Nissan Altima

s852 · December 2003

There are some very fuzzy photos online that are easy to find by just typing "2005 Nissan Altima" into Google.
Of course, it is not guaranteed that is exactly how the car is going to look, since they are not official Nissan photos.
In the worst case scenario, that grill could have purposely put on as a disguise to throw off spy photographers, but hopefully it is correct.

maxamillion1 · January 2004

Learned from Altimas.net

The 2005 Altima will have an optional Navigational system.

I am not sure if it will be available for the S, but I am sure the SL and SE will have it has an option.

This info came straight from Nissan themselves. The online Nissan manual for the navigation system was found by a current ALtima owner.

I just wish I could have seen a picture of the whole interior....

scottdude · January 2004

Last week during all the coverage of the NA Auto show in Detroit I did not see any news of the new Altima... did they even show it? Isn't this odd considering its supposedly just a few months away?

Also, in the southeast Nissan is now advertising $1,500 rebates on the 04 Altima, or 0.9% financing for 60 months. Is the $1,500 rebate a first for Altima?

ramped1 · January 2004

Not sure, but it is the first that I recall on the redesigned model.

From what I've read on the boards, the 05 Altima is supposed to be out within a couple of months. That would explain the rebate on the 04s.

frantersch · January 2004

I have a 94 Nissan Altima (137K) and so far no major problems except replacing the alternator. But lately, when I have been idling, the lights on the dash (esp ABS and O/D light) have been coming on and soon all the lights come on like it is about to stall, the radio comes in and out like it is about to short circuit, and the clock resets. Eventually the car stalls and needs to be restarted (it starts up fine). The other day, I was going about 65 on the highway and the car began to sputter or "jump" foward while I was accelerating and pushing on the gas just caused the car to jump more. I eventually slowed and pulled over, and the car completely stalled out. I don't know if this is electrical or fuel related. I tried changing the fuel filter last night but the hoses were SOO tight that I gave up. I am going to try again tonight (thanks for the earlier tips). Any ideas to the problem? Have others experienced this also?

ramped1 · January 2004

You may want to repost your question on the altima problems board. Maybe someone there can help.

tomcat630 · January 2004

2005 Altima is supposedly a mid year model for this spring and the dash will be redone, with all red taillights and new grille.

maxamillion1 · January 2004

Should be out in late March according to my source over at Freshalloy.com

From what the guy at Freshalloy has told us, the Altima is getting a whole new interior and the hooded gauge cluster will remain, but it has chrome rings now.

The interior has better materials and looks cleaner according to the source.

Also, the taillights change some, but According to the source, the taillights get black chrome, instead of the chrome they have now. He did not mention all red lights. Maybe the base models will get the red lights? I hope so.

He also mentioned that Velvet Beige is gone, Coral Sand will replace it.

Majestic Blue is another exterior color that has been added.

XM radio will be available.

There is a new 3.5SL model that is above the 3.5SE

The Navigational system will be available of the 2.5SL, 3.5SE and 3.5SL.

We may have new pics of the car tomorrow.

hampsterdam · January 2004

whoa, I may have to rethink my plan to dump my 2000 Audi A4 1.8 Quattro for an Altima or something similar so that my wife can drive with automatic trans (the Audi is 5 spd). Her car, the 1991 Audi 90 with auto, is no longer viable. But the interior on that SL was pretty disappointing. Especially the headliner.

What I don't understand is that the interior of my mom's friend's Alero that I rode in several times recently was so very nice. And the Altima so poor.

carguy58 · January 2004

Yeah the Alero does have a pretty nice interior. I had seen one on my street and was impressed of the use of quality of interior materials on the Alero.

Alot of Altima owners complained about the interior so I guess thats why Nissan is going to fix that.

toblerone · January 2004

My friend has an Alero, and although it may look nicer, the interior was falling apart after only 6 months! Maybe I'm an idiot, but I am not seeing the major problem with the Altima's interior that everyone seems to be complaining about. I traded a '98 Civic in on my '04 Altima and the interior seems every bit as nice if not better than my Honda. It also seems on par with my '97 Accord. I think the Interior "quality" may be a little subjective?

tomcat630 · January 2004

I think it isn't that all bad either, but if it's not 'Lexus like', then it's :P

ramped1 · January 2004

of the Altima is the broad expanse of hard plastics. Also, the console latches look pretty cheap and I've wondered how long they will last.

