Nissan engineers eked out another mile-per-gallon efficiency from the midsize Altima and its mild-mannered 4-cylinder engine for 2016.

Sleeker styling, including redesigned front and rear fascias for improved drag coefficiency, grille shutters, reduction in internal engine friction and continued taming of the transmission were points of focus in the midcycle product makeover.

The improvements raised the EPA highway estimate to 39 miles per gallon for the Altima 2.5.

Add a very quiet and comfortable interior to this, and it may explain the fact that the Altima has become the second-best-selling midsize sedan in the country for the first six months of 2016. The Altima is outselling the Ford Fusion and Chevy Malibu, the Hyundai Sonata, and even the Honda Accord. It trails only perennial sales leader Toyota Camry.

Of concern for many shoppers and eventual buyers of the Altima is its continuously variable transmission, which several years ago replaced its automatic shifters. The gearless, smooth-operating CVT is of much slower and weaker response than the traditional automatics. I would opt for the 270-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine to move the Altima up to par in power.

With the review model’s CVT and 182-hp, 4-cylinder engine, I was rolling along in busy I-25 left-lane travel at 75 miles per hour, when a driver 10 or 12 lengths ahead very briefly broke his car’s speed, then quickly recovered. The chain-braking reached my Altima, but its response after the slowdown was such that I couldn’t catch up with the guy ahead, couldn’t get out of the way of the guy behind and couldn’t move into the just-as-busy right lane. There are times, such as that, when the engine speed is far below that of the throttle position.

On a much brighter note, for overall travels the Altima responded with an unusually high 35.9 miles per gallon, peaking through an easy highway drive to Wray. In visiting with sister Norma Wagner and her husband, Dave, recently, she expressed an interest in taking a ride with Jan and me to Wray, our old hometown. We’ve traveled with the Wagners (of Sterling) to Seattle in an Oldsmobile, Santa Fe in a Lincoln, Phoenix in a Ford, Branson in an Acura, Idaho in a BMW, Kansas in an Audi, and, now, Wray in a Nissan.

The Altima offers a roomy interior; this one dressed up with a new light finish of wood trim. Adding of sound-deadening insulation and an acoustic laminated glass windshield have quieted the cabin; its Bose premium stereo sound with nine speakers is pleasant. The leather seats are heated in front, along with a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel. A redesigned center stack offers easy access.

Pushing the Altima’s sticker price to $32,510 was a $1,700 technology package of 7-inch touchscreen color display, NissanConnect with navigation and audio, intelligent cruise control, forward-collision warning and remote start with Smartphone.

The Nissan rides on Michelin P215/55R17 tires with machined aluminum-alloy wheels, and is equipped with independent front struts and laterally stiffened rear multilink suspension.

The Altima is very closely lined up with the Toyota Camry. Even their trunks are identically sized at 15.4 cubic feet.

The Altima has been part of the Japanese-based Nissan line since 1992, when the first one rolled out of the assembly plant at Smyrna, Tenn.

Remember the old Fiat 124 Spider Convertible?

After an absence of almost 40 years, it has returned.

It showed up at my home early last week, and it’s a 2017 model.

What an Italian beauty it is.

“Che bellezza!”

The two-seater, though, has done some wandering, and has found other parts of the automotive world to its liking.

The assembly line for the revived ’17 model is not in Italy, it is in Japan.

In an ironic twist for the iconic sports car, the new 124 becomes chief rival for the famed Mazda Miata, yet the Fiat is being built by Mazda on the same assembly line as the Miata – in Hiroshima, Japan.

For Mazda, you might say, the faster it builds the cars, the more competition it has.

The Fiat/Mazda production agreement gives the Italian company a shot at owning a strong-selling sports car again, without undergoing the costly necessity of new factory construction. It re-emphasizes the intention of FiatChrysler Automobiles’ (FCA) boss Sergio Marchionne to seek global sharing of car production lines to pare costs.

