mosaix : Keep in mind those Nissan prices are list. Nissan discounts more than Toyota/Honda. Still have not seen an 02 Altima. I will stop by the Nissan dealer in the next few days. New Camry is lame even if it does drive better. Front looks good, rear end looks heavy.
remember the Intrigue ads that were on tv back in 99- Cannot say i do, or any others. I came to find out about the car via my CEO Car maker consultant et al brother. I am a so called "car guy" and until he told me how good it was, never entered my mind. I was looking at a Passat at the time.
Yes, I also am hearing alot of noise about the cheap interior on the new Altima, although i still see it as a standout car.
I remember the ads. They used hynotic X-Files type music and did very little to make one want an Intrigue. Ironicly, the best ones I rememebr before the announcement to shut them down were the promos for the X-Files movie.
Camry:
I've seen quite a few of them, mostly in Southern New Jersey. IMO, the body is what the redesigned Avalon should have looked like. It is visually larger than the model it replaces and reminds me of what it looked like 2 generations ago (mid-90's). Feature content is up, price is down (relative to content) and, save the SE model, I can live with the interior. What I think would have been a perfect match is the ES300 interior inside the Camry body.
I put the wood trim on and have had nothing but positive feedback from it. The burl wood is a beautiful color... with a deeper cherry color and prettier than even the burl used in the Aurora, IMO. The only piece that I didn't like was the trim over the glove box where the passenger's airvent is. It's like they cut the piece in half. In fact, the bottom of the trim for that section stops right in the middle of the air vent. I called the company and they said that that is the template and that they can't cut the piece to fit the way I want even if I paid for it. And it's true, the template does make it cut off half way down. Needless to say, I didn't put it on. But if it was the right size, it would make all the other pieces stand out remarkably. Alas, I don't think it will happen. But I am polling friends and workmates to see what they think about it.
0.0% is a great deal. GM is doing right by offering this. Ford did the opposite and announced shut downs. I hope the 0.0% comes to Canada also. Have to keep Canada rolling. Things are looking ugly up here also.
Why is the Intrigue always compared to Camry and not Avalon? The Intrigue is much closer in size to the Avalon, don't you agree? I would probably cross-shop the Alero with the Camry.
Got a letter from GMAC with a refund check today. Most of you know my intrigue story so i will just get to the point of the letter. The refund was for a recalculation of my intrigue lease. The amount was $16.37. But that was not the part that got my attention. The paragraph that caught my eye was "Part A. Surplus from Vehicle Sale." Of course there was no surplus. They only got $8300 at auction for my car!!! Can you beleive that? The termination value on the contract was $13,110. GMAC lost $4810 on my car! Can't stay in business long with those numbers.
My intrigue is probably sitting on some used car lot with a $11,900 price on the windshield. I didn't realize there was $3-4000 profit in a car like that, but i guess it makes sense. I was going to offer them $9500 for it but got sick of my dealer and decided to walk away.I guess things have a way of working out. GM didn't take care of me when i had it, but they certainly took care of me when i got rid of it.
Next week I am going on a business trip to Chicago. I was orginally going to fly, but in wake of recent events I really don't care to get on a plane right now. Not to mention, the flight I was scheduled to be on has been cancelled as US Airways has cut their flight schedules. Company said they would either pay mileage(.34 a mile) or a comparable cost for a rental car, so needless to say the Intrigue is getting ready to take it's first long road trip. I'm about 9 hours from Chi town and normally wouldn't really want to drive that far for just a few days, but I figure I'll bring along some cds and call Onstar if I need to find the nearest IHOP:) I figure I'll drive the car and take the mileage and fuel reimbursement rather than take my chances with a rental. My luck I'd get a Camry or Taurus.
Sounds like a fun trip. I did it in 1992 from Chas,Sc when the speed limit was 65mph. It took 13 hours 45 minutes. 920 miles i think. I drove 72 mph. I was in the camaro unfortunately and literally couldn't walk for two days i was so sore. The intrigue is an excellent highway car and doesn't have the choppy ride that the asian cars have. In '99 i took a trip to Lexington, Mass. in the intrigue. The car was sweeeeet. The traffic in the Northeast was not. I don't see how people put up with it.
