Nissan Altima

maxamillion1 · October 2001

Were are you located? I haven't been to Harleson Nissan yet, but I live about 40 miles from Rock Hill, I am thinking about going there this weekend to check some of them out, we don't have anymore SE models in Spartanburg. How good was the selection, any SL or SE models, we only have one SL and 3 S models around here now. Thanks in advance. Congrats on your purchase, you will really enjpy your new car.

wnaegele · October 2001

Check Autoweek website ... WRX edges 5-speed Altima to 60; Altima edges WRx in the quarter-mile....

My only complaint about Altima -- and really it's Nissan -- is making anti-lock brakes an option...

clpurnell · October 2001

#1. Chrysler 300M ( I own one so I am biased)
#2. Nissan Maxima ( If it was selling that low and was out in July I would probably own one)
#3. Mazda Millenia ( can get an S for under 26k)

( these are carsdirect prices not msrp)
The altima is over priced loaded up. Why buy a loaded altima when you could own one of these three cars. I would and am considering getting an 2.5S model. It is between that a 1.8t Passat or Maxima SE no options besides mats. I like the max as I can get as much power as my 300 gets in a lighter car. It would be nice to have two 250hp+ autos in the garage. The Accord is the hands down "quality" value leader. But it being a total bore to drive and own leaves it behind the competition.

regfootball · October 2001

A diamante is also a nice alternative to the 3.5 Altima and can be had loaded for around 26 as well......2001's for under 25k.

Maybe not as good around as a 300m, but still maybe a better overall package than the Altima at that price.

corkfish · October 2001

Where are people getting these $29,000 figures? Get it without a sunroof, no leather, a 5 speed, and they're 25K. For a car that will do 0 to 60 in less than 6 seconds and does the quarter mile faster than a WRX, that's a pretty good deal. I haven't driven the Maxima yet, but the Altima and the WRX are perhaps the most fun to drive sedans out there for 25K. The first test for my next car is that it better be quicker than the 7.4 second 0 to 60 time my beat up old Sentra delivers!

ruski · October 2001

I think WV sabotaged the Altima's development by not letting Nissan designers sit in Passats

fasterthanu · October 2001

I checked the magazine ads and saw the Altima layout, with the peeling plastic. Outrageous! They should've airbrushed it before taking it to print.

Agree on the alternatives - Millenia S, 300M and Max are all superior to the 3.5 Altima. Not espcially crazy about the Diamante, but it IS a better car overall than the Altima.

maxamillion1 · October 2001

Hey you guys, it's long, but tell me what you think before I send it, anything I shoukd add, delete, etc. Thanks in advance.

Hello,

My parents, who are diehard Honda lovers, are now in the market for a new Automobile for me sometime this year or next year. Last week, I had a chance to check out a few 2002 Nissan Altimas that were on the local dealerships' lots. I have driven my aunt's 1995 Nissan Altima GXE quite a few times, and I can tell you from experience with many Hondas and a few Toyotas, that this car is just as reliable as the Hondas and Toyotas, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good used vehicle. Simply they last a long time, and the car has not given my aunt any major problems to date, therefore, I compare the new Altimas to her 1995 GXE.

First off, let me just say that the design of the car is very nice, MUCH MUCH better than the previous generation, and better actually than the 2000-2002 Nissan Maxima. The styling is very european, and has an overall balance to it, something that cannot be said about the previous or current Toyota Camry or Honda Accord. I simply LOVE the way this car looks, and my parents actually liked it as well. There were no quality/workmanship defects that I could find, NONE exterior wise.
My aunt's car was the same way when she brought it.

