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Comments
A question to regulars here on the forum. What's your overall impression on reliability of new Altimas? How would they stack up againt camcords?
I am in particular interested in 3.5S
How's the fit and finish? Any interior rattles/noices?
Looks like there's a 1% financing available in Canada...makes me think maybe i should get rid of mu 05 malibu....
Jaeger
just wondering, how long did you guys had your altimas?
First thing, I currently own a 05 malibu (3.5 V6, 200 hp), so that was the point of reference.
Impressions
1. The interior. Black interior looks way nicer than the grey one that was in the other Altima dealer drove me in to the storage.
It has a mix of nice cloth and a suede like sufraces.
2. The size. It does feel a bit smaller that the malibu. Probably mostly because it has less headroom and I probably pumped up the vertical adjustment lever too much. The back seat is a bit smaller too and there's less legroom at the back. But it is still adequate unless someone really tall rides at the back.
3. Driving stuff. To me it felt liek a sports car actually. Handling is tight, power is high. I was spinning the wheels while trying to GENTLY pull out of the parking lot. The brakes are little strange, kinda soft, but after some getting used to it may actually work out ok. Steering wheel is small, but comfortable. They say it's light at low speeds, but i don't think it's lighter the malibus', maybe even stiffer. But comfy and positioned well.
The tranny feels actually not much different from a regular auto. Well, no shift shock of course, but for me it not that big a deal. Can live with the shock, can live without it.
The car picks up really good with a minimum pedal input, it even is a bit too jumpy...when you push it in at higher speeds there's a bit of disappointment since you don't get the same initial jump. But that's all in the head, cause the car still accelerates pretty quick.
Downshifts with the 6 point manual mode....Will take getting used to. It's all smooth, there's no instant revving up so I even wondered did it do anything at all?? But of course it did and part of the blame here is that it's 6 points, so your rev increment is pretty small.
The suspension is on the hard side, but comfy, has kinda rubbery feel. Doesn't shake the bejesus out you, but definitely you feel the road.
Problems
1. Aux input didn't work when I plugged my MP3 phone in. I gave me about a second of sound and then it kept saying "no aux input" amd switching to the radio.
2. Steering wheel vibrated in the highway. But that maybe due to unbalanced tires, etc. no stability issues however.
3. there was a distinct rattle in the speaker area somewhere, only present when the radio was on. With the radio off it was ok.
Comments, anyone? i am especially interested in the comments in the problems section, am i looking at something that may end being prblematic or maybe there's a good fix that thay can do...
I have a feeling it'll be one of those things they "can't replicate" at the dealership and I'll have to live with. I haven't taken it in yet but hope to soon.
I seriously LOVE this car.
btw, guys, anyone knows what's the diagonal size of the trunk? It would be kinda nice if I could fit my 170 cm skis there witout having to fold the seat.
2. the steering wheel should not vibrate. If thats the car your going to purchase, demand it be taken care of. My car runs smooth as glass at any speed, well, haven't exceeded 80mph yet.
3. sounds like something is loose, the vibration from the sound comming out of the speaker is whats making something ratttle. again, demand that it is fixed to your satisfaction.
I have the bose stereo which carries a lot of base and ocassionally I'll get a speaker that rattles a bit. Did you put the radio setting on auxiliary? I heard this complaint in other posts as well. I have no vibration problems at 79, 80 ,90 115, etc. The Altima is a fine car and I haven't had any problems to speak of as yet. I just turned 7,000 miles in 90 days!
Regards
everything seemed okay until i noticed an annoying rattling noise inside the cabin. it was obviously coming from plastic bin or some plastic part inside. has anybody exprienced this rattling noise as well? pls let me know. one thing that i cannot stand is a wierd noise inside the cabin. i also rented and did the same thing with 2007 camry and this one had no annoying noise inside the cabin. thank!!
I've had my 3.5 SE CVT since December, but have driven it only 3,100 miles. I'd never used the "+/-" part of the shifter--in fact didn't know exactly how it was supposed to work, so I got out the owner's manual. I don't really like to shift, but what I do is, once I get up to 65-70, is shift over to Manual, then hit "+" and it goes on into 6th. It works like a manual in the way that it eliminates all torque converter slippage in whatever gear you're in, so technically it would seem to me over a l00 mile or more trip it would produce slightly better gas mileage. If I need extra power to pass, I move it back to "D" so the torque converter will work again.
