Nissan Altima

blueguydotcom

The redish tinge on your dash is supposedly less stressful to the average eye than say green or white. Dunno if that's true. I know I find the blue/lavender tint of my VW's gauges comforting and every female who sets foot in the car at night exclaims with delight. LOL

As for Rush Hour 2, it was amusing but considering they had three years to script it, one might expect some semblance of a coherent plot. Additionally, it seems Tucker's character is nothing more than a black version of Jack Burton from Big Trouble in Little China...useless loudmouth who talks big, misses fights and has a Chinese guy do all his fighting.

wenyue

reminds me of Lexus GS series. I'm not sure what color they used for the back lighting in the Lexus GS.

Jackie Chan movies were never long on the plots. But are always funny and action packed (I thought it was better than "crouching tiger, hidden dragon").

rxeffect

The gauge cluster might be made from 3 'pods' but it sure doesn't remind me of the GS. More like a mutant butt with 3 buns ..

nikecar

the freshalloy.com logo is the website's addy... with so many people taking pics and saying its theirs' Fresh Alloy watermarked the pic....

you can rest assured you new 2002 won't have it....

har1bush

the gauge doesn't look too bad to me... like someone said, kinda looks like the one in Lexus GS and also the Acura TL/CL. I'm still not very fond of the rest of the car's interior though... even Motor Trend seemed to think that they cut costs too much in the interior materials.

pat

Someone's looking for you over in the Protege discussion. ;-)

Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board

lngtonge18

I think the Altima's gauge cluster looks very similar to the Lexus GS layout. However, Lexus lit up its gauges in a strange very bright computer green with greenish/white background. It was so bright it bothered my eyes. C & D called the gauge lights in the Altima orange. Pontiac often uses orange colors in their dash and Pontiac is not something I want to be reminded of when driving a Nissan. Personally, I don't believe that jargon about red being easier on the eyes. I owned an 85 Audi 5000 whose blood red gauges and center console lighting was difficult to read. The console lighting needed to be very bright in order to decipher the small encryptions, but turning up the dimmer ended up washing out the gauges, making them so blood red the numbers became slightly blurry. I think Audi now realizes this as my parents 01 Audi A4 has white gauges with red needles (similar to my Altima) but continues the red lighting everywhere else. My 84 Mazda RX7 has red lighting as well. It doesn't bother me quite as much as the Audi did, but it still has the dull center console lighting problem. Considering all these problems I have had with red lighting, I think green or white is the best color as it can be bright enough to easily see without bothering my eyes. Orange may not be quite as bad as blood red, but to me the color is just plain ugly looking.

barnone

it's a good thing that you could adjust the
level of brightness in a cr-v dash.

lngtonge18

I just thought of something. Does anyone know if the newer style backlit gauges are still lit by small light bulbs?? Reason I ask is because the dash lighting might be easily changed. My 91 Nissan Stanza acquired its green HVAC lighting by putting a little green condom over the bulb. I took the green covering off and voila! It looked exactly like the white lighting on my 97.5 Altima and also allowed the lights to look brighter. If it's as simple as pulling an orange covering off to get rid of the ugly orange color, than I may still get a 2.5S

bimmer4me

You've caught my attention more than once mentioning your 97.5 Altima. I know there was a design change for 98. What is the signifigance between the 97 and 97.5? Was it a special edition? Just curious... : )

lngtonge18

To be honest, I'm not completely sure what the difference was between the 97 and 97.5. I think it's because my car is a limited edition. Someone else told me Nissan added side-impact beams for the 97.5 but that can't be true because I saw a 96 Altima ad in a magazine boasting of the beams. Nissan released a few 97.5 models, including the Inifiniti J30. They were advertised as 97.5 models, so I'm not just making it up

cncman

97.5 had special badging, mats, alloy wheels and a keyless entry with security on it, Nissan does this when they are doing a change and need to blow out someplatforms, like 99.5 pathfinder, and the 2001 GXE limited edition altima.

bluesky999

No, no, guys, you have it all wrong. Those white and black gauges are too plain. My eyes much prefer the orangish color (now don't flame me).