Now, as I walk around and looked at the sticker price, I will admit, it surpised me quite a bit, simply because myself, as the consumer was use to the heavily discounted 1998-2001 Nissan Altima, but from the details on the outside, the price seemed at least somewhat fair. Although, many of my friends, and myself wonder why Nissan just didn't give the car a new name. Besides, the car is now a ture midsize and is much larger than my aunt's Altima. Some think it should have been called the Ultima. LOL

Now, the interior. Nissan,What happened! I was honestly shocked by the way the materials looked, felt, and the quality of them. I felt like I was in a Chevy Impala or something, I would expect this from the American Car companies, but from a company like Nissan, I would most definately expect more, cetainly when the price of this vehicle can reach almost $30K for a fully loaded model. I am not the only one who believes this, check out some internet websites. (edmunds.com freshalloy.com altimas.net vwvortex.com) Many feel the same way, we believe that Nissan as a company could have done a better job and spent just a little more on interior material. That's what matters the most to a family shopping for a midsize sedan, quality and this is what lead my parent to not by the new Altima that afternoon, and it wasn't the dealerships fault, they do their very best to make sure that all their new and used cars or prepped and ready for sale in the best conditions possible. I can honestly say that the leftover 2001 Altima GXE Limited Edition on the lot had a better interior than the 27K Altima 3.5SE we tested. My aunt's Altima wins this hands down, I am truly shocked!

For what it's worth I am sure that the new Altima handles, rides and is more hushed than the previous models, but I refuse to believe that the new one has better interior material than the previous one, which wasn't quite on par with the Accord or Camry or my aunt's Altima for that matter. The Maxima GLE I looked inside of had much better interior material than the new Altima, yet the prices of both the cars were comparable, the Maxima's material were better than the Accord or new Camry, and that's what reassured my faith in Nissan as a company. Indeed you guys really do have a VERY nice vehicle on your hands, don't get it mistaken, I really want this new Altima, but the interior really seems to be holding the car back, if you could just improve the material and work on the workmanship and quality of the ineterior, the new Altima would be more of a success, they are already selling pretty well around here, but they would sell even better with a better interior, making it the real TOTAL KNOCKOUT!!

I have a few questions below that many of my friends, and I have.

1. Why isn't ABS standard on the new Altima, and since it's optional, why is it so hard to find one with it? I have looked at 9 Altimas, from the S to the SE, done had ABS!

2. Why are the materials so cheap, the U.S. consumers expect better quality for their hard earned money. Will the interior be updated for 2003?

3. Why does the car, in certain places, not have an overall "quality" feel to it. When you slam the doors, you can sometimes hear a tinny sound, the same problem my aunt has with her 1995 Nissan Altima.

4. What's new for 2003, I know it's very early to be asking such a question, but if you can help us, it would be appreciated.

5. Why doesn't the luxurious Altima 2.5SL have automatic climate control, and why isn't there a luxurious V6 model? The SE seems too sporty for some consumers' tastes.

6. What does Nissan plan to do to get ready for the release of the new 2003 Accord and the very nice looking 2003 Mazda 6, the 6 certainly has the best interior of the two.

7. Why aren't Xenon headlamps available for all models? Isn't it a safety feature.

8. Why did Nissan claim the Passat and Audi models as the benchmarks for their interior designs/themes, and then give the public something that was nowhere near the quality of the recent VWs, or Audis for that matter. Not even close to my aunt's Altima.

9. Why is the price of the Altima so high, the Maxima is about the same price but with more of a quality feel and a interior that would look good in a Lexus.

10. What's the deal with the optional packages, you have to get the Sunroof to get the Bose, or you have to have leather to get the Bose.

11. Why is the BOSE system so expensive, it's not even 200 watts, and it doesn't have a cassette player.

Thanks in advance,
Reginald La'Derrick Gist
A new-commer to car shopping and a first time new car shopper.

fasterthanu · October 2001

Excellent letter - some may take issue with your grammar but I tend to look beyond the cosmetics and into the substance, in which case is plentiful in your letter. You made some great and important points (although I disagree with the Altima looking European - it looks like a total Toyota knockoff, with a bit of Monte Carlo and Town Car thrown into the tail end).

Please post Nissan's response when you get it - will be interesting to hear it.

Thanks for sharing Maxamill.

maxamillion1 · October 2001

hey, what do you expect, I am only 16.

By the way, which Toyota does the Altima favor to you. Come to think of it, doesn't it look like the GS300 some? It looks very similar to the VW Passat also IMO.

Also, Speedracer, Blueguy, Ruski, Oac3,anybody what do you guys think!! I don't want to run the risk of getting sued or anything. LOL

I'm going to add this as well.