It'll be shipped by early next week, and ready for pick-up by the 28th.
We are VERY happy both with the car itself and the purchase experience, and hope to have excellent luck with it in the future.
are you saying that it will acpually force the upshift? hmmm...interesting
It gave me about a second of sound and then said "no aux input" and switched to the radio.
i must say, i am not that excited anymore. i read what people posted an club nissan side, the interior rattles pop up left and right. and what I have seen is that the door panels are fitted diferently on different cars. On the showroom silver 2.5 it was loose and quite squeaky when pushed....on the tester it seemed ok. i just think a new car like this these issues should not be present, it's just not right. I know how the rattles can be....It comes on and off and when you decide to show it to the service manager it will decide not too rattle only to start rattling on your way back from the dealer after you had embarassed youself in front of the service guy. Then they put tape in, it's ok for a day and then comes back again...after 3-4 visits like this they simply tell you that i cannot be fixed.
so, i dunno....
however..the Camry it hardly any better. they've been trying to fix the tranny for the whole year and it's still a hit and miss.
Since she drivers over 400 miles per week, she'll have a note or two by then...
Despite the recalls, my mothers '03 Altima hasn't had any problems (besides a hit-and-run at a parking lot that did over $4K worth of damage). I'll agree that recalls are frustrating, but we shall see...
As far as Nissan quality and reliability. We had a '00 Maxima SE and it held up very well. Only issue I had with that one was the oxygen sensors went bad in it's 4th year. Which I believe was pretty common with that generation.
We'll see how the Altima handles a 4 and 6 year old.
are you saying that it will acpually force the upshift? hmmm...interesting
I talked to Nissan service and they said it does, indeed, still have a torque converter. If you'll notice, when you're going along, even in "D", with not much pressure on the accelerator, the tach needle will tend to stay put, but if you step into it, it will "slip"--I think that's a combination of the torque converter unlocking and also the belt moving along on the pulley. When you're in "+/-" Manual mode, whatever you shift to, 1-6, the belt stays in that place on the pulley--when you press the accelerator in this mode, the RPM increases only to the extent that the weight of the car will allow (as it would in a car with manual shift), but I believe the torque converter will come unlocked, too. Shifting back to "D" allows the belt full movement up and down the pulley once more--at least that what it feels like to me. And I have to say all this with a caveat--it's all very complicated to me and I may have the mechanics of it wrong, but it's the way it seems to work.
But, your the one who has to live with it. If your not impressed with the car after the test drive, don't drop 20-30k on something you may not be happy with.
and I wouldn't pay too much attention to whats said at nissan club. Most of those guys start modifying their cars as soon as they get them home, and drive the hell out of em. the way most of them treat their cars, I have no doubt they have rattles and such. they also (IMO) tend to exagerate things, and have unreal expectations. after all, its a 20k family sedan, its not a lexus or infinity.
I would suggest you get it replaced as well, at no cost!
Otherwise, for a thing or two its a Perfect Car! so your love is seriously justified :-)
1. As did happen to another person here, my center console cover has seemed to have worn out and pops open on its own sometimes. They need to make the latch a bit more secure.
2. I do here rattling from the compartments sometimes. But upon close inspection it has always been due to an object sitting in them. I just reposition the objects. (re: door compartments and center console) You can actually take out the center compartment containing the cup holders by pulling it straight out. It then becomes a square shaped compartment if you don't use it for cups. I can see how this might rattle if it becomes loose, but mine seems to be secure.
-Some of you might not know this. The top of the center armrest slides forward towards the gear shift about 6 inches if you apply the right angle and pressure.
3. I'm not sure how accurate the onboard computer display of the average gas mileage is, but mine is at 26.1. This is in accordance with weaving through traffic/passing driving style 80% of the time and 20% driving normally. My foot seems to put the rpm at around 4500 when passing most of the time and only occasionally does it go past that.
4. The CVT seems like a technology step in the right direction. I don't know the particulars about it though. I used the onboard timer and got a 10s time for 0-60mph in drive mode and 9s in shift mode. But I suspect my use of that timer may have a +/- 0.25s error or more. I should have a passenger in the car with a stop watch next time. I think Nissan states that the CVT allows for an increase in horsepower (statistic) with an increase in gas mileage (statistic.) I notice it likes to stay around 2000 - 2250 rpm while cruising on a flat road.
