I had five hours to think. That’s how long it took to drive seven miles from downtown Washington to my home in Northern Virginia.

The culprit was a fast, fierce winter storm. It struck at the beginning of the evening rush hour, around 4 p.m., dumping several inches of heavy, wet snow that turned local roads into skating rinks.

Vehicles of all makes and prices were sliding into one another. Traffic was a stalled mess.

First thought: Snowstorms are the enemies of driving fantasy.

I had just come from a preview of the 2011 Washington Auto Show at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center — a glistening display of more than 700 new cars and trucks from 32 manufacturers. The show, which opened to the public over the weekend, runs through Feb. 6.

I’m addicted to car shows. This exhibit, sponsored by the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association, has long been one of my favorites. It’s an odd mix of regional, international and federal inputs — the latter occasioned by the show’s location in the nation’s capital, which, through government-mandated safety, fuel-economy and clean-air regulations, has a big hand in designing every car and truck sold in this country.

Second thought: Snowstorms are why the Obama administration’s dream of 1 million battery electric vehicles on U.S. roads by 2015 is likely to remain a dream long beyond 2015.

I spent my five hours in the comfortably warm and entertaining cabin of this week’s subject automobile — the compact, front-wheel-drive 2011 Nissan Altima 2.5S sedan, equipped with a 2.4-liter in-line, direct-injection four-cylinder gasoline engine (175 horsepower, 180 foot-pounds of torque). I thanked God that I was not in the battery-electric Nissan Leaf.

All around me, there were cars and trucks with traditional internal-combustion engines running low on gasoline and diesel fuel, a rush to empty quickened by mad mashing of accelerator pedals, spinning wheels on icy roads, going nowhere. But the likelihood of finding a refueling station to replenish those vehicles was far greater than hooking up an electric car to a quick-recharging station, especially in the snow.

Third thought: Honda and Toyota make two of the best compact family sedans in the world, the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. But Honda and Toyota are losing their grip. The new Nissan Altima, thoroughly redesigned in 2010, proves it. If more proof is needed, it can be found on the floor of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center at the Hyundai, Kia, Ford and Chevrolet exhibits.

There has been a reinterpretation of formerly bread-and-butter family sedans that Honda and Toyota have missed, or at least seem not to understand.

Sitting inside the 2011 Nissan Altima 2.5S, for example, is akin to sitting in a substantially more expensive car. Unlike the Altima sedans of the past, the new model looks and feels rich — better materials, world-class fit and finish, lots of infotainment electronics, truly attractive design. There is a deliberate attempt to exceed customer expectations in the outfitting and overall presentation of the Nissan Altima 2.5S. Comparable models of the Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima all make a point of offering more car than the consumer expects to get for the price paid.

Honda and Toyota, justifiably proud of their long-standing reputations for quality and reliability, seem content to rest on their laurels with the Accord and Camry — selling vanilla design and feel when rivals are selling hip and attractive for the same money.

Final thought: The Altima 2.5S is a well-balanced automobile that handles excellently on roads dry and messy. On several occasions, I could have sworn that the front-wheel-drive car was equipped with all-wheel drive. It slipped a bit but self-corrected and pulled through icy stretches that sidelined many more expensive cars, including a few with all-wheel drive.

2011 Nissan Altima 2.5S Sedan

Base price: $22,070As tested: $24,610

Type: The Nissan Altima is a compact front-engine, front-wheel-drive gasoline-fueled car with four side doors and a traditional notchback trunk, also available as a coupe. Trim levels include the base 2.5, mid-level 2.5S and top-of-the-line 3.5SR. A hybrid Altima (gas and electric) is available.

Engine: The car comes with a standard 2.5-liter, 16-valve direct-injection in-line four-cylinder engine with variable valve timing and lift (175 horsepower, 180 foot-pounds of torque). It is mated to a continuously variable (no fixed gears) automatic transmission.

Mileage: 23 mpg city, 32 mpg highway