Sounds like a fun driving trip. We did about 2000 kms one long weekend driving down to Michigan and back last summer. Intrigue was wonderful. You will have a blast. Going to Kingston ON for my 10 year homecoming this weekend (Queens University) and to visit my parents. Only about 600 kms round trip, but should still be lots of fun driving.
I went with the Yoko 420 from Discount Tire. I chose the 235/55/16, while it is a tad shorter it is about a half inch wider.
The improvement is unbelievable. The handling, wet and dry traction, very quiet and looks great. I really feel like I'm driving a new car. I know the Pilots are very good but I can't imagine them being much better.
I just reached 60K on my '99 GX 3.8 with a build of 10/99 (bought used with 32K). The only problems were a replaced strut under warranty and last week I had to replace the a/c head unit (along with front rotors turned with pads and trans fluid change- Total $523).
Mosaix: Enjoy the trip, I did Atlanta to Dallas and back (1600 miles)in August. The Intrigue made it a fun drive.
one2one: Can't wait to see the wood trim pics. Might be my next project.
as asked last week--has anyone gotten gm to work out deal on extended waranty? just had intermediate drive shaft replaced for the second time, and power steering system was just replaced.--32 k, warranty ends in december.
intrigueguy - how does your '99 have the 3.8 engine? I thought the 3.5 became standard in March 1999. Cars built after that date should have the Shortstar. Maybe yours was built in 10/98?
thanks for the tire info, as I hope to go up a similar size and do want to go to discount tire, as they are great. Only 17k miles now, but when I replace, I will check out what you used. Those Eagle LS's sure squeal alot on hard turns.
Gotta take the car in next week, as noticed last nite that the console shift indicator lites are out. Oh well. Have a loose shifter handle too, so will have them fix that as well.
shortened my previous message. good guess. car build was 10/98. was starting once again to get shuderring feel through the sterring wheel when turning. was also getting a vibration through steering wheel at highway speeds.
dealer report said that power steering rack "assembly worn and rusty"; shaft "is worn on joint area"
Folks, go to forum "Why are American cars unappealing" and read some humor from those who wouldn't have a clue about any cars, good or bad, if it fell on them. Then respond in kind to them. Need to provide some balance and information there (read facts) as opposed to the asumptions there.
Enjoy your Intriguing road trip! My guess is that lots of biz trips formerly flown will now be driven and that's good for anyone who loves their car - and may even lead to some sales on great road cars.
I gave up flying Boston to Philly almost 2 years ago. The cancellations and delays even then made the 8 hour drive from my home in Maine to Philly no more than an hour longer than flying. Imagine now!
I bought my 2000 Bonneville SE and have been driving all year - loving it! Nothing like settling in behind the wheel of a great AMERICAN road car and seeing those miles drive by. Yes traffic in the northeast can be a bear - Connecticut seems to always be the place I get hung up - but I love driving anyway.
So enjoy your road trip - who needs an airplane when you can drive?
Try the CT/NY route 15 the next time, to get around I-95 in Connecticut. It starts on exit 17 from I-91, and continue directly to the NYCity. The different parts of the road are named Wilbur Cross and Merritt Parkway in CT, and Hutchison(?) in NY.
This is an old winding highway, built during Great Depression. Hilly and narrow, only 2 lanes in each direction. A bit slow, speed limit is 55 mph. But very nice and much easier to drive than by I-95. Big trucks are prohibited on Route 15.
Jams happens often on Route 15, but not as bad as on I-95. I-95 is always jammed from Bridgeport to Stamford, except probably deep in night.
I always take I-95 on the way up and the Merritt on the way back. I keep thinking 95 will be clear, which it is not, so i do something different on the way back. The Merritt Pkwy is clearly the best way to go. What is up with those Conn. cops? They are [non-permissible content removed] in my opinion.
I know the conversation has moved on, and I apologize, but I haven't visited this forum for a few days and I do have the answer.