11. Why isn't frost available in Leather?

12. Why is the fuel door release found on the floor and not together with the trunk release on the side of the driver's door? Also, why is the carpet cutout so obvious and cheap looking?

maxamillion1 · October 2001

I am not sending it until tomorrow, so that will give me just a little more time to think up any other questions I have.

bsproles · October 2001

Max: Great letter

I'm one of the ones fatherthanu would say has a problem with the grammar, but overall, it's a great letter, and definitely worth sending.

Our local dealer was having a drawing for a new loaded 3.5SE automatic, so I entered (dunno when they'll announce a winner), but we got to inspect the car inside and out for as long as we wanted, without any salespeople around to bother us. (There weren't any Altimas on the showroom floor for some odd reason.)

After reading about a few new issues, I just went all out and checked *everywhere* in the interior and here's what I found:

The good:

Great seating room in front and rear for someone of my height (6'1"), even with the sunroof.

Nice leather all around.
Tons of legroom, thanks to the great tilt wheel (this is my pet peeve with the Maxima - at its highest level, the Max's wheel is less than an inch above my legs, which is *not* confortable.)

Easy to use controls, great stereo, and plenty of trunk space.

The Bad:

This was my initial complaint - the center pod where the stereo is located is kinda cheap looking and feeling. Recent models I've seen seem to have improved it a bit, becuase while it still looks kinda cheap, it doesn't feel as bad as the very first one I checked out.

The gas tank opener switch - I couldn't believe that people thought it was so bad, but when I actually saw that the carpet was cut *around* it, that's totally unacceptable. I'd expect that from an American car company, not a Japanese one. If I buy an Altima, I expect to be able to put something over it to hide how awful that looks.

The roof - This one just amazed me. I was able to push into the roof with my finger. It felt like some kind of *very* cheap materials went into making that. My Saturn L300 has a nicer roof than the Altima. If I didn't know about it, maybe I wouldn't care so much, but now I do know, so it bothers me.

The plastic cup holder between the front seats. The cup holders themselves are ok, but that *cheap cheap* plastic piece that you pull up and over to the side....*bleh*. If that were the *only* thing wrong, I could live with it, but added to the other stuff...

That's only 4 things, but they're significant things (actually the roof is my biggest complaint now - nobody should have a cheapo roof lining like that. It feels like there's a hollow space above it.) I'm still considering the Altima for the V6 5 speed, but if I get it, I expect close to invoice price on it. There's no way on Earth that I'm paying close to MSRP for an interior like that.

-Bryan

oac3 · October 2001

are you really 16 ? are you legally allowed to own and drive a vehicle ? interesting !!! You stated that your aunt's '95 Alty GXE (the lowest model) has better interior materials than the '02 Alty ? Who would have thunked that ? I swear my '96 Alty had better interior too. Now does that make you feel better ?

so you finally admitted to the obvious - that the premium price of the 3.5SE ain't worth it ? Nice to hear that ! Took you a while, but you finally came around.... Good, you are learning everyday, max...

I did read your entire letter and think you made many excellent points. Unlike fasterthanu tho', I would ask that you correct and polish the grammar to a level that may demand attention, otherwise it goes where others like it go to... you know... the trash can !

Overall good idea, max, just that it is a waste of time and wouldn't get anything accomplished. Nissan will not change the '03 because of your letter. Rather, if the letter were to be co-signed by many "concerned and potential Nissan owners", maybe that'd get their attention and lead to a response. Just a thought !

Good luck which ever way you take it...

maxamillion1 · November 2001

Any ideas? Nissan had better fix the interior for 2003 unless they plan to loose their camiseta to the new Mazda 6 which will probably handle better than the Altima, or the Honda Accord. We all know that Honda is going to go out of the way just to prove that the Accord is made with quality material, and is one of the most refined cars in it's class. It willprobably whip the Camry when it comes out.

ateixeira · November 2001

Fast: the new Altima is not livable? It may not be what some consider desirable, but it certainly is livable.

Christian: 2 of of your 3 choices for a car meant for "driving" do not even offer manual trannies. A true driver's car has to at least offer one.

Max: Nissan will just tell you why not buy a Maxima, then? Or wait for the next one.