The Fiat and the Mazda share a common wheelbase, yet the Fiat comes off the line somewhat distinctive, with a low-riding grille, hood bulges and a chrome finish around the windshield, all drawn from the old 124.

The Fiat, let’s just one time call it the Fiata, is 5 inches longer than the Miata in overall length and 100 pounds heavier. Interiors of the Spider and Miata are near identical.

To clearly cite differences in the two, Fiat supplies a small turbocharged engine for the Spider, while Mazda uses a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder naturally aspirated block. Fiat’s 1.4-liter turboed 4-cylinder generates 160 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque.

The Spider, with turbo kicking in, is slightly quicker in low-end acceleration, though the two run very close through the mid- to upper range. The review model was mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission (a 6-speed manual is available). The Spider’s overall average was 31.9 miles per gallon (EPA rating is 25/36/29). I tested the ’16 Mazda Miata in November and averaged 31.5 with it.

The 124 Spider is offered in three levels, the base Classica, the sporty Abarth and the better-equipped Lusso, which is the model I drove. The Lusso, with leather seats and 17-inch aluminum wheels, was sticker priced at $31,335.

The Spider, with very tight steering, maneuvers quickly and delivers a good ride. Put the shifter over into manual-mode, then remember the trick is pull the shifter down to upshift and move it up to downshift, like Mazda and BMW and unlike most other systems. The Spider’s soft top is released up front with one latch, dropped into recessed area and latched down at the back with ease.

I remember the fun of driving those old 124s back in the ‘70s. I mentioned this to Richard Husted, who delivered the new Fiat to me from Rocky Mountain Redline last week. “I remember,” Husted said. “I bought a 1975 124 Sport Coupe in the early ‘80s and soon replaced the timing belt myself at approximately 90k miles on that 1.8-liter DOHC engine, because of the danger of destroying the engine if it broke. After my sons drove it, I also replaced the clutch, but when the right front ball joint gave way, while my middle son had it at Kansas State, I replaced it with another $500 car.”

The newest iteration of the famed (or infamous in kidding) Toyota Prius hybrid put on quite a show around here last week. The 2016 version is the fourth generation for the Prius Liftback.

I’d been introduced three or four weeks ago to the model’s mainstream leader, the Prius Liftback Four Touring, so delivered to me was the Liftback Two Eco, same size as the Liftback Four, though lighter in weight and with improved efficiencies that amazed me.

It accepted every bit of heavy low-end acceleration, relatively high speeds, hard braking and cornering from some of my tests, and delivered near-record fuel-sipping statistics.

Even after redesign for ’16, which included moving the peak of the car’s roof forward a few inches, it is far from the best-looking hybrid and it is not the best-riding or handling; when it comes to fuel mileage, though, the Prius has been the leader since it showed up 16 years ago.

In 330 miles during the week, the Prius Two Eco gas/electric hybrid recorded an overall average of 57.5 miles per gallon.

The only time I’ve topped this, other than with a few electrics and plug-ins, was way back in 1994 with a gasoline-only Honda Civic VX hatchback that averaged a surprising 61.2 mpg.

Daily fuel averages during the week I was in possession of the Prius were 51.5, 60.5, 69.3, 61, 58.6, 59.5 and 48.8. The first day’s mark and the last day’s were mostly highway driving; the other five were in-town, where the lower speeds are powered much more often by the batteries rather than the gasoline engine, thus the higher marks.

The Prius Eco is equipped with a 1.8-liter, 4-cylinder engine mated to two electric motors and a new lithium-ion battery pack, which weighs less than the car’s former nickel-metal hydride battery pack. Engineers, in addition, tossed out the spare tire at the rear for more weight-saving (beneath the floor of the cargo area is a sealant kit and inflator), and the Eco rides on 15-inch Toyo NanoEnergy tires, which are very low-rolling-resistant. The Eco weighs 3,010 pounds.