Nice writeups in Car and Driver on the Alti and upcoming G35. IMO the Alti is nice if you can stomach the interior's hard plastics and Nissan dealer experience, but the G35 sounds awesome with its 48/52 weight distribution and advanced features. That said, although I could afford the G35 will probably get the Alti as I think the SL will be priced very low.

Now, about those gauges, you really liked the old black and white? Seriously though, isn't that a minor thing?

lngtonge18

Nissan must have messed up than with my 97.5 or maybe they only put in a security system minus the remote keyless on 97.5 models. My car has the alloy wheels and security system, but does not have the remote keyless function. In fact, I was so sure it had one I went and bought a remote on ebay. I couldn't get the stupid thing to program so took it to Nissan and they told me it had no keyless function and that it would be cheaper to just get a keyless system installed somewhere else than to add the Nissan parts. Is this true? The security system is already there so how expensive could it possibly be for a Nissan dealer to add that one minor feature?? I was told it would cost like $300. So, now I have a remote I can't use and a key that sometimes doesn't want to turn the driver's lock. For once I would like to have a car with keyless entry!! LOL
As for the gauges, yes, I much prefer the plain black and white gauges. I don't consider it minor as I'm gonna have to look at them all the time. If I think they look ugly or bother my eyes at night, than I sure as hell don't want to stare at them all the time. I would never be happy with them and it would ruin the whole experience of the car. So, to me, it would be a reason to not buy the Altima. Hopefully there is a way around this because I really do like the car.

cncman

ingtonge;
Yea, if yours is really a 97.5 LE, it will have the remote from the factory, you do have the limited edition floormats and badging on the side of the car on the front 1/4 panel right? And if you do have the security system light on the dash, then you defintiely were suppossed to have a remote, the system does de activate with the ket though, the remote that you bought, is it kind of oval shaped with a large blue button on the top? It is a very unique remote that came with it.
I can email you the procedure for programming it if you want.

blueguydotcom

It's a RWD car designed to compete with BMW's venerable 3 series. The Altima's a Camcord competitor. Two different market segments completely.

redline65

When does the G35 go on sale?

b4z

Altima has 246 ft lbs of torque which by itself will really make the car jump. I think the Accord has only about 200 ft lbs.
My intrigue had 230 ft lbs and was noticeably quicker off the line than the accord.
I suspect a 0-60 time for the auto of just under 7 seconds. Quicker if it had the 5 speed auto.
Hoping that the nissan tranny is efficient and doesn't rob horsepower like the Chrysler autos do.

blueguydotcom

it's gonna be a 2003 model. So I'd guess 2002...maybe even mid-2002.

jrct9454

...is due to be released early next year [2002]; they haven't been any more specific than that, to my knowledge. This is rwd, based on the Skyline, and should be a very intriguing proposition, if they price it right...

lngtonge18

Yes, my car has the green limited edition badging on the front quarter panels. It also has an orange security system light flashing on the dash display. I dont have the floormats, so they must have been taken before I bought the car. The remote I bought on ebay is the original Nissan remote and was meant for 96-97 Altimas and 96-98 Pathfinders. It was tested by the dealer and it indeed works properly. I got instructions on how to program the remote and it failed to work. I called up my brother who has a 97 Maxima and the shop manual to help me figure out if my system worked. None of the tests worked, so I took it to the dealer who than tried to program the remote for me. They couldn't get it to work either and said most likely my car never had it. They claimed some Nissans just had a security system and that the remote function was extra. I was so bummed! I bought the stupid remote figuring that all limited edition models made by Nissan had a keyless remote. So, would it really cost $300 for the dealer to make the remote I now have work? Thanks for your insight.

minilink

I am looking to buy a car, but am holding on the purchase for this!
how much will SEL be priced at? and will it being a 2002 mean that no negotiation on prices with dealers? should one wait?

s852

There is no such thing as an Altima SEL.
There are no official prices announced.
Negotiated price will depend on when and where you buy the car.
You would be better off waiting than buying before the 2002 models come put from the competing cars if you want the best price.