-juice

blueguydotcom · November 2001

At every company I've toiled for through the years we've always filed poorly written letters with advertisements and Finger Hut catalogs: the round file beside the desk.

If you want to get your point across, clean up the letter. The message gets lost under an avalanche of poor grammar, 'net slang and colloquialisms. People, especially executive-types, tend to discount or ignore customer complaints that arrive loaded with grammatical gaffes.

Good idea behind the letter though. Personally, I'd leave out any mention of the following:

A) My parents are buying the car for me

I'm a first time car buyer
C) I have yet to pilot said automobile

Some might contend that an executive eager to reach out to future long-term Nissan customers might take the words of a prospective young person more seriously. In my experience, most companies respond to previous buyers/ longtime customers much more favorably than a random person lobbing complaints from his computer. Mentioning the family's loyalty to Nissan will probably carry far more weight than pointing out you lack the discretionary funds to purchase the Altima independently.

My .02 cents.

oac3 · November 2001

Max, if you are determined to go forward with this, you may want to set up a web site to collect names of those who'd like to support your "petition" to Nissan. That should get things rolling.

But as you can see, blueguydotcom and I recommend that the letter needs to be polished to have a chance. In addition, blue has given some excellent suggestions, and if I were you, I'd follow them to a Tee...

just my .02 cents also...

cncman · November 2001

Gee, I wonder if anyone has told the people flooding the Nissan showrooms and standing in line for a test drive that the altima is barely competitive with a Hyundai? You guys really owe them a duty to stand at the driveway of all of the Nissan dealerships and point this out to them before they pay sticker for one.

All in favor of the letter, that is what makes this country and the manufacturing process great, feedback from the consumer, I agree, clean it up and make in concise.

mdaffron · November 2001

You should run that letter through your spell checker prior to sending it. A few examples ...

"a ture midsize"
"definately"
"cetainly"
"ineterior"

Also, clean up your grammar.

I'm not picking ... I work in Public Relations and have a degree in journalism. Your letter won't get far in its current form. The content is fine and you do a great job making your point; if you intend to receive an intelligent answer, however, you'd better clean it up.

By the way, I don't know if it's that bad to admit your age. Nissan might see this as a way to attract a young customer -- and influence his and his friend's purchases -- from day one. At least Nissan SHOULD think that way ...

Meade

speedracer3 · November 2001

Your letter does address our (at least in this forum) questions,concerns, and gripes about the Altima. You should definetly clean up the grammar and remove the colloquialisms, but you have made some very good points. My fear is that while your intentions are good, big companies like Nissan rarely take the time to answer personally the thousands of letters they get every year. I would not be surprised if you get a standard form letter response. Let's see, keep us posted.

charliemike · November 2001

You really should think before you post.

If you get an Altima with all the options it's $29k.

Of course it's "only" $25k without a sunroof, leather, and an automatic.

What if I'd want all the options on an Altima. It's $29k MSRP.

Ridiculous ...

afty · November 2001

I think his point was that you don't have to pay $29k for an Altima as everyone has been suggesting. At that price, the Max is a better buy. But a $25k Altima can be pretty well-equipped and a good value.

ateixeira · November 2001

A loaded Camry XLE costs $31 grand, and still lacks HIDs. Mid sizers are pushing into that kind of price territory now, unfortunately.

The Accord may cost less, but it offers less in content, and wait 'til the new one arrives. If they offer the same content, it'll be about the same amount as well.

The 3.5SE I drove had a moonroof and was still in the $25k price range. I'd prefer cloth and a 5 speed anyway. Not to mention these are MSRPs and people have already reported paying less (why do some people not believe them?).

OK, here you go: fitzmall.com. They have 3 in stock, so much for there not being enough demand, eh? Still, even with V6s sold out completely, they are discounting them up to $1200 off MSRP, without even having to haggle.

How would you custom build your Altima? I'd want:

3.5SE $22,349
freight 540
ABS/side bags 749
floors mats 79
moonroof 849
HIDs 499
Total: $25,065

I'd negotiate it down to about $24k, even wait 6 months and pay less. That's pretty well equipped, too. Leather is slippery and with 240hp a grippy seat gets important. You all have said the wood is lousy, so don't get it! CD player is already standard.