There is no rush, however, to buy these fuel misers. Prius Liftback sales have declined by 7 percent this year, yet it accounts for 31 percent of all gas/electric hybrid sales. Hybrid sales overall are down by 13 percent for the year.

“The fact traffic for the Prius has slowed somewhat is a direct correlation to our current lower gas prices,” said Scott Ehrlich, owner of Ehrlich Toyota in Greeley. “When those pump prices climb again, so will the interest in the Prius.” Biggest showroom draw at the Ehrlich store right now is the improved Tacoma compact pickup (I’d guess that is what Ehrlich drives personally).

With a gas-saving continuously variable transmission, the Prius Two Eco carries an EPA estimate of 58 miles per gallon in city driving and 53 on the highway. Rating for the Prius Four is 54/50.

Switch the drive-mode system in the Two to Power, instead of Normal or Eco, and the driver feels shift points in the CVT. A nicety about this drive mode system is that it doesn’t default to normal or eco when the engine is shut down, and it remains where it was set when the car is restarted.

The sticker price of $25,535 on the ’16 Prius Two Eco is without satellite radio or a rear wiper, and with a small backup camera screen. The rear suspension is improved with a double-wishbone and trailing arms setup. Zigzag LED taillights are something to see after dark.

I fired up the 4-cylinder turbodiesel engine in the 2016 GMC Canyon 4-by-4 pickup Sunday afternoon, May 1, about the time the rain stopped after five days. That power source, new to the Canyon this year, is a 2.8-liter Duramax, built in Thailand.

Jan suggested a quiet drive, somewhere we could get away from heavy traffic; that took us in a northeasterly direction. We ended up in the Grover and Hereford area of northeastern Weld County.

All sorts of driving delights, from well-worn pavement to gravel to short offroad crawls, await motorists up that way. I became acquainted with the area some years back in overseeing the publication of the book, “Northeast Weld County: Homesteading the Dryland,” and more recently in researching the “Wild Horse Jerry” book.

To drive that area is to appreciate a good GMC suspension, which soaks up most bumps. The Canyon uses a coil-over-shock front suspension and a solid rear axle with multileaf springs and twin-tube shocks. Complementing its good handling qualities is a light steering feel associated with a new electric power steering system.

Last fall, I drove a V-6 gasoline-powered Canyon 4-by-4 near Tabernash in the mountains and, similar to the impression with the current one, remarked that it “excelled in grip on the gravel and handled the many curves like a smaller, lighter vehicle.”

The Canyon and near-twin Chevy Colorado are competing head-on with two long-standing, tough compacts, the Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier. Ford abandoned the field with its Ranger several years ago, as did Dodge with its Dakota. Like the full-sizers, sales of the smaller pickups are booming thus far this year. Sales of the Canyon are up 10.6 percent, Colorado has increased 26.2 percent, Frontier 15.9 and Tacoma 13.3.

“The allocation of diesels into the overall Canyon market is expected to be only 10 percent,” said Warren Yoder, owner of Weld County Garage, a GMC dealer. “Though the production numbers are small, the addition of the diesel has stirred lots of inquiries and discussion at our store.”

The Duramax generates only 181 horsepower, though delivers 369 lb.-ft. of torque and is rated to tow up to 7,600 pounds. It is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission, and a selector dial will engage the transfer case from 2-wheel high to automatic 2/4WD to 4-wheel high to 4-wheel low.

An exhaust brake feature uses engine compression to slow down the pickup, reducing wear and tear on the disc brake system. The Canyon rides on Goodyear Wrangler M&S 265/60R18 tires.

For 300 miles of test driving, the Canyon averaged 25.8 miles per gallon; its EPA estimate is 20/29.

Opting for the Duramax turbodiesel beneath the hood of a new Canyon will boost the price of the pickup by $3,730. The GMC review model, finished in a somewhat odd-color emerald green metallic, was the SLT Crew cab with a base price of $37,450. Adding the diesel tab, an audio upgrade and a couple safety items (forward-collision alert and lane-departure warning) raised sticker price to $44,365.

