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Nissan Altima

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Comments

  • aftyafty Member Posts: 499
    The sunroof does cut into headroom quite a bit. I'm only 5'10" so I have a decent amount of room even with the sunroof, but I don't have as much as I would have expected from such a large car. However, without the sunroof there's a heck of a lot of headroom.

    I've seen a few SE's close to base. I had the opportunity to purchase one with a 5-speed, sunroof, and spoiler, but the price was too high and the car lacked ABS.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I'm 5'11' with a 30' inseam and had no problem at all getting comfy. The rear seat in particular seemed quite spacious, more so in leg room than head room, but even that was OK.

    -juice
  • storytellerstoryteller Member Posts: 476
    Does anyone have pictures or experience with aftermarket upgrades on the Alty interior? Kits are out there that are supposed to let you improve the interior, and one poster a long time ago said he was going to have carbon fiber put over the cheap plastic. Do these kits actally produce a nice looking car? Or is this like putting makeup on a hard-looking streetwalker?

    Juice: I'm with you. An Altima owner's board makes sense.

    Everyone: Carpoint gives insights not available here, although I confess I haven't seen the owner boards, but Edmunds is clearly a class act compared to Carpoint, especially the contributions of the hosts. As for Carpoint's boards, think of a hockey game with no referees.
  • canadianclcanadiancl Member Posts: 1,078
    I'm 6'8" and I can sit in the Alty and turn my foot above my head. But then again I have a 50" inseam.

    I'm sorry, I'm neither of those. I just couldn't help myself after reading everyone posting the measurements of their various body parts, and doing weird gymnastics in the car, and I'm all alone in the office, and...

    Anyways..., did I say I'm sorry? Carry on people.
  • ahossaahossa Member Posts: 152
    I saw at Star Nissan In Queens Ny a light burlwood installed by the dealer in a 2.5S. They charged $599.00 to do this. It seemed to be over 20 pieces(front and back) and it looked great. It was better that the factory installed wood in the 3.5Se.This was a velvet beige 2.5s with blonde interior. As a matter of fact if i buy an Alty I will install the burlwood.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    You know what they say about long legs...

    long pants!

    That was probably real burlwood. I'm sure it does look better than the plood Altima has (thankfully optional).

    -juice
  • tomcivilettitomciviletti Member Posts: 207
    ...is that nissan has FINALLY produced a good looking car. What was the last one? The original 240z or maybe the 240sx? Their designs have been consistently homely, clumsy, silly, or uninspired. It's a wonder they have survived this long, although nissans have been relatively good cars in other ways. I only hope they keep whoever designed the new altima busy on future designs.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The 1989 4DSC Maxima was attractive for its class. The first Altima was a poor man's J30 and was popular. The hatch back 240SX and the last 300ZX were nice looking. And the original XTerra was rugged looking, though the new grille makes it look like it's a geek wearing glasses.

    So there were a few in there, but indeed most were pretty dull.

    -juice
  • bigbadboss101bigbadboss101 Member Posts: 54
    currently I have a leased 99 Maxima SE with 0 problem. It is going back to the dealer for a 2002 6 speed, 7 months before end of the lease.
    Tested the 3.5SE Altima and it was quick, and looks decent. The front IMO does look like a civic, but the rest of the body is nice. I don't care for the clear taillights. I would have given more consideration into the Altima but I didn't like:

    - the instrument panel. Didn't like the color,
    and not keen on the motorcycle design.
    - hood doesn't hold itself up
    - side mirrors don't fold
    - seats felt narrow, and I am not big (5'8, 195)

    had the above 4 issues didn't exist, I would considered the Altima at $5,000 Cdn less than the Maxima. Nevertheless, the car is eye catching, but where I am at I don't think too many got sold, partly due to the MSRP price and little bargaining room.

    They say this is a cure for the common car. I think they should have made it less common, meaning more out rageours interior instead of 'cheap'. The IS300 interior is outrageous and not so common. May be it would work out better if they pick either end of the spectrum (eg. more family vs more trend/tacky) than to be somewhat in the middle, and not pleasing either extremes?

    I like the car, but I like the Maxima more, even though it might be slower?!?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The interior on the IS300 is gimmicky. It's hard to read those tiny markings.

    The rest of the car is fantastic, but it's not an example of a high quality interior, IMO. It's also about two sizes down in interior space compared to the Altima, though it is RWD.

    -juice
  • cupholder1cupholder1 Member Posts: 231
    check out the Saab 9-3... now there's an "off the wall" interior that is nevertheless quite nice and tasteful.
  • tcdenvertcdenver Member Posts: 18
    It surprised me when I saw the mirrors. Even my ex 91 Mazda 626 had foldable mirrors. This is just another example of cost cutting. I heard that Nissan will make Maxima more luxury, not bigger, than Alty. That is the way Nissan will differentiate those two cars. I guess foldable mirror is an luxury item according to Nissan. By the way, those mirrows on Camry are not foldable either.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    During the wave of cost cutting in the mid '90s, lots of folding mirrors disappeared. My '91 Escort had them.

    -juice
  • lsclsc Member Posts: 210
    same w/ the Honda Accord in '98. They were smarter though, they brought the folding mirrors back the next year after numerous consumer complaints.