-juice

shrique · November 2001

I was beginning to wonder if anyone had actually priced the Altima. The maxima may be a good buy now but it's not going to last. The Max will go up in price and class and the Altima will start to be discounted. That however is just a guess on my part. I do know That the only way that they could keep the Xterra and the Pathfinder in the same stable together was to up the price and class of the Pathfinder. Remember the top level Xterra is only a couple of grand off the low level Pathfinder.

ateixeira · November 2001

They actually have more overlap than that. The Pathfinder often carries rebates.

Nissan may have created some confusion by choosing to launch the new Altima before the new Maxima. But if their lineup had 4 banger Altimas sitting next to 255hp 6 speed Maximas, that would have left a gaping whole right in the meat of the market.

So they have a little overlap, and an Altima that dealers can't supply enough of. Not such a big problem, IMO.

-juice

sglator · November 2001

Hey guys,

About too high a price:

I just went to carpoint.com and priced the car in the following config:

SE 3.5 Auto/Traction Control/ABS/HID/Leather/BOSE/Sunroof

The resulting invoice is about $25.7
Pretty soon, that will be the price you can buy it for - all things considered: economy, consumer confidence, etc. Rebates might follow - again due to the factors above.

So even at 25K, it's not too bad a value.

Also, I really suspect that the poor quality of interior was a conscious decision - to further distance still higher-end Maxima from it.

They probably figured they could update it when new Maxima comes out.

tcdenver · November 2001

AutoNation in Denver said that it would take $750 off on all Altimas in newspaper ads. It is a no haggle dealer.

oac3 · November 2001

if and when the interior of the Alty gets upgraded to what the competition has, and I can configure it just like juice did at a price point just a shade under $25k. Heck, it will be a good enough deal to make me really consider it over any others in the same ball park specs... But who knows if Nissan will do the right thing in the '03 version ! We are all simply guessing here, but time shall tell if they are serious in making this car compete effectively with its chief rivals - Camry and Accord. Remember, its all about sales volume, not how good it "looks"...

ateixeira · November 2001

I'm finding it amusing that people complain about the price with the wood package that noone wants! :-)

Given the early data on sales volume, I doubt they'll be changing much. Except maybe adding another shift at the Smyrna plant.

-juice

afty · November 2001

No major changes for '03. Then in '04, when the new Maxima comes out, we'll get the interior upgrades, since the Altima and the Maxima won't be competing with each other anymore. I wouldn't be surprised if '04 or '05 brought something like an Altima SE-R with a limited-slip, 6-speed manual, and 20 more hp.

kcinga · November 2001

I'm the proud owner of a 2.5S Altima with the convenience package. I've compared this car to other mid-sized sedans and, to me, it is head-and-shoulders above the rest.

I haven't found anything else that can rival the leg room in the Altima, front or back seat. I'm 6'4", so it's pretty important to me. Plus, the 4-cylinder puts out 175 horsepower! More than the Passat, Accord, or Camry. The ride was extremely smooth. The modifications to the motor mounts and the suspension are readily apparent. And, it is very quiet at the same time. I liked the 16" alloys, too. Obviously, I liked the looks and ride, or I wouldn't have gotten the car.

To me, the Passat was too expensive (comparable model $2,000 more than Altima)... Accord/Camry were too cramped, plain, and had less horsepower. If you're gonna spend around $21,000 - I think the 2.5S Altima is for you!

redline65 · November 2001

ateixeira - overpriced, underequipped Japanese V6 midsizers are pushing into the $30K territory. The exception for now seems to be the Honda Accord EX V6. Otherwise you will have to buy American or Korean.

kcinga · November 2001

I'm the proud owner of a 2.5S Altima with the convenience package. I've compared this car to other mid-sized sedans and, to me, it is head-and-shoulders above the rest.

I haven't found anything else that can rival the leg room in the Altima, front or back seat. I'm 6'4", so it's pretty important to me. Plus, the 4-cylinder puts out 175 horsepower! More than the Passat, Accord, or Camry. The ride was extremely smooth. The modifications to the motor mounts and the suspension are readily apparent. And, it is very quiet at the same time. I liked the 16" alloys, too. Obviously, I liked the looks and ride, or I wouldn't have gotten the car.