The design of the current interior, on the other hand, is quite attractive to me. If the materials are upgraded, it would be excellent.

jrock65 · February 2004

Real Photos.

http://www.nissannews.com/multimedia/nissan2005/altima.shtml

Much better interior. Hopefully, this will stop the legitimate complaints about the previous interior.

mariner7 · February 2004

Even with the crappy current interior, Alty sales went up 25% in Jan 04, compared with last year. With better interior, the sky (Accord and Camry) is the limit. Overall Nissan sales went up 27%.

gsemike · February 2004

I've lived with my 03 2.5 S for almost a year and like the interior. It's big and comfortable while still being sporty and I absolutely love the adjustable armrest. I've taken it on trips up to 350 miles and always feel fresh when I get there.

I will admit that the hard plastics on the door panels is a little low rent, but there are definatley worse interiors out there. When I cross shopped the Accord, Camry and 6, I didn't see anything there that excited me.

alpha01 · February 2004

You can be sure that the $1500 cash back rebate was responsible for the 25% sales spike in January, and there's $2000 around for February, I believe, to help Nissan clear out the remaining 2004s.

The 2005s have even more attractive exteriors than the 2002-2004s, I really like the new honeycomb grille, headlamps, and stock alloy designs. The interior looks great as well, I'm a big fan of Nissan's new corporate steering wheel, and the seat fabric, leather, and center stack design all seem substantially improved.

As long as pricing is held, and with the addition of the 3.5SL model, this car will gain sales without incentives, and puts the pressure on Toyota for a similarly impressive 2005 Camry restyling, and features upgrade, this Fall.

~alpha

motownusa · February 2004

Has Nissan said anything about the transmission? Are they going to stick the 4 speed auto or introduce a 5 speed ? I think the V6 definitely deserves a 5 speed auto.

cheerioboy26 · February 2004

I think the SL always had the 5-speed auto, but it is now optional on the SE as well.

Complete details here:

http://www.nissannews.com/nissan/2005vehicles/altima/index.shtml

alpha01 · February 2004

Prior this new 2005 model, the Altima did NOT offer a 5 speed auto. With the introduction of the 2005 model the Altima V6s are offered with a 5 speed automatic (standard on the 3.5SL, optional on the 3.5SE). The Altima 4 cylinder models continue with 4 speed automatic transmissions.

I'm a bit confused as to the meaning of "2.5S with SL package", though. The 2.5S offers 3 packages- Convenience, Convenience Plus, and Premium Convienece. Is the "2.5S with SL package" an option package that is placed above the "Premium Package" and therefore includes its contents? I dont get it, though perhaps I just read it too fast. Any clarification would be appreciated.

thanks.

~alpha

cheerioboy26 · February 2004

thanks for the clarification. I was thinking of the Maxima.

motownusa · February 2004

Hey Alpha,

Is this going to be your next car? If this car is really as good as the pictures, I might trade in my 03 Camry. 210 Hp all of a sudden sounds kind of lame.

Best regards.

alpha01 · February 2004

Thanks for the question. Probably not, though, I dont quite need a midsizer yet. I'm thinking a supercharged Scion tC 5M might be very nice though. If you value the ride of your Camry more than its handling and acceleration, trading it for an Altima will be a mistake, as the Alti, while a great machine, does not have the Lexus/luxury car ride, quiet, or refinement of the Camry. Don't forget- the changes to the 2005 Altima are cosmetic, and functional only in terms of the interior layout. Suspensions have not been changed, and the 5 extra hp of the 3.5L V6 is NOT something you will feel, compared to the 2004s 245hp engine. You'll take a huge hit on your trade as well--- that said, why not consider Camry SE V6?

