At first glance, you might not think anything special of this 2025 Nissan Altima sedan. It’s largely unchanged for the new model year, but there’s more to this SV Special Edition than appearances let on.

You can tell it’s an SV SE because of the gloss black wheels and rear spoiler; but the best improvements are really on the inside… and we’re not talking about the faux carbon-fiber center console.

When it comes to driving this Altima, nothing has really changed since we last tested it, but there is a welcome addition that comes with this Special Edition package: Wireless Apple CarPlay. That may not seem like a big deal, but being able to hop in and start up CarPlay without plugging in your phone is not only more seamless on a daily basis, I’d argue it’s safer, because untidy phone cables have a tendency to latch onto things you don’t want them to.

Your smartphone is projected onto a 12.3-inch infotainment screen and can be topped off on the wireless charger. As much as we like this larger display, we’re equally big fans of the physical controls for the dual-zone climate system.

Nissan has dismissed the Altima’s turbocharged variant. Power now rests solely on the 2.5-liter inline-four. Front-wheel drive models are rated at 188 horsepower, while all-wheel-drive units, like ours, see 180 HP. Sure, we’d prefer a true geared automatic, but the CVT is adequate for daily drives.

The 2025 Nissan Altima starts just around $28,000, working up to the mid-$30s. Our SV AWD starts around $30,000, with the Special Edition treatment adding about a grand. To be blunt, it’s a mid-size family car bargain.

And we’ll have more Quick Spins… soon!