To me, the Passat was too expensive (comparable model $2,000 more than Altima)... Accord/Camry were too cramped, plain, and had less horsepower. If you're gonna spend around $21,000 - I think the 2.5S Altima is for you!

ateixeira · November 2001

I don't know about the "underequipped" part. They're getting a lot of stuff that was once exclusive to luxury cars. IMO if you actually did price an Altima all the way up to $30k that would make it grossly overequipped.

You can still find bargains in the Galant and 626, but both seem aged compared to the Altima. The new Mazda 6 looks very interesting, and we'll see how Mistu survives the hidden recalls scandal.

It's funny. In college, I had just two requirements: A/C and a cassette player. Are we customers becoming "soft"?

-juice

kcinga · November 2001

I'm the proud owner of a 2.5S Altima with the convenience package. I've compared this car to other mid-sized sedans and, to me, it is head-and-shoulders above the rest.

I haven't found anything else that can rival the leg room in the Altima, front or back seat. I'm 6'4", so it's pretty important to me. Plus, the 4-cylinder puts out 175 horsepower! More than the Passat, Accord, or Camry. The ride was extremely smooth. The modifications to the motor mounts and the suspension are readily apparent. And, it is very quiet at the same time. I liked the 16" alloys, too. Obviously, I liked the looks and ride, or I wouldn't have gotten the car.

To me, the Passat was too expensive (comparable model $2,000 more than Altima)... Accord/Camry were too cramped, plain, and had less horsepower. If you're gonna spend around $21,000 - I think the 2.5S Altima is for you!

redline65 · November 2001

Hey juice, isn't the 626 really a Ford? I had a Galant in college. It was a great car. Just had A/C and a cassette deck too. I don't think Mitsubishi will be around much longer though...

redline65 · November 2001

kcinga - We're glad you are very pleased with your '02 Altima.

dabronxr · November 2001

cupholder1 · November 2001

The Altima has pathetic Saab-like residuals but with no incentives.

blueguydotcom · November 2001

...mostly a Mazda product. I think Ford currently provides the tranny and possible the engine. I know it's not much Ford right now. But the next gen comes from Ford's extremely well received Mondeo.

As for Mitsu, they're atrociously unreliable according to every study. Sure some people get good ones but with a mitsu it's safe to assume one will encounter problems.

Lastly, nothing soft about wanting basic luxuries like power windows, leather, etc. My tastes haven't changed really from about age 8 to 27. I still want a car that's comfortable to sit in, offers some zest and feels solid. Only difference is now I'm willing to pass on a coupe for a more friend-accessible 4 door.

roody1 · November 2001

Anyone interested in saving $$$$$$$$$. I purchased the silver 3.5 with sunroof and rear spoiler. MSRP was $25,200, I rode away in that car for $23,600. The money I saved went towards my new Katzkin black leather perforated heated seats. After factory installed on the Cape for $1,300. That leaves me with another $300 plus the $80 I saved in sales tax here in Ma to put towards an interior stainless molded kit to enhance this weak interior. So for $25,200 the car will be complete. So, yes it can be purchased at a fair price "hint, dealer was from just outside Boston" don't want to get them in trouble with Nissan. Car is unbelievable, half the price of a Lexus GS430 and gets just as much attention. I agree Nissan needs to do something about the interior so I don't have to deal with this myself! For the money, trust me nothing in its class comes close, it's awesome!

afty · November 2001

Email me - I'd like to know where you purchased that Altima. aftandilian@hotmail.com

Thanks.

ronoboy · November 2001

Came out of the gym last night and two young hard corp weight lifters were admiring my Altima S (well, my bank's Altima S, but I get to drive it!)They had a friend who was a salesman at the local Nissan dealer, and they were admiring the appearance and talking about the horsepower. As they walked away they said "damn, look at the European styling of those tailights". Was pretty funny considering how many on this board don't seem to like them, to each his own I guess. Anyway, thought I'd pass this along, I've never driven a car that has received this kind of attention before!

jrct9454 · November 2001

Being coy about the names of dealers is a pointless exercise; Nissan couldn't care less at what price one of their franchised dealers sells a car. Whether you like it or not [and I bounce back and forth on this issue], except for Saturn, where the franchise agreement is structured around the price question, no one else is enjoined from either discounting or gouging. Every transaction is between you and the independent business person known as the franchised dealer.