~alpha

regfootball · February 2004

interior upgrades are welcome and pleasing, but now we have the ugly Nissan steering wheel and the lame tiny chiclet radio button layout. metal accents are nice. door panel upgrades not bad. console was hardly upgraded? Can i put an aftermarket radio in it? Gauges are nicer now too.....climate controls are nice too.

what does the center stack look like without the NAV screen?

why did they mess with the front end? It was so clean and simple... Why did they keep the dumb looking tailights?

nothing that 250hp and a 5 speed won't fix on a Saturday afternoon.......

gman1259 · February 2004

I own a 2003 Altima and love it. The pictures I looked at of the 2005 Altima's look great. However, it does not change my opinion that the 2003 Altima is a great car (including the interior). I have made a few trips up to San Jose and I can make it there from So Cal on one tank of gas, averaging 70 to 80 mph. It flys up the Grapevine. And with the exception of someone stilling it out of my driveway I have had zero problems with it.

s852 · February 2004

It looks better in the pics. I'll have to see how much better in person.
Someone said the Camry will also get a new interior for 2005. If Toyota replaces the 90's Buick-looking interior with one similar to the 2004 Solara, the Camry will be something to look at also.

corvette · February 2004

Yeah, but it looks like they changed the turn signals to red on the 2005 model. In Europe they are required to be amber, but here in the US, we have the "luxury" of being able to make them harder to differentiate from brake lights.

s852 · February 2004

I'm pretty sure the bulbs are still amber, so they will flash amber when on even though they appear red when off.

dibiase · February 2004

Although I love my 2002 Altima, i definitely think Nissan did better for 2005. Although i would never trade my Alty for an Accord, Camry, 6, or any of the competing models, they definitely had a thumbs up from me for having a nicer and better interior than my 02 Altima, especially the interior of the Accord. However, like regfootball asked already, Has anyone seen the interior without the Navigator screen? I still believe most Altimas that will be bought after 05 will be without the higher trim pics we have been seeing (without leather, without nav screen, without wood, etc) Will the lower trim be just as nice?

clpurnell · February 2004

They will probably keep it as a VIC display similar to what is in the murano so The screen may be there fulltime.

abpelch1 · February 2004

The screen won't be there on non-navi equipped Altima's. According to the picture, it looks like maybe a storage bin will replace the screen.

tomcat630 · February 2004

Armchair analysts are the only ones who think the 2004 interior is "crappy", not the many satisfied Altima owners. It's not that bad, and the 05 is better. And complaints about the grille, tails, and radio controls is total subjectivity, not fact.

The "dumb looking" taillights are certainly original, something that most of the armchair analysts demand.

kayodeg · February 2004

How does the current promotional incentives work? I'm referring to the $1,500 and $500 (recent college grad, eligible within 6mths or 2yrs). I qualify for both, do i get both? And if so, does the incentives get applied before taxes or after (i think before)?

Is there anyway I can show proof the 1500 as well as the 500 discount works before taxes? All the dealers i went told me the incentives are after, which does not make sense to me. I would appreciate if someone can help me this question.

alpha01 · February 2004

You are taxed on the negotiated vehicle price before rebates. From what I understand, this is dictated by law...at least in NJ. For example, if you negotiate a selling price on a car for 15,000 and you are eligible in for 2000 of rebates, the taxable basis would be 15000. In NJ, it'd be 15000*1.06 = 15900. From there, you'd subtract out the 2000, for a total of 13900.

~alpha

cheerioboy26 · February 2004

...and some posters elsewhere have reported that it has begun to arrive at dealerships....

scottdude · February 2004

I sat in a 2005 today and noticed that Nissan isn't including the pop up center arm rest anymore. I thought this was one of the nicer features of the Altima. What do you owners think?

corvette · March 2004

I leave it in the raised position and forget about it. As long as the one in the 2005 is at the right height, no big deal.

pat · March 2004

Consumers' Most Wanted Vehicles for 2004 Survey is posted and ready for your input!

maxamillion1 · March 2004

Hey Altima Owners,

I am going to a dealer this Saturday to order my Altima. (FINALLY)

I have a few questions....

1) According to Edmunds.com, the BOSE Audio system has SAT raido compatiblity? What does that mean, does it mean that if I wanted to hook XM up into the Altima, I would only have to hook the satellite antenna to the unit?

2) Which pkg is better, the Sports Plus pkg, or the Leather Pkg. The leather pkg. is $400 more, but you get leather. Sports Leather Pkg. would be too much.

3) As previously mentioned, I plan on ordering my Altima mainly because I want a 5spd manual. I am wondering if there is anyway to keep up with the statis of my order?

4) How long does it take for an ordered car to typically arrive? I wonder if the system really exists.