I passed through the underground portion on my way to work nearly every day (and my sister actually worked in 1WTC) so I know exactly what was under there. For anyone that is still curious, there was an underground shopping mall with access to the lobbies of both towers, restaurants, subway stations for 3 different lines (8th Avenue line, 7th Avenue line and Broadway line) and a station for the PATH train to NJ. This was all located one level below the street. There were six more levels below that which were not open to the public. There was also an undergound parking garage (yes, the same one that was bombed in '93) with access on the other (west) side of the complex. There was no access to the garage from the mall.
I learned to drive and get my driving license only 5 years ago, and cannot compare the cops. My wife and I are trying to drive carefully and cautiously, but mostly about 10 mph above the posted limit. This is was one of the first things we learned after moving here: that driving slower is both dangerous (everybody will cut up), and disrespectful to fellow drivers.
Was not stopped by police yet, except once at Thanksgiving sobriety check point, where they stopped all cars. My wife was not stopped either. However, our cars do not stay off: first 1988 Taurus (do not own it any more), than 1998 Malibu, and now 2000 Regal. All three are/were dark-red.
I do not think the cops are especially strict in CT. They are looking mostly for speeding, and occasional running stop signs or red lights.
Speeding up to 15 mph above speed limit is OK in most parts of the state, except in the Tolland county (I-84 from MA and almost to the Hartford). The Tolland cops are fining for 10 mph. So it is advisable to set cruise control at 73-74 mph when crossing here.
The cops are not looking at all for drivers who are not using turn signals. Even when turning left. Nor for those who are cutting-up. I believe, the both is much more dangerous than moderate speeding, and ought to be be prosecuted.
Completely subjective,of course,but I hate them.If you want a little head-turning flash,how about just keeping your car meticulously washed and waxed,maybe even tire dressing,too.Now that's a head-turner!
I wouldn't mind putting some wood accents on the center console and around the radio and hvac controls but I'd like maple and haven't found ANYTHING online that has a maple kit.
The strut tower braces came (www.grandprixstore.com) but haven't been installed because I decided to get the next generation sway bars they have and put them all on at the same time.
I'm thinking about getting new tires as well. On tirerack.com I compared the Pilot HGT H4s with the Aquatread 3s. Pretty comparable but Aquatread 3 is higher in satisfaction in almost every category but is not a performance tire. Any thoughts?
Or should I send all that stuff back, refrain from new tires and trade her in for a 2001 Maxima? They have a nice lookin gray GXE at the local Nissan dealership and I'm sure I could get a killer deal on it. Any words of wisdom or fatherly advise for me guys?
Advice? FORGET THE MAXIMA!! If your itching for a new car, look at a new Intrigue. If you can still find a 2001, you can finance it for up to 60 months at 0%. Thats almost unreal. People, if anyone is considering a new car, now is certainly the time to buy! Even 2002 models are eligible for 0% for 36 months and only 2.9% for 60 months.
This is not typical for CT police to pull for 7mph. Additionally, I believe the fines for 7mph speeding would not pass court review.
Did not experienced myself, but hear/read that it happened in the following cases:
1. Just after the speed limit was increased to 65 mph on most of CT highways.
The limit used to be 55 mph everywhere, but currently the old limit is kept only on Route 15, I-95 west of New Haven, and few other spots. I do not remember exactly, when it was increased, was it 1998 or 99.
For the first months after the increase, the police monitored strictly the new limit. Stopped for the speed they easy tolerated before, like 68-70 mph.
2. When a local police chief changes, and especially if he changes with a scandal, the police in the respective city become overactive for a month or two.
Saw this in New Haven a couple of years ago.: A former police chief resigned after newspapers published a news that he have an illegitimate child from a local prostitute. The following months the cops enforced speed limits much more often in the city. Not exactly a logical relation...
3. Our friend was stopped once in Hartford for 3mph "speeding". On her usual way to work. Was not fined, just stopped.
It was around Christmas, and the cops obviously stopped people randomly looking for drunk drivers.
If you really want a Nissan, apparently the new Altima has a much better suspension than the Maxima. As mosaix mentioned, GM financing is an amazing deal right now if you are comfortable with taking on debt in these unsettled times.