The short, 5-foot box, with spray-on bedliner, has an easy-drop tailgate and cornersteps in the rear bumper which are so handy for ease of access.

With stitched leather on the seats and dash and color-keyed carpet, the Canyon interior is attractive. Sound-deadening material in the dashboard area has helped quiet the cab.  The rear-seating area is comfortable, though short on legroom.

The 2016 Dodge Journey Crossroad Plus all-wheel drive crossover is an alternative which rides in value between the many two-row offerings and the bigger Chevy Traverse and Ford Flex.

The three-row, seven-passenger Journey is a midsizer, and was described as “the Swiss Army Knife of crossovers” eight years ago at its unveiling at the Mile High Station restaurant and events center in Denver.

The Journey has grown in acceptance over the years and today is outsold among Dodge-based vehicles only by the Ram pickup, Grand Caravan minivan and the Charger sedan.

Overall fuel mileage of 19.2 miles per gallon in recent drive time seemed to me a bit below par, yet I looked  back to V-6-powered Journeys I’d driven in 2014 and 2013 and their averages were 20.1 and 19.3, respectively, much the same. The 2016 Journey carries an EPA rating of 16/24.

Its 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6, with 283 horsepower, is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

Comfortable and supportive are its black leather seats, stitched in white, with sport mesh seat inserts.

Lots of storage bins are carved throughout the interior, including the most cleverly placed beneath the front passenger seat cushion. Integrated child boosters can be raised from second-row seats. The second row can be moved fore and aft and the seatbacks can be reclined. There are in-floor bins, too. Third-row seats can be folded flat for additional cargo space.

The Crossroad Plus AWD edition showed up with sticker price of $34,660. Among its long list of optional equipment are the leather seats and premium door trim, large-screen navigation/audio/backup camera, three-zone temperature control, heated front seats and steering wheel, remote start, satellite radio and Bluetooth.

Side-curtain airbags in all rows, performance suspension, power windows/locks/mirrors, illuminated cupholders and power heated exterior mirrors are among standard items.

Here are the specifications for the ’16 Dodge Journey Crossroad Plus AWD:

• Capacity 7-passenger
• Wheelbase 113.8 inches
• Length 192.4 inches
• Width 72.2 inches
• Height 66.6 inches
• Curb Weight 4,238 pounds
• Track 61.8 inches front, 62.3 rear
• Ground Clearance 7.4 inches
• Turn Circle 39 feet
• Drivetrain All-wheel-drive
• Engine 3.6-liter V-6
• Horsepower/Torque 283/260
• Transmission 6-speed automatic
• Steering hydraulic rack/pinion
• Suspension MacPherson strut front, multilink rear
• Fuel mileage estimate 16/24
• Fuel mileage average 19.2
• Fuel Tank 21.1 gallons, regular unleaded
• Wheels 19-inch
• Tires Kumho Solus 225/55R19
• Cargo Volume 39.6 cubic feet
• Warranty 3 years/36,000 miles basic, 5/100,000 powertrain

Competitors Hyundai Santa Fe Limited, Chevrolet Traverse, Ford Flex

Assembly Plant Toluca, Mexico

Parts Content U.S./Canadian 29%, Mexico 62%

Base Price of Lowest Model $20,995; Base Price of Review Model $29,795; Destination Charge $995; Sticker Price $34,660.

There is no wrangling from me over the opportunity to drive a Wrangler, which I did several weeks ago. That, even though I’d driven a ’15 version a year earlier.

Prominent rock rails along the sides identified it as the 2016 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Hard Rock 4X4.

The Wranglers remind me of the tough, little CJ-5, the first Jeep I reviewed in the late 1970s.

The Hard Rock edition, besides the rock rails, includes steel bumpers front and rear, power dome hood, red tow hooks in front and rear and polished semigloss black wheels. Tires are BF Goodrich Mud-Terrain LT 255/75R17.