nikecar

minilink... The SEL is actually the SL in the 2002. AS s852 said, prices aren't out yet, but don't buy one for at least a month after they are out.. gives the market time to settle down. Also to guage if interest is there, if not then you get a deal...

lngtonge18... Maybe the remote won't work for your car... you did say it was a 96-97 model one right... maybe the new ones are different (assuming you have a newer model). Either way, if it was to cost $300 for the dealer to hook it up, then go out and buy an aftermarket with anticarjack, and a whole lot of other features for that price...

but if you have the window decal from your purchase, it will say if you have the remote car alarm...

cncman

ing;
is it kind of an oval shape with one large blue button on the top and a smaller one on the bottom? It is not the same as the pathfinder remotes, on the older altimas, pre-95 they did have security but no remote, but the LE definitely had the remote, Nissan did not make them without it. Just a brief rundown on the procedure to see if it is what you have been doing, get inside, lock the doors with the power door lock switch, insert and remove the key several times until the emergency flashers flash, turn key to accessory position and press a button on the remote, if it works, the lights will flash again, does this sound like what you did?

minilink

Thanks for the posts, I got confused yes its not SEL but 2.5 SL! I actually was looking to buy a car before Winters hit Canada thats prob Oct? So, I was thiniking to buy this 2002 stuff as soon as it hits the road, but youve got a point... let the dust (and prices) settle... so what should I do? I am also looking at 1.7EL Acura, Nissan Sentra and thinking of European cars... ?
I know I am bloddy confused!
Any thoughts..

lngtonge18

Yep, that is exactly what I did. No amount of inserting and removing the ignition key could get the flashers to flash, so I couldn't even get to the part of programming the remote (the door was locked with the power switch and all doors were closed). My remote has a large semi-circular shaped blue lock button and 2 buttons below it (one for unlocking and one for panic). The dealer tried the same procedure. Nothing happened. My brother's Maxima book stated a way to test the circuit by repeatedly pushing the rear defroster button, which should turn on the interior light. This didn't happen either, but the Altima could be different (although I doubt it since I imagine they all use the same system). The only thing I can think of is, is the keyless system tied into the original radio? I know the 97-98 Civic did that. This car has an aftermarket CD player installed. Is there something I can look for that would tell me whether the stupid car has the keyless function?? Where would the control box be? This has perplexed me to no end! I think Nissan simply forgot to install it on my car or its not hooked up properly If they did, I wonder if there is a way to make them put it on since as a limited edition model it was supposed to have it. I do know the security system works because I locked the doors and than unlocked it from the inside and opened the door and the horn went off and the lights flashed. It turned off when I inserted the key in the door and locked it. Thanks so far with all the quick replies.

s852

There is a lot of talk about 97 and 98 Altimas in this 2002 board.

bluesky999

Redline, G35 goes on sale in March, 2002. It's a 2003 model. Freshalloy.com has a link to it with some different pix. Car and Driver expects to break new ground in handling--we may finally have some very serious competition for the 3-Series from a Japanese company--the IS300 doesn't measure up in varied ways.

Ington, I respect that the orange gauges will ruin the car for you. I guess we're just totally different--you're much more sensitive than me or something. Considering such things as exterior styling, interior design, handling, power, steering, gas mileage, room, and color of gauges, the color of gauges doesn't even make it onto my radar screen. I think you're right that you should get a different car. On the other hand, perhaps you could try renting one for a week or two and see if you can adjust to it. Try not to "stare at it all the time"--not good for your health or others while you're on the road. Good luck, I think you'll need it.

Blueguy, no kidding the G35 is a different segment, that's not news. It's a free country, and myself and others cross-shop segments--there's no law against it. For example, Ruski is a 300M owner (a near-luxury like the G35 will be) and is also considering the Alti.

lngtonge18

LOL, you know what i meant. I don't stare at the gauges all the time, but its hard to ignore the orange glowing at your face when driving at night. That is what I am referring to.

ruski

I had a Pontiac Grand Prix GTP for 3 years with orange instruments and they did not bother me.