I have the Pilots on my Intrigue and am very happy with them. Night and day difference from the Goodyear LeSs's. No longer do the tires squeal from just the most moderate U-turns etc...
focus - Keep in mind that when they are dirty it is hard to tell the difference between the chrome wheels and the painted wheels. So if you don't keep your car pretty clean it's probably not worth the extra money. In my opinion the chrome wheels look very good with black, bronzemist, and blue Intrigues. Painted wheels go good with green and white Intrigues. The other colors look good with either.
Do you think this is a fairly reliable indicator of oil condition? Mine came on less than 3000 miles after the last oil change. The oil still looked clear on the dipstick. Changed the oil at 4200 miles and it still looked good (didn't have to add any during the 4200 miles, BTW). We'll see what happens this time. I drive 8 miles to work, 40-50 mph for about 5 miles of it.
Did you have it done or do it yourself? The service person may have forgotten to reset it after they changed the oil.. It has happened to me before. I really see that indicator as a sort of dummy light (like the low-fuel dummy light). I won't drive more than 7,500km or about 4500 miles without changing, and I drive 80% highway. As many have said, it is cheap insurance.
focus : Skip the chrome. Only when the car is very clean do they look ok. I see dirty cars with them and they look awful. Save the $800 and get yourself PCS or a sun roof.
jg28 : If you want a Nissan get a 02 Altima. Looks to be a very good car though I have yet to see one. I would go for an Intrigue instead though. It's your last chance.
Great road trip to homecoming this weekend. Lots of complements from old friends on my Intrigue. One of my old buds said he was surprised that Oldsmobile made such nice cars these days. Just another example of how Oldsmobile marketing failed to get the message through.
I've driven Merritt Parkway (Rt 15) a few times lately after not having used it for years and years. If traffic is moving it is a very enjoyable drive. The lack of trucks makes it especially nice. The twists and curves are all the more reason to drive it in a great car like my Bonneville (or a Regal, Impala or Intrigue).
Ct cops are definitely out to get you. I get so ticked when I see them laying in wait in their traps set at the bottom of large hills - just waiting for you to pick up speed on the decline. This is mostly on Rt 84 - anytime of day.
A Maxima? two reason why not, 1=no IRS and 2=ugly. If you must go Nissan, go with the new '02 Altima SE 3.5 and you'll get the rear IRS from the vaunted Skyline GTR, plus great looks (and more room as its larger than a Maxima too).
...OR if you want what the new Altima has at a great deal, go with an Intrigue (GM has 0% financing now too)
I bought the Aquatread III's and have been very happy with them. They are (as compared to the LS's) quiter, ride better, better in inclimate weather and less expensive with no degradation in handling. A set from tirerack is $100 less than the Pilots, too. However, lots of people have posted their compliments of the Pilots, so it may be money well spent. I have never experienced a better tire in the rain than these Aquatread III's.
One cannot compare an Altima with an Intrigue. The quality and refinement of the materials is totally absent in the Nissan. I checked one out up close and it uses hard plastic all around and the leather feels more like leatherette!
It's only virtue is its good looks, which is not free of looking weird from some angles though, IMO.
About the engines, there has been a lot of suspicion about Nissan inflating the numbers. When the car magazines tested the new Q45, its performance was well below the expected for its declared power, especially when compared with less powerful competitors.
I've already read that the new power on the Maxima is hard to believe when no major changes were made to the engine or, most importantly, to the transmission to withstand the extra torque.
Looking at the Altima's 2.5 power, it may be just too good to be true, I'm afraid...
I've been contemplating these tires for my 2000 Bonneville SE. I see many compliments and haven't heard complaints regarding them. Comfortable ride, low noise and superior wet/snow performance are important here. Did you buy them locally or thru Sears or via Tirerack? If thru tirerack - how did you get them installed?
last week new drive shaft (second time repalced), and new power steering system 1999-31K, 3.8 this past weekend--car stalling, has been getting progressivley worse--last week dealer couldn't find anything
today--the security light stayed on
driviing still not feel right--subtle vibration through steering wheel, very rough ride (could there be a problem with a strut?) going back to dealer tommorow
I believe magazines have tested it and are getting 6.5-7.0 second 0-60 times with the stick. If you want a sport sedan rather than a sporty sedan, and value performance more than softness of your dashboard, it looks to have the performance to back it up.