The two-door Wrangler’s 95.4-inch wheelbase, short overhangs and tight turn radius lend offroad opportunities in most any type terrain. Removable end wings on the front bumper increase access in rugged territory.

The Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6 engine and 5-speed automatic transmission suit the Wrangler’s capabilities just fine; no, not to the strength of a Hemi V-8, but more than adequate. Performance was good, on the road and offroad when the shifter was pulled into four-wheel drive. Overall fuel mileage was 17.4.

The removable hardtop, leather interior and impressive audio, along with the Hard Rock package, boosted sticker price to $43,325.

The bigger guys are playing with smaller blocks (as in engine blocks), when it comes to the luxury marques these days.

Once dominant V-8 engines some years back were cut to three-quarter size in favor of peppy V-6s with slight increases in fuel savings.

Today, those 6-bangers are giving way to 4-cylinder turbocharged power.

It’s all in the name of the higher fuel mileage and, at the same time, packing enough power to get up over the hills.

I got behind the wheel of the movement recently with the 2016 Volvo XC60 crossover.

The 4,000-pound Volvo has scrapped its naturally aspirated 3.2-liter 6-cylinder in favor of a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder power package that is not only turbocharged, but also supercharged. Since there is no hesitation with a belt-driven supercharger, it is designed for takeoff boost in the Volvo, and the exhaust-driven turbo is for higher-end torque.

Luxury compact entry cars, such as the Audi A3, BMW 2 series and Mercedes-Benz CLA showed up in recent years with 4-cylinder power; bigger models since then have begun to test reception for the turboed 4s.

BMW has installed in its base 320i sedan a twin-power turboed 2.0-liter 4-cylinder that produces 180 horsepower and in its 328i is a turbo 4 that puts out 240 horses. A 2.4-liter turbo is the choice of Buick for its Verano and a 2.0-liter turbo is the standard for the Cadillac ATS.

So, the Volvo isn’t breaking new ground, it’s joining a trend.

From the Volvo crest on the grille out front of the sloping hood to the high-riding rear portion of the SUV crossover, the XC60’s presence appears larger than its 182-inch overall length. It looks like lots of size for 4-cylinder power.

Yet, its supercharged/turbocharged engine, which develops 302 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque, handles the XC very satisfactorily. It is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission, capable of spirited performance. My overall fuel-mileage average of 23.5 was near the middle of its EPA estimate of 19/27.

Don’t try to make sense of Volvo’s naming of the 4-cylinder crossover; it is the XC60 T6 AWD Drive-E.

Well-bolstered seatbacks of soft leather add to the comfort of driving the XC60. Volvo initiated the floating center stack in its interior more than 15 years ago; it is still the best-looking and most practical of all those which have followed. Tilted toward the driver, the stack is topped by HVAC controls and a small screen for navigation/audio.

The five-passenger Volvo has large cargo space at the rear where, beneath the cargo floor and atop the spare tire and jack, is a white cloth for use as a cover in case of a punctured tire being stowed back there.

The Volvo’s base price of $43,350 climbs to sticker of $52,505 with the addition of pedestrian/cyclist detection with full auto brake, lane-departure warning, active cruise control, Harman Kardon premium sound system, power tailgate, active dual xenon headlights with washers, power retractable outside mirrors, dual two-stage child booster seats, heated front seats/steering wheel/windshield.

The Volvo recommends use of premium fuel for its empowered engine.

Turbocharged 4-cylinder powerplants are catching the attention of more and more luxury car builders these days – all in the name of higher fuel mileage and, at the same time, retaining some get-up-and-go capability.

Infiniti has joined the trend, as the midsize Q50 sedan this year has opted for a turbocharged 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder in place of its 3.7-liter V-6.

Driving the ’16 Q50 recently was opportunity for me to test a new engine for Infiniti. While in Seattle last November, we drove a Q50 with the long-used 3.7-liter V-6 engine.

