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Comments
The Jetta just got a bump to 180hp, so performance will be in the same ball park.
-juice
Now an A4 1.8T can be purchased for about 25-26k. Much nicer car than the Altima, but not as powerful and much smaller than it too.
A well equipped Bimmer for that price sounds good, just make sure it meets your space needs. I was fortunate enough to attend the BMW Ultimate Driving School, and hot lapped a 330xi a few times. Very impressive and quite fast, but then again they're closer to $40k. Even the 2.5l engine does not feel underpowered at all.
But they are really almost a 2+2, with very tight rear quarters. I much prefer the 5 series, and if power isn't a top priority, they start around $37k, maybe less with the European delivery. I actually think the Altima is a little bigger than the 5 series, really.
-juice
Maybe I'm so happy with my car, like quite a few other 2.5S owners on this board, because it's a really nice car. I asked in an earlier post for someone to list a bigger, faster, better built, better handling, more comfortable car for $18K (what I paid for mine). I don't remember any replies to that post.
As for my noting the MPG from my trip. I wasn't bragging so much as reporting what actual highway mileage was. Often reported mileage is overstated b/c they drive at the speed limit.
But you nailed it with my last post. I'm just easy to please.
BTW I still don't buy that your post on quality problems wasn't overstated.
the SE last night.. What a rocket... Man, I turned into a side street after doing 90 in a 45 zone with the salesman in the back and before I got fully out of the turn I accidentally PUNCHED IT (I dive a ford ranger and ya actually have to push the Gas pedal---Dayum Altima's was super touchy).. I chirped the front tires and regained control in a second or 2, but it got my heart rate goin.... Sales dude says... "GOOD SAVE" LMAO!!!!!! Had a comfortable feel to it, but I do agree about the platics in the car.. They are crap.... And those dayum tunnels ya have to look down to see the gauges.. WIERD!!! Now I wouldn't be able to Co-pilot from the passenger seat (Wifey has a lead foot ya see)... This particular dealer, the one thay now has 35+ in stock has a $500+ markup for Pinstripes and some kind of moldings for the wheel wells, but he said "Don't worry about that" Hmmmm I thought.... maybe I should have gotten that in righting... Well, i havn't negotiated yet, but I'm doing my homework through www.carbuyingtips.com and trying to find more amo here...
Great forum goin here....
Mcarlo24
Maybe I'm so happy with my car, like quite a few other 2.5S owners on this board, because it's a really nice car. I asked in an earlier post for someone to list a bigger, faster, better built, better handling, more comfortable car for $18K (what I paid for mine). I don't remember any replies to that post.
As for my noting the MPG from my trip. I wasn't bragging so much as reporting what actual highway mileage was. Often reported mileage is overstated b/c they drive at the speed limit.
But you nailed it with my last post. I'm just easy to please.
BTW I still don't buy that your post on quality problems wasn't overstated.
Regards, Floridian
Mc24
Mc24
Good luck negotiating.
Also, there is a guy on these boards somewhere that brought a Pathfinder from Canada awhile back, we e-mailed one another back and forth for a while, he didn't have any problems buying in Canada and getting it back here, none at all. Good luck with your purchase.
Seriously, I always appreciate a polite disagreement with someone who is not offended by a little sarcasm.
regards,
Brad
Pat
Host
Sedans Message Board
Floridian
did the internet thing once before when buying my wife's CR-V, but the quotes didnt come close to one i found at a dealer. fearful this price is a classic "if it sounds too good to be true..." and will be hit with some back-end BS add-ons when it comes time to sign on the dotted line.
will find out for sure when i hit local dealers tomorrow and see how close they'll come to this price. at least i have a negotiating tool.
After dropping in on the local dealers several times a week for the last two months, hoping to see a 5-speed 3.5SE, one arrived on Tuesday. It was being "prepped" (4pm) and the dealer said come back at 5pm to test it. I said I would be back the next day, and he warned that it would probably sell that night, and we would not see another until the spring.
When I arrived the next morning, just after the showroom opened, I was informed that the car was sold the night before, and he could not let me test drive it.
I expect that the dealer did not discount from MSRP.
If there are manual 3.5SE's in Canada, they are probably in Southern Ontario (Toronto), and another one may never make it this far east if trans-border shopping Americans figure out how easy and cheap it is for them.
The line-ups at the border have been longer since Sept 11, but when I drove from Montreal to Albany last week, it was quite painless.
then proceeded to action nissan in nyack, ny. talked with a salesman named freddie and told him that i received a very aggressive internet quote. without telling him he beat the price right out of the box and after a little bit of negotiating, came in a mere $400 over invoice. not bad price for a hot car --and no adminstrative/window-etching BS!
now i just have to pick a color. geez, i can't decide. none of the colors stand out, except for the seascape green and that's not my bag. all of you new altima owners out there, what color did you pick? pewter? beige? ruby? and am i the only one that likes the blond leather?
one final observation. the ramsey nissan dealership building was quite nice: marble floors, high ceilings, lots of glass and a pretty receptionist. on the flip side, action in nyack left a lot to be desired aesthetically. but their guy gave me a good price.
the scenario was identical a few years back when shopping for my wife's CR-V. the price we received from a comfortable honda dealership in nanuet, ny (which just got re-renovated!) came no where close to the final price we got from a more cramped dealership in mahwah, nj.
mere coincidence, or something to go buy in the future?
good luck to all. see you on the road!!