Mine has chrome wheels and had they not been included in the PCS option package along with the sunroof and spoiler on the GLS, I wouldn't have gotten them as the standard wheels look fine. But when the car is clean and sitting in the sun, those wheels sure do look sharp against the black car. The gold badging also enhances the look. I will say, they do give the car an upscale look as alot of luxury cars have the chrome wheels. I call them the wire wheels of the modern era as wire wheel discs were the big thing in the 70s and 80s. Thank God these wheels are much easier to clean than those were. Anyone who had a car with wire wheel discs knows what I mean.
Thankfully those are gone now. My dads old LTD had them. What a nightmare.
Went out in a co-workers Mazda Millennia today. Noticed the brakes (visible through the aluminum wheels) were rusting out. Really made the car look bad. I asked the guy if he had noticed and he said ya, but he didn't care cause the car was leased. I thought it was horrible that a 1 year old car would have this problem. I'd certainly say something.
Geez, you guys are talkin like I don't already have an Intrigue. I wouldn't want a new one, I've already got one.
I'm an Oldsmobile freak, guys. EVERYONE at work knows I drive Oldsmobile, I have the Intrigue model on my desk and sing songs and look for a gal named Lucille.
Even so, if they'd accept my 20K offer on that new 2001 maxima, I'd trade her in in a heartbeat.
With that said, I'm probably going to end up keeping her at least until the warranty expires (does anyone know when that is? Is it from the build date on the car?)
I haven't noticed any squealing with my factory tires (eagle LS). But if the michelin or aquatread would improve noise, I'd be glad.
Does anyone know if the Aurora 3.5 has the same airbox as the Intrigue? I'd like to get a K&N filter for my Intrigue. I hope they make one that fits. Anyone know?
I think i must have been the hardest driving intrigue owner on this thread. I got my LS's to squeal all the time. The interesting thing about the intrigue was that i was always expecting the outside front tire to squeal, but it was always the inside tire. For example, in a high speed left hander, where the caution sign on the road would say 25mph. I would come in at 55-60 mph, swing wide before the curve, early apex in, and squeal the left front tire for about 50+ feet and come out still going 50 mph. What a hoot! Could never figure out why the outside tire didn't do that. I guess the inside tire didn't have a load on it.
Comments
Yes, I also am hearing alot of noise about the cheap interior on the new Altima, although i still see it as a standout car.
Camry:
I've seen quite a few of them, mostly in Southern New Jersey. IMO, the body is what the redesigned Avalon should have looked like. It is visually larger than the model it replaces and reminds me of what it looked like 2 generations ago (mid-90's). Feature content is up, price is down (relative to content) and, save the SE model, I can live with the interior. What I think would have been a perfect match is the ES300 interior inside the Camry body.
Will post pics soon.
http://63.236.108.16/news.cms?newsId=499
Look forward to seeing your pictures.
Most of you know my intrigue story so i will just get to the point of the letter.
The refund was for a recalculation of my intrigue lease. The amount was $16.37. But that was not the part that got my attention.
The paragraph that caught my eye was "Part A. Surplus from Vehicle Sale." Of course there was no surplus.
They only got $8300 at auction for my car!!! Can you beleive that?
The termination value on the contract was $13,110.
GMAC lost $4810 on my car!
Can't stay in business long with those numbers.
hours 45 minutes. 920 miles i think. I drove 72 mph.
I was in the camaro unfortunately and literally couldn't walk for two days i was so sore.
The intrigue is an excellent highway car and doesn't have the choppy ride that the asian cars have.
In '99 i took a trip to Lexington, Mass. in the intrigue. The car was sweeeeet. The traffic in the Northeast was not. I don't see how people put up with it.
