rival Alabama on Saturday, Mary Ann Wakefield was picked to participate in the "Putt For a Car" challenge, a promotional event for Mississippi dealerships Cannon Motors with a grand prize of a brand-new 2020 Nissan Altima. And so the 86-year-old Rebels fan, after being shown where the cup was located, walked up to a golf ball, positioned her putter, took a look at the cup, and, cool as a cucumber, proceeded to drain a hole in one down the full length of the hardwood court, 94 feet.