The 2013 Nissan Altima 3.5 SV is a worthy entry in the affordable-family-sedan market. It has all of the comfort, safety, utility and economy most families are looking for — it's just short on pizzazz.

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama should have studied the development of the 2013 Nissan Altima 3.5 SV sedan before taking the stage against Mitt Romney in that first televised debate.

Had the president done that research, he might have avoided a mostly lackluster performance. Here’s the problem: In both the car business and politics, it’s not enough to be passionate in pursuit of moderation. Something hotter can come along and knock you out of the box. That is the risk Nissan is taking with its completely reworked but oh-so-compromised new Altima.

Don’t get me wrong. I like the new Altima. But it has a frustrating habit of pulling punches when you yearn for it to go for the knockout.

I was excited when I saw a concept version of Nissan’s new Altima earlier this year at the New York International Auto Show. It was stunning — radically angled front end with counteropposed, arrow-shaped headlamps; muscular front fenders and side panels flowing toward the rear; a nice finish in the end with rear lamps complementing those up front.

I knew that some compromise was necessary, such as Nissan’s carry-over use of a 2.5-liter in-line four-cylinder engine in base Altima models. That engine, in combination with Nissan’s continuously variable transmission, would be nothing to get giddy about in terms of driving performance. But it would be decent enough with a bonus of 27 miles per gallon in the city and 38 on the highway burning regular-grade gasoline.

Besides, the new Altima would also be offered with Nissan’s 3.5-liter V-6. That is the one I was waiting for with the anticipation of a high-stakes presidential debate. But the Nissan Altima 3.5 SV’s performance on the road was as frustrating as Obama’s in the first debate. I found a wonderfully clear patch of highway — free of traffic and construction obstacles, a road that invites you to push the accelerator pedal just a little harder than usual. This I did, expecting the Altima 3.5 SV to leap to life — stupidly forgetting that I was driving a car equipped with a sample of Nissan’s continued experimentation with continuously variable transmissions.

The Nissan Altima 3.5 SV’s response to extra accelerator pressure was the mechanical equivalent of “On the one hand … on the other … ”

I wanted something more aggressive.

This is what is equally confusing in the current state of politics and the automobile business.

We want our national politicians to be uncompromising, smackdown warriors in taking on opponents. But we also want them to have the finesse and common sense to compromise, to play nice, if doing so is in the best interest of the country.

The same thing with cars: We want cars to drive as well as, or even better than, they look. We want them to deliver maximum fuel economy and to do it all at an affordable price which, I suppose, makes wanting a car such as the 2013 Nissan Maxima 3.5 SV OK. It delivers on all those wants and needs.

But the inner, deeply flawed me longs for other things — a car with zoom, a president less given to politesse and more inclined to call it as he sees it.

2013 Nissan Altima 3.5 SV sedan

Base price: $27,780

As tested: $29,150

Type: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive midsize car sold as a sedan and coupe

Engine: 2.5-liter, 16-valve in-line four-cylinder engine with variable valve timing. Also available is a 3.5-liter, 24-valve gasoline V-6 with variable valve timing.

Mileage: 27 mpg city, 38 mpg highway