A big change just introduced a few weeks ago is to the turbocharged 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder developing 208 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque. It is a Mercedes-derived engine. Power is delivered to the rear wheels through Infiniti’s 7-speed automatic transmission.

I split most of my driving time between two drive modes – Standard (or normal) and Sport, which delayed shifts, stiffened steering feel and quickened engine response. The Q50 also offered modes of Eco, Snow and Personal. Moving the shifter into manual mode added to the driving effects.

For the first time, the Q50 offers an idle stop/start system for fuel savings at stoplights. The new turboed 4-cylinder has boosted the Q50’s EPA estimate to 23 in town and 31 on the highway, and the sedan averaged a very impressive overall 29.4 mpg. In Seattle in November, we averaged 21.4 with the V-6.

The Q50 rides on Bridgestone Potenza P225/55R17 tires.

The Q50 measures 188 inches in overall length, from its modest wire-mesh grille to it short rear deck.

Inside, among highlights are wide, comfortable front seats, lightly bolstered. Legroom is limited in the rear seating area. The trunk is of only 13.5 cubic feet of space.

The review model, finished in hagane blue, was the 2.0t Premium, which carried a base price of $37,650. The Premium Plus package, adding $2,150 to the price, included Infiniti InTouch with navigation and voice recognition, SiriusXM traffic alerts, heated front seats and steering wheel, power tilt and telescope steering column, dual-occupant memory and lumbar support for driver seat, and auto-dimming exterior mirrors. The addition of $905 destination charges brought sticker price to $40,705.

Infiniti recommends use of premium fuel for its empowered engine.

Among competitors for the Q50 are the Acura TLX, Lexus ES, Volkswagen CC, Volvo S80 and others.

“Thanks, pal,” I say to myself and to the driver ahead who crowded into my lane, for it gave me the opportunity to once again downshift my M2 and enjoy the feel and sound of blipping the throttle as it neatly slips into the lower gear.

Performing the short throws with the 6-speed manual is so much fun in the little M2; optional is a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic (it’s a blast, too).

Putting the pizzaz into the 2016 BMW M2 Coupe, on a short 106-inch wheelbase with relatively wide 62.2-inch track, is a twinscroll turbocharged 3.0-liter, inline-6-cylinder engine developing 365 horsepower and 369 lb.-ft. of torque.

With the manual tranny, the M2’s 0 to 60 sprint time is 4.4 seconds, and it is even quicker with the optional DCT. Its top speed is limited to 155 miles per hour. The review model offered driver choice of comfort, sport or sport-plus settings for throttle, steering and shift performances.

BMW’s M-badged cars include empowered engines and transmissions and modified suspensions, interior trims, aerodynamics and exterior upgrades to set them apart from their counterparts. All M models are tested and tuned at Nurburgring racing circuit in Germany.

The M venture was begun 50 years ago by BMW Motorsport GmbH to facilitate BMW’s racing program. BMW M later began to supplement Bimmer vehicles with specially modified higher trim focus, for which they are now most known by the public.

The current list of M models for BMW are, in addition to the M2 Coupe, the M3 Sedan, M4 Coupe, M4 Convertible, M5 Sedan, M6 Coupe/Gran Coupe/Convertible, X5 M and X6 M.

The M2 is a beautifully structured coupe from its low-riding front end to the rear quad-exhaust outlets which deliver the throaty rumble of the famed straight-6 engine. Its special wide-spoked wheels permit an almost open view of its huge discs providing safety on braking. The exterior finish is in Long Beach blue metallic. It rides on Michelin 245/35ZR19 tires.

Inside are bolstered, leather, blue-stitched front seats. It is primarily a two-person ride; the rear seats have very little legroom.

The M2 delivered impressive fuel mileage of 25.6 miles per gallon; its EPA rating is 18/26.

The small coupe is the most affordable of the M products, coming in with a sticker price of $54,495, including an optional executive package of heated steering wheel, backup camera, park-distance control and automatic high beams.