If you don't want to publish a dealer's name, that's fine, but the price you paid has nothing to do with it one way or the other.

lsc · November 2001

So far, every person that I know has liked the looks of my Altima, with the one exception being my old fashioned mom! :-) She think it looks like a spaceship.

Like Roody1 said, this car is just a blast to drive. I am also in the same boat that the interior materials should have been better, but the overall design of the interior is nicely done. For example, unlike some cars, my right knee doesn't rub against the center console. All the controls are right where they should be and the steering wheel controls allow you to change most of the controls on the radio. A lot more comprehensive than other ones I've seen, such as the Acura TL. The seat materials are not that great either but it's very comfy... and ride is excellent.

So far, I've been having a blast in my 2002 Altima 3.5 SE. My only problem is keeping the speed down... the car can go from 60mph to 80-90mph with just a little press on the gas pedal and it does this so effortlessly it's hard to drive slow.

The Altima V-6 has great high-end power. The Suburu WRX because of it 4WD obviously smokes the 0-60 times but notice the Altima's high 1/4 mile trap speed. So, since we don't have the Autobahn in the U.S., Suburu will always be the quicker car here...but if we were in Germany going 100mph on the Autobahn side by side with the WRX and both cars floored it, the Altima will win. (No speed limter on either car - given).

afty · November 2001

From Nissannews:
"In the sedan category, sales of the all-new Altima, which arrived in showrooms at the end of August, totaled 13,961 units, an increase of 19.3 % over September and a whopping 40.1% increase versus last year. Said Bill Kirrane, vice president and general manager, Nissan Division, 'The first full month of the all-new Altima sales was above our forecast. Now that the new Altima is launched, we expect the second half of our fiscal year to continue momentum.'"

ashutoshsm · November 2001

The design is NOT based on the Ford Mondeo, but is the new global midsize platform, designed by Mazda. It'll (possibly) be used in Ford's, Volvo's and (shudder - or maybe not) Jaguars too.

The engine is based on the 3.0L V6 duratec by Ford, but heavily modified by Mazda, with variable valve intakes and timing, to yiled better HO and torque, and better reliability. FWIW, the Ford Duratec V6 is a pretty good engine, Ford's problems lie with the trasmission and build quality!

Transmission - the 626 automatic was a modified Ford transmission, the manual was all-Mazda. The 626 engines (4 and 6) were all-Mazda.

I'm guessing the Mazda 6 transmission has been designed by Mazda, as the pictures show a sportmatic psuedo-manual typ shifter. The manual (which is what i would buy) is going to be made by Mazda I belive, although it is possible (ugh) that the V6 will be offered with sportmatic only! The 4 cylinder engine has a pretty high rating (170HP approx) and with a lighter car than its competitors, should be pretty sporty too! That is a Mazda engine that will be used in Fords, Volvos and Mazdas.

lsc · November 2001

I'm sure the Mazda will look nice and have good handling. They need Ford to give them a better engine though...they just don't have the R&D allocated to compete with Nissan's VQ engine.

fasterthanu · November 2001

It looks like a friggin spaceship.

crapgame · November 2001

This is probably making people mad because it is off-topic. An opinion was asked, and I gave a relevant one. But, I will refute your points anyway.

You said:
"I stick to my original recommendation of an altima over an suv. Here's why:
1) I stick to my statement that, on average, suvs cost more to buy and to own. As for crapgame's $40 k suv costing almost as much to insure as his toyota camry, that has nothing to do with his insurance company deeming the suv safer than the camry. The suv just costs them less than the camry on average. Why? Because for several years the camry has been either number one or number two on the list of most stolen vehicles in the US. Besides, one data point doesn't make a trend. Even if the insurance costs come out about the same, the point of the extra expense of buying, maintaining, and fueling still stands and easily swamps any difference in insurance, which still may go in favor of the car."