Audi puts orange and red instrument lighting on their cars and it seems that most people still love their Audis.

Orange did not stop BMW from being the ultimate car.

Research shows that actually it is the blue color that scatters the most making blue-lit objects blurry.

bimmer4me

lngtonge18

Exactly what I was talking about. If you like Pontiacs, you ought to like the Altimas gauge lighting. As for me, I have been in Pontiacs and thought the lighting made them look ugly, cheesy, and gimmicky. So, I don't want to be reminded of a Pontiac in my Altima. Just personal taste. Audi no longer uses red gauge lighting. They are now white, which leads me to believe people didn't like the red (the rest of the console lighting continues to be red). Here's a curiousity: C&D did a comparison test of sports sedans in the 25K range and took a picture of each car's gauge lighting and told which ones work best and which dont. The Infiniti G20 with its white lit gauges were said to be the best ("great legibility with no gimmicks...perfect dimmer control. classic simplicity"). The BMW with its orange-red gauges were considered ok ("brightening the cluster lighting spreads an orange tint over the background, reducing contrast". This is my problem with orange gauges). They felt the blue lights on the Jetta were too blurry with bad legibility (I don't see how they came up with that because they look good to me). However, if you look at the pics, the most legible displays were the white Infiniti, the blue Jetta, and the green Saab. The BMW "persimmon" lights looked way too bright and had terrible contrast. The old Audi red gauges had good contrast but looked blurry. The new white Audi gauges are a huge improvement. They no longer look blurry and end up looking classier. I know lights won't make the Altima a junky car. It would just be more of an annoyance to me and I don't want to be annoyed when spending 20K on a car.
Anywho, sorry for beating this topic to death, LOL.

bimmer4me

Funny that you mention the Audi. I have a good friend who purchased a 2000 A6 and the red lighting bothered his eyes so much, he traded it in on a 2001 Lexus GS300.

jeffyjc

Aloha...very interested in the V6 with MT...anyone a a price spread and showroom date?
Mahalo.from Hawaii JC

jimxo

What happened to this board?

I guess there is nothing else to talk about for another month until the Altima arrives.

har1bush

wow, this post died down when all the talk about the old Altima and the new Altima's pricing died out. Well, I picked up the Sept Motor Trend today and they had a pretty decent article on the ALtima. I liked those new pictures that weren't pasted from the Nissan website as well. Once again, it seemed like even Motor Trend was quick to point out the rather dissappointing interior. I also did not have a clue what they meant when they wrote that the dash would feel like its at your knees if it weren't for the adjustable seat and steering heights -- how can the dash sit so low? Anyhow, that 0-60 time is just surreal in a family sedan and the car looks like a good one!

ecarmack

Seems like all of the Nissan manuals (Maxima, Sentra, Altima) are getting bad reviews for being hard to engage and having a plasticky feel. I hope Nissan can refine this.

speedracer3

Well Nissan said that they wante to "raise" the driving position to get a better more commanding view of the road. That explains why Motor Trend says that the dash seems so low, truthfully it's probably the seat that is just higher up.

jimxo

I own a 2k Maxima and love it. My wife needs a new car so the new Camry was on our shopping list.

After a quick drive today I said "nice". Very smooth and boring, but lots of room up front. Dash was the best layout I have seen so far. SE had nice sport seats with cloth trim. Everything was at my finger tips. Back seat was not much improved. The car drove like my old Lexus and the transmission was perfect.

One BIG problem, $24,800 without a V-6. Have a nice day sir. I think the Altima will be a bigger, more powerful car for the same money.

I told the salesman to call me after 4 weeks when I was done driving the Altima SE.