We met with Ron at Garden City (NY) Nissan. Very nice guy, but the managers were real characters. Three hours later, after VERY much haggling, we got our desired deal:
The car
2.5 S 16,552.00
destination 540.00
Auto transmission 782.00
Splash guards 77.00
Floor mats 60.00
Microfilter 39.00
Invoice MSRP TMV
$18,050 $19,626 $19,543
Mom got an out-the door price of $18,600 (before tax and plates), which is about 3% over invoice, and more than $1000 under MSRP.
We didn't even discuss advertising and documentation fees (since we negotiated final price), but they did try very hard to get us to pay a $349 dealer prep fee. The sales manager tried to get us to split it, but finally dropped it entirely. They also seriously tried to lowball the trade by $550, but we got our asking price for that ($5500). The manager actually tried to explain that his offer for the trade, at $4950, would reduce the tax we paid by about $450, so he was REALLY giving us $5300 for it. We got the $5500 in the end.
Only concession we made: Mom financed with them (at 6.9 %) instead of paying cash - that allowed them to get the car out of there before the end of November. She'll pay off the loan in full as soon as the title arrives (3 to 4 months).
Nice car ! However, if gotten at MSRP + ad + doc fee + prep ++, it would have not been a good value at all, in my opinion.
BTW, drack: My silver haired Mom went for the Silver.
Any wife, for some reason, thinks the Pewter color is richy lookin and it's gonna be hers so... I like the beige with a nice black Pin Stripe, and the Moroon colored one...
Mcarlo24
getting to action nissan in nyack is a breeze. up the GSP again until it ends and head toward the TZ Bridge. get off at exit 11, which is the last before the bridge. make a left at the light at the end of the ramp and action is not even 100 yards down on the left.
i think edison is about 45 minutes away from nyack. give yourself and hour, just in case.
funny, i'm trying to trade in my integra!
I have linked this discussion into that folder, but it will always reside here in Sedans.
Looking forward to meeting everyone!
KarenS
Host
Owner's Clubs
I was shocked to find the 2002 "old" Accord prevailed in the December 2001 Car and Driver showdown with the new Altima and Camry:
http://www.forbes.com/2001/11/30/1203flint.html
I was shocked to find the 2002 "old" Accord prevailed in the December 2001 Car and Driver showdown with the new Altima and Camry:
http://www.forbes.com/2001/11/30/1203flint.html
Why can't we get the best of the two (Alti & Max)?!
Oh well...
Nissan Division Announces 4.8 Percent Increase in Sales [Dec. 03, 01]
- Altima leads with 42.6% increase; The increase was paced by the highly acclaimed re-designed Altima, launched in late August, which saw its best November ever with sales of 13,675 units, a 42.6 percent increase versus last year.
Also would like to see Nissan offer a XM satelite radio option with the Bose radio option.
I drive a Cadillac Concours and I like pure acceleration. The Altima is a fun ride and just needs a little more "electric fuzz." I could leave Cadillac and put one of these fun rockets on the interstate.
bill hale
knoxville, tennessee
Husband and I did a test drive of the 2.5 S at Cox Nissan in the Bronx, NY today. The car lived up to my expectations. The interior fit and finish was satisfactory. After we made it CLEAR that we were
not ready to purchase for another 2 months, the sales man brought us inside to work on us. He quoted MSRP of $19,875 and was adamant that NO ONE was selling below that price. I gave him a smug look but said nothing because I KNOW that CarsDirect is quoting the same car at $18,900. It was interesting sitting in the dealership listening to the salesman explain the reason for the pricing as S-L-O-W-L-Y as he could, as if he was thinking up what he was going to say next. The husband and I laughted as we left. In 2-4 months when we are ready to buy, we'll know where NOT to go!
Anyhow, our out-the-door price was $550 less than that at carsdirect.com. Carsdirect is quite competitive, but they include ad fees in quoted invoice price (sort of deceptive) and (in my experience) on the back-end the dealer tries to slap on documentation fees in the range of $200.
I bought a Toyota Sienna in Summer of 2000 and beat carsdirect by $300. It's a good service, and they have a weird arrangement with their affiliated dealerships: If you shop the carsdirect price, the dealerships REFUSE to beat it.
I can't believe that a dealer quoted you MSRP for more than 60 seconds. As you indicated, knowledge is power !
When I was ready to buy my Sienna in 2000, I flooded the dealerships within 30 miles with e-mails and faxes (attn: sales manager), indicating what I would pay (net of ad fees, etc.), and that I would sign right now. I was in and out of the Toyota dealership in less than 20 minutes - no nonsense.
Irontiger: The owner's manual for the 4-banger indicates 87 octane. Might be different for the six.