What is your argument here? Anyone who can read can see that 40K is > than 25K. Fueling and maintaining were never issues, as it is common sense that a V8 moving 5000 pounds will drink more fuel than a V6 moving 3000. The issue was insurance cost being an indicator of safety. Particularly liability for passenger injury. All other things being equal, the less this piece of insurance costs for a vehicle, the safer the insurance company believes the vehicle to be. That is a fact. Any actuary will verify this as true. As for theft, my Camry is a '98, and the comprehensive piece of my insurance, which includes the theft portion, is within $5 of the charge for my Sequoia. The difference in my bill is 99% due to liability alone.

Then you said:
"2) As for size issues:
a) Not being able to put an adult in back seat with car seat in middle for any more than a short trip:
i) This is a question of vehicle width. The altima is every bit as wide as your average mid and small sized suv. In order to get anything wider, you need to either be willing to buy one of the very few mid or small sized suv's that are wide enough to be comfortable in the above situation (this is a fine hair to split here, and is also a matter of taste), or you better be willing to pay for a full sized suv"

Exactly the point of my post. My Camry has a wider back seat than all of the mid-size SUV's. That's why we bought the Seq. That is what the poster was asking about, comparing the Altima w/ the Sequoia.

Then you said:
"ii) Ask yourself how often you will need to take an adult in the back seat along side your child in the baby seat for more than just a short trip."

For my family, just about every day. We live next to my wife's brother and his family of 5. We pile in the Seq all the time to go places. Now, this is probably not the usual case, but I never stated it was. I was giving my example.

Then you said:
"b) Not having enough room to fit baby, car seat, presents, stroller, baby bags, toys, 2 suitcases, etc..., without having the wife sit with the friut cake on the floor. Again, how often does that happen? Christmas and on my kid's birthday? I believe in buying a vehicle that meets my needs the majority of the time, not buying the one that is best only on occasion and represents numerous compromises for the majority of my driving. I know that for me, the altima will be plenty big enough 95% of the time, no exaggeration. Besides, so your wife has to put the fruit cake on the floor, so what?"

My wife's Seq meets her driving requirements all the time. 100%. I'll say it again. 100% of the time. She's too old to be racing around like a sports car, and I'd never let her drive my daughter anywhere again if I saw her driving that way. And you are absolutely right about your Altima - No one is stating it doesn't meet 95% your needs. I can't see why you need to justify it here. And about the fruitcake on the floor, clearly you have never had one explode in the footwell of the passenger side. It doesn't come out of the rug.

Then you said:
"3) Safety should also factor in handling and braking ability, and the vehicle's propensity to tip over. This is a complicated issue. It's not just a matter of saying my vehicle is biggest, so I win, or bringing up some anecdotal evidence and running to the ends of the earth with it. There are many factors to consider. Some weigh in favor of size and weight, some against. All weigh in favor of good design and excellent road manners. A car with good crash test scores (admittedly yet to be proven for the redesigned altma), good safety features and a safe design, good size, and excellent maneuverability, stoppability, and stability should go along way towards providing safety for you and your family."

A good part of truth you have there. I am not arguing with you here. What I will repeat is that you cannot defy the laws of physics, and you can't control what others will do. No matter how safely you drive, it is inevitable that sooner or later, someone may hit you. More often than not, in a situation like that, my daughter is safer in my wife's Sequoia than she would be in my Camry - or an Altima. It's simple physics. Is it perfect? Hell no, far from it. But it is the best I can do for them. And that's all I can do.

Then you said:
"4) Whether or not you want to share this with your spouse is entirely up to you, but the fact that a person is considering purchasing an altima means that he or she wants to have some fun while driving. An altima will be more fun, IMHO, than an suv, particularily an suv in its price range."

Huh? My wife chose her Sequoia. I really think you missed the post I was responding to. I NEVER, EVER tried to dissuade someone from purchasing an Altima. In fact, my next car is probably going to be a Maxima (Altima @ MSRP is WAYYYY OVERPRICED!!!). As long as the driving is on-road, the Altima would be more fun. No doubt. Might be different come winter time.

Hope this wasn't too arduous a read. It will probably be stricken as off-topic anyway.

Crapgame

Nissan Altima

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