The improvement is unbelievable. The handling, wet and dry traction, very quiet and looks great. I really feel like I'm driving a new car. I know the Pilots are very good but I can't imagine them being much better.
I just reached 60K on my '99 GX 3.8 with a build of 10/99 (bought used with 32K). The only problems were a replaced strut under warranty and last week I had to replace the a/c head unit (along with front rotors turned with pads and trans fluid change- Total $523).
Mosaix: Enjoy the trip, I did Atlanta to Dallas and back (1600 miles)in August. The Intrigue made it a fun drive.
one2one: Can't wait to see the wood trim pics. Might be my next project.
President Bush made me proud tonight!
Gotta take the car in next week, as noticed last nite that the console shift indicator lites are out. Oh well. Have a loose shifter handle too, so will have them fix that as well.
dealer report said that power steering rack "assembly worn and rusty"; shaft "is worn on joint area"
I gave up flying Boston to Philly almost 2 years ago. The cancellations and delays even then made the 8 hour drive from my home in Maine to Philly no more than an hour longer than flying. Imagine now!
I bought my 2000 Bonneville SE and have been driving all year - loving it! Nothing like settling in behind the wheel of a great AMERICAN road car and seeing those miles drive by. Yes traffic in the northeast can be a bear - Connecticut seems to always be the place I get hung up - but I love driving anyway.
So enjoy your road trip - who needs an airplane when you can drive?
(Turnpike) Ken
This is an old winding highway, built during Great Depression. Hilly and narrow, only 2 lanes in each direction. A bit slow, speed limit is 55 mph. But very nice and much easier to drive than by I-95. Big trucks are prohibited on Route 15.
Jams happens often on Route 15, but not as bad as on I-95. I-95 is always jammed from Bridgeport to Stamford, except probably deep in night.
The Merritt Pkwy is clearly the best way to go.
What is up with those Conn. cops? They are [non-permissible content removed] in my opinion.
I passed through the underground portion on my way to work nearly every day (and my sister actually worked in 1WTC) so I know exactly what was under there. For anyone that is still curious, there was an underground shopping mall with access to the lobbies of both towers, restaurants, subway stations for 3 different lines (8th Avenue line, 7th Avenue line and Broadway line) and a station for the PATH train to NJ. This was all located one level below the street. There were six more levels below that which were not open to the public. There was also an undergound parking garage (yes, the same one that was bombed in '93) with access on the other (west) side of the complex. There was no access to the garage from the mall.
Was not stopped by police yet, except once at Thanksgiving sobriety check point, where they stopped all cars. My wife was not stopped either. However, our cars do not stay off: first 1988 Taurus (do not own it any more), than 1998 Malibu, and now 2000 Regal. All three are/were dark-red.
I do not think the cops are especially strict in CT. They are looking mostly for speeding, and occasional running stop signs or red lights.
Speeding up to 15 mph above speed limit is OK in most parts of the state, except in the Tolland county (I-84 from MA and almost to the Hartford). The Tolland cops are fining for 10 mph. So it is advisable to set cruise control at 73-74 mph when crossing here.
The cops are not looking at all for drivers who are not using turn signals. Even when turning left. Nor for those who are cutting-up. I believe, the both is much more dangerous than moderate speeding, and ought to be be prosecuted.
The strut tower braces came (www.grandprixstore.com) but haven't been installed because I decided to get the next generation sway bars they have and put them all on at the same time.
I'm thinking about getting new tires as well. On tirerack.com I compared the Pilot HGT H4s with the Aquatread 3s. Pretty comparable but Aquatread 3 is higher in satisfaction in almost every category but is not a performance tire. Any thoughts?
Or should I send all that stuff back, refrain from new tires and trade her in for a 2001 Maxima? They have a nice lookin gray GXE at the local Nissan dealership and I'm sure I could get a killer deal on it. Any words of wisdom or fatherly advise for me guys?
Did not experienced myself, but hear/read that it happened in the following cases:
1. Just after the speed limit was increased to 65 mph on most of CT highways.
The limit used to be 55 mph everywhere, but currently the old limit is kept only on Route 15, I-95 west of New Haven, and few other spots. I do not remember exactly, when it was increased, was it 1998 or 99.