5. The keys have that issue with cell phones for which I hear they will have a recall. Mine allows access and ignition start, but the actual buttons on the remote are non-functional. It seems to understandably disallow the trunk to open via the button on the trunk itself if the engine is on. So I have to go push the button on the dashboard since my remote button is inop. Only a minor inconvenience and soon to be rectified.
6. The front seats are uncomfortable for rides longer than 10 minutes. Well... I can only speak for the driver seat hehe I can only assume the passenger seat to be slightly better due to the ability of the passenger to be more at ease since they are not driving and can better assume a relaxed pose.
These are minor things, but I'd like to keep a running list so I can have them all fixed at one time.
consult your owners manual. there is a procedure for resetting your power window. it is not broken.
Are you sure you pushed it to the limit? Car & Driver did a performance test in September of 2006 and they recorded 0-60 in 7.4 seconds and a 1/4 mile ET of 16 seconds, top speed of 87 mph. Their car had 5344 miles on it.
The first dealer I had look at it is where I bought it. A service advisor & I went for a test drive. They then ran diagnostics and couldn't find anything. On my second visit, a tech took a drive with me and noticed it. The service advisor said he'd call the Nissan Tech Line on this. He called me just over a week later and said there wasn't a technical bulletin out on it and couldn't do anything to fix it.
I took it to the other dealer, went for a drive and he "reset" the CVT. The tech claimed that it is a "learning transmission" and with two different drivers, its harder for it to learn both driving habits. I find that unlikely.
I'm not sure if this is an engine or CVT problem. It was driven about 200 miles from another dealer, all interstate, to mine before I bought it so I don't know how it was broken in, if at all. I rarely use the manual shift. It was built Feb '07.
Anyone have any ideas or have noticed this, too?
that is true. the computer that controls the cvt is programmed with 300 or so algorithms, and will select the ones that most match the way you drive. It's not as far fected as it sounds, because most new cars today record things like speed, acceleration lenght of time and force that are applied to the brakes ect. all that information is saved, like a black box does on an airplane. that data can be obtained by insurance companies and law enforcement. the cvt just uses that info to learn how you drive.
But the sl package only states that it comes standard with a "Auto-Dimming Rearview Mirror" It must state with compass.
If it does state compass then your dealer should have no problem switching that out for you. They might need to order it. Check your window sticker to be sure of actual wording.
Because in Manual mode it still remains in what feels like a locked up condition in all the gears--whereas "D" allows the engine to rev up to a higher RPM, kind of like the old switch-pitch converters in the 50's and 60's Buicks. I'm finally getting more used to Manual mode and really like it--am using it much more around town.
I have the leather package and find the seats supremely comfortable. I just logged Toronto to Vermont return road trip where I was the sole driver with less fatigue than I would haev magined possible.
Jaeger
That is bad business on that dealership. I would ask to talk to General Sales Manager or the General Manager of the store. If they are a reputable place they would correct the problem with no charge to you. When you think about it $268 and the hour it takes to install is no reason to loose future business from you or anyone you would potetially refer. As youy say it is on the window sticker which means you paid for it.
After looking at your post again I realize you have the tech package. On your navigation screen their is a compass.
So now that I think about it again. The window sticker has to state " Auto- Dimming Mirror with Compass " in order for you to qualify for that accesory. :confuse:
I think this is counterproductive--starting it every two or three hours isn't going to prove anything. It's when the engine sits overnight--and that is usually 7-8 hours--the oil completely drains away from the bearings. When the engine is started up after this length of time is when you hear the very brief, but not good for the engine, sound. This is one of my pet-peeves about computerized engine controls. When I first start my 3.5 SE after sitting overnight, the computer instantly rips the RPM up to nearly 2,000 RPM before letting it gradually slow down to around 1,200. I've never heard bearing noise, but I know this kind of RPM on a stone-cold engine can't be good. All the surfaces are dry initially and the engine should be allowed to start at an RPM under 1,000 RPM, or at least no higher, for the first 30 or so seconds. I never start my carburetor-equipped cars with that much force but let them find the lowest RPM at which they'll run 'till at least some warmth gets into the system. I've got a little '90 Festiva with 182,000 miles on it that I use as a dinghy and on really cold mornings, it's RPM hits 2,500 and stays there for nearly a minute--I'd hate to see what's in its oil pan...