Thanks in advance, I plan on ordering either an

Altima 2.5S
-Premium Convenience Pkg.
-ABS pkg.

or

Altima 3.5SE
-Sport Plus Pkg. or Leather Pkg.
-ABS pkg.

Accessories Include:

Splash guards
Sunroof wind deflector
Protection Pkg
Fog Lights (S)
Floor Mats

Color Combinations Include:

Smoke: Charcoal
Majestic Blue: Charcoal or Frost
Mystic Emerald: Frost
Satin White: Charcoal
Polished Pewter: Charcoal
Coral Sand: Blond or Charcoal

cheerioboy26 · March 2004

Regarding the SAT, you have to get a tuner installed as well assuming it is not factoy installed. I don't know if you can select a factory installed SAT tuner yet. You get to choose XM or Sirius, so I would guess that the cars on the lot are "Sat-ready" but need a tuner. I don't know if ordering changes that.

Regarding ordering, my example is how it works for Infiniti. I would assume the process is very similar for Nissan, and since the Altima is built in the USA, it might not take as long.

Infiniti dealers place orders with the factory once per month, usually during the first week of the month. So, the next ordering period is in the beginning of April. Order today, order April 1, your order doesn't go in until the next ordering period (it might be 3-7 April, for example). Those April orders are for cars to be built during May. Then, they are shipped and arrive at dealerships from mid-June through July.

ramped · March 2004

Why don't you repost your questions on the "questions for car dealers" on the smart shopper board. Maybe Bowke will see it. He sells Nissans.

Be sure to bring all of these questions with you Saturday and get the answers from the dealer when you order. By the way, try to get in Friday if you can. Most lots are zoos on Saturdays.

miasimon · March 2004

Can anyone tell me what the 2002-2003 2.5 4 cyclinder is getting in the real world. I want real world numbers. Also would be interested in what difference the a/c makes. My first tank was 22 which seems low but that is with a/c and temps above 90

Canyoncrest · March 2004

Could anyone tell me where is the jack point at the front of the car? I want to jack up the car and put jack stands beneath the doors.

miasimon: My recent tank was only about 20, mostly on surface road, in hilly Southern California. For my first four tanks, the best average is about 25.5 mpg. I am ok with these numbers. I had a Sentra before that, smaller engine, but about 20 mpg.

gsemike · March 2004

The gas milage can be bad. I've got a 1 yr old 2.5 S with 10,800 on it. Living in Queens, I often go a full tank averaging well below 30 mph and the gas can really go. Maybe I'll get 20. If I get it on the open road enough, the gas mileage will really improve. On long hauls where I've average 65-70, I've seen low 30s.

corvette · March 2004

"City" mileage on the sticker is just an average and certainly not a worst-case scenario. The EPA highway rating seems to be attainable if you keep your foot out of it. I've seen 29 MPG on a tank before.

boyboy · March 2004

when do you guys think the prices on the 2004 altima se will drop? I'm trying to get one with the leather and abs/side airbag packages and i don't want to buy it now and feel like a dope in a month or two

corvette · March 2004

...but there should be incentives on the leftover 2004 models since the revised 2005 models are out. Leather is easy to find, but good luck finding one with the abs/side airbag package.

ultima · March 2004

Forget about the leather... Look for ABS and add the "aftermarket leather" (through the Dealer). Much better than Nissan's leather anyway and cheaper.

I've given this "aftermarket leather" advice to many and ALL who've had it done agree it's MUCH better than Nissan's stock leather.

ramped · March 2004

Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine did a camparo on 24 midsize sedans in its May edition, and the Altima SE did pretty well, placing fourth.

The magazine based its rankings on performance, cost of ownership, available safety equipment and resale value. Kiplinger's rated the 2004 model, but added that the 2005 might be an even better buy with the improved interior and horsepower.

Also, the magazine reports that the Altima SE's resale value after three years (54 percent) was equal to an Accord EX V-6. Impressive. The downside to the Altima according to the magazine was its lack of standard safety equipment (ABS in some models, side curtains) and no stability control system.

By the way, the Maxima was ranked first, followed by the Camry XLE and the new Malibu (that was a surprise). The Accord was fifth, behind the Altima. Cars in the comparo could not sticker for over $30K, although a slight price allowance (about 1K) was made for the Passat GLX, which finished sixth.

boyboy · April 2004

will all nissan dealers know what "aftermarket leather" is?

Nissan Altima

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