For the first months after the increase, the police monitored strictly the new limit. Stopped for the speed they easy tolerated before, like 68-70 mph.
2. When a local police chief changes, and especially if he changes with a scandal, the police in the respective city become overactive for a month or two.
Saw this in New Haven a couple of years ago.: A former police chief resigned after newspapers published a news that he have an illegitimate child from a local prostitute. The following months the cops enforced speed limits much more often in the city. Not exactly a logical relation...
3. Our friend was stopped once in Hartford for 3mph "speeding". On her usual way to work. Was not fined, just stopped.
It was around Christmas, and the cops obviously stopped people randomly looking for drunk drivers.
I have the Pilots on my Intrigue and am very happy with them. Night and day difference from the Goodyear LeSs's. No longer do the tires squeal from just the most moderate U-turns etc...
jg28 : If you want a Nissan get a 02 Altima. Looks to be a very good car though I have yet to see one. I would go for an Intrigue instead though. It's your last chance.
Great road trip to homecoming this weekend. Lots of complements from old friends on my Intrigue. One of my old buds said he was surprised that Oldsmobile made such nice cars these days. Just another example of how Oldsmobile marketing failed to get the message through.
Ct cops are definitely out to get you. I get so ticked when I see them laying in wait in their traps set at the bottom of large hills - just waiting for you to pick up speed on the decline. This is mostly on Rt 84 - anytime of day.
Ken
If you must go Nissan, go with the new '02 Altima SE 3.5 and you'll get the rear IRS from the vaunted Skyline GTR, plus great looks (and more room as its larger than a Maxima too).
...OR if you want what the new Altima has at a great deal, go with an Intrigue (GM has 0% financing now too)
It's only virtue is its good looks, which is not free of looking weird from some angles though, IMO.
About the engines, there has been a lot of suspicion about Nissan inflating the numbers. When the car magazines tested the new Q45, its performance was well below the expected for its declared power, especially when compared with less powerful competitors.
I've already read that the new power on the Maxima is hard to believe when no major changes were made to the engine or, most importantly, to the transmission to withstand the extra torque.
Looking at the Altima's 2.5 power, it may be just too good to be true, I'm afraid...
Thanks
Ken
1999-31K, 3.8
this past weekend--car stalling, has been getting progressivley worse--last week dealer couldn't find anything
today--the security light stayed on
driviing still not feel right--subtle vibration through steering wheel, very rough ride (could there be a problem with a strut?)
going back to dealer tommorow
Went out in a co-workers Mazda Millennia today. Noticed the brakes (visible through the aluminum wheels) were rusting out. Really made the car look bad. I asked the guy if he had noticed and he said ya, but he didn't care cause the car was leased. I thought it was horrible that a 1 year old car would have this problem. I'd certainly say something.
I'm an Oldsmobile freak, guys. EVERYONE at work knows I drive Oldsmobile, I have the Intrigue model on my desk and sing songs and look for a gal named Lucille.
Even so, if they'd accept my 20K offer on that new 2001 maxima, I'd trade her in in a heartbeat.
With that said, I'm probably going to end up keeping her at least until the warranty expires (does anyone know when that is? Is it from the build date on the car?)
I haven't noticed any squealing with my factory tires (eagle LS). But if the michelin or aquatread would improve noise, I'd be glad.
Does anyone know if the Aurora 3.5 has the same airbox as the Intrigue? I'd like to get a K&N filter for my Intrigue. I hope they make one that fits. Anyone know?
The interesting thing about the intrigue was that i was always expecting the outside front tire to squeal, but it was always the inside tire.
For example, in a high speed left hander, where the caution sign on the road would say 25mph. I would come in at 55-60 mph, swing wide before the curve, early apex in, and squeal the left front tire for about 50+ feet and come out still going 50 mph. What a hoot!
Could never figure out why the outside tire didn't do that. I guess the inside tire didn't have a load on it.
jg28 : Do you know which K&N fits in the Intrigue?