Bottom line, well it the same as before. Nissan will probably offer a little more car for less money.

lsc

jimxo,

where part of the country are you at? i didn't know that the 2002 Camrys were already out.

tim_hooligan

the 2002's just came out today at selected dealers near you.
what it looks like is each car going to have its niche...and each may really help all of us save money. "fine, i'm going to buy an altima! (to the saleman)". the altima looks much more edgy and more of a bargain (we hope). but the articles also mention how loud the engine gets at high revs. sounds like a typical nissan engine. but, it'll get you to the next stoplight much faster!
the camry is much more subdued in styling, and you'll blend in just fine. its engine is not going to win any races, but it'll be the smooth, quiet, and dependable toyota engine people buy it for.
what makes me leery about buying another nissan is that I always get the same response from the dealers ... "The car was designed that way." Sorry, but a car with a transmission that buzzes and shifts hard, and suspension that clunks is crap in my opinion. But that's also the nature of 1st-run cars (ala 1996 Pathfinder)

anyways, i'm waiting to get my paws on the wheel and see which one pleases me!

p.s. those taillights on the altima are terrible! the camry wins in the grille and taillights for looks. that's my story and i'm sticking to it.

jimxo

I am in Chicago, IL. Camry's will be officially launched on August 17. One month from today Altima is here and I can make my decision.

If I buy the Camry I will be one of a million people who own one a few years from now. I purchased the Maxima in 2000 partly because Accords were everywhere and I wanted something a little bigger.

Either way Altima or Camry I will be in good shape.

sdatta

about the Altima vs. Camcord pricing debate. The magazine reviews I've read (3 so far) about the 02 Altima all stated that they will be priced about the same as the Camcords and that the Altima will prove to be a compelling alternative. So for what it's worth, the "experts" feel that the Altima doesn't have to undercut in order to see a lot of Altimas. Many buyers will recognize the Altima as the better value.

speedracer3

You said

"also mention how loud the engine gets at high revs. sounds like a typical nissan engine"

Your typical Nissan engine is loud?. What a broad generalization!. The VQ engine in the Maxima/Altima V6 is quiet and buttery smooth and it is superior to anything that Honda or Toyota make.

redline65

So the Altima SE may only produce 235 hp! I won't even look at one now!

jimxo

Several car magazines have recently said the Altima with the 4 cylinder will have 175 and for sure 240 on the V6. Nissan never officially said 180 and the car is a month from official launch. I don't think Nissan needs to apologize for anything.

As for the Q45 it can produce 340 HP no is questing that. 0-60 times are about .05 slower than previously stated according to most companies that have tested the Q.

To get a 0-60 in 5.9 seconds they must of had 2 gallons a premium fuel in the tank and ran the car 100 times. The Lexus GS400 claimed 5.7 seconds and the new GS430 claims 5.8 when it is supposed to have more power. More power but a fraction slower, thats weird. Most magazines as of late said 6.0 to 60 (MT Sept issue)for the new GS.

Who cares that 180 OR 175 HP anyone buying a 4 banger to race is not that serious. If Nissan lowers the 240 HP on the 2002 Altima before the release date then it still is ok buy me. Either way Camry and Accord will be seeing my tail lights.

philwang66

Actually, Nissan did state 180hp for the 4-cyl and 240 for the V6 (http://www.nissandriven.com/vehicles/FutureVehicleDetails/0,9437,517,00.html). That's official to me.

Regardless, I agree that 175-180 or 235-240 is no big deal other than marketing/bragging rights. I'll be looking for a family sedan late this year/early next year and the Altima will be on my short list.

jimxo

I see your point, however as a business person in the telecom business I know that anything up until full production and release date nothing is 100%.

Nissan driven may have claimed that, but worldwide the car will no be exactly the same as far as HP goes due to emissions. Just something to think about

philwang66

My only point was that I would consider NissanDriven an "official" source of Nissan information. I agree with everything else you're saying... Certainly, this is a "paper" difference as the engines haven't changed. It will have no impact on whether I wind up liking/disliking the car.

On another note, I'm not terribly fond of the looks of the center console in the photos I've seen so far. Specifically, I don't like the rounded sides of the stereo controls. Other than that, I think its a sharp looking car. Hopefully, the interior will look/feel better in person. No pricing information available yet?