    I'm sure Nissan won't change the Altima's until they have the mid-cycle refreshening.

    Oh well, I just have to be more careful, pulling in and out of my garage.
  • aurorabillaurorabill Member Posts: 22
    About 3 weeks ago I wrote here about my experiences test driving the 2002 Altima. I, like others, didn't like the interior, but besides that I had no major gripes... except for the price on V6s. I mentioned that there were a few Altimas in the over 29K price range on my dealers lot and that the Maximas were at or below Altima prices.

    I just read a review in one of the car mags on the new 2002 I35 from Infiniti. It has 15 HP more than the Altima - actually the same as the Maxima. It does 0-60 in 6.9 (I think) with a 4-speed automatic. Best news is that is costs at or about 30K. It might seem ludicrous to compare the I35 with the Altima - but that is exactly what I am doing - and what some of you upscale buyers should do.

    Its interior is quite a step above either Maxima or Altima.

    Seems to me the Altima of choice would be the 2.5 4-cylinder for around $20K, and whose buyers have posted here on this list. Those buyers who want the six cylinder owe it to themselves to check out the Maxima - or better yet, the I35.

    As a guy keen on design, I will admit that the I35 exterior is getting a little old (But still looks okay), and the Altima looks great - real sharp!

    Aurorabill
  • bobbyknightbobbyknight Member Posts: 121
    I think that the altima is a good looking car, but on the 3.5SE the 17 inch wheels don't look that big for some reason. Anybody else think this?
  • maxamillion1maxamillion1 Member Posts: 1,467
    I don't think they look small, but I think they look to plain to be on the sporty model.
  • cupholder1cupholder1 Member Posts: 231
    Trouble with the I35 is that it is only available in a slush box, so there really isn't any point in owning one.

    If I want a Point A to Point B slush box car, I'd get a Taurus. Roomier, less money, takes regular gas.
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    ...after following this discussion for weeks, I finally sat in two Altimas at the local car show. One was a 2.5S with cloth, the other a 3.5SE with leather.

    I must say I went in with an open mind - we've owned everything German and Japanese built in the past 35 years...most recent were/are Mercedes and Honda Accord. Some of what I saw in the Altima can be called "design elements", and to me, these are strictly a matter of individual taste. Example: the attempt to make the plastic door handles appear to be some kind of brushed aluminum. This theme is repeated all over Nissan-land, including Infiniti. This either offends you or it doesn't, and it just doesn't matter much to me. There are lots of other design decisions throughout every car's cabin that either put you off or not...I'm quite forgiving about this stuff, generally, and I would say neither Altima bothered me much here.

    But beyond design, there are questions of EXECUTION: and here, I saw many disappointing details. The hard and often untextured nature of some surfaces has been mentioned here, but what was really noticeable was the poor matching of seams between pieces. The door panels include a section on the armrest that is cut into two sections, and the mismatch was so bad you could have sliced a finger on the edge if it had been much more sharp. There is a screw head that was covered with a black plug [on a tan interior] inside the arm on each front door; there were numerous examples of cutlines and poor fits all over the interior. This reminded me of GM at its worst.

    The actual materials used in the new Camry and current Accord are nothing special, but they feel better and seem to fit better in general than what I saw in these Altimas. I can certainly see, however, how an enthusiastic owner could look past all this to the great exterior design and excellent performance that these cars offer, and be perfectly happy with choosing this car.

    I haven't driven one yet, but reviews would prepare me for the fact that the ride on the 6 cyl car is going to be too rocky for my tastes; I expect the 4 cyl to be more to my liking, and with its hp level, would be sufficient for my needs anyway.

    For me, there is no doubt Nissan flubbed some of the final decision-making in the interior, and it would not surprise me to see something done about it in subsequent model years. As it stands, the car will sell well because many people will look past these details to the underlying engineering and good reliability...but I think an opportunity was missed to make a real break-through kind of statement.
  • oac3oac3 Member Posts: 373
    someone posted earlier about seating for 5 adults in the new Alty as maybe 4 full Japanese instead ! Such silly remark just goes to show you there are still some people with myopia. I visit Tokyo quite frequently on business (been here since Monday), and there are lots and lots of big sedans everywhere with room to seat 6 full adults, if need be. Looks like some people need to travel beyond their local malls to see what operates elsewhere....

    sheesh
  • blueguydotcomblueguydotcom Member Posts: 6,249
    "If I want a Point A to Point B slush box car, I'd get a Taurus. Roomier, less money, takes regular gas. "

    And 50 less HP and it's a FORD. Yeah, sounds like a grand plan. Entry level lux or a Ford. lol But then again if one decides on a car based on the gas requirements, one probably has concerns (financial) beyond getting a car one wants. If $100-200 extra per year in fuel costs dissuades you, maybe you're looking out of your price range.

    Now the Alty is supposed to take on the Taurus too, but that's really a joke as again it's competing against a Ford. Competing isn't even a useful word here as the Altima is in a different league: power, style, handling, reliability.
  • cupholder1cupholder1 Member Posts: 231
    Just means you're thinking about the overall financial picture. I know most people don't bother or care. That's why we have millions of bankruptcies every year and people maxing out the credit cards. These type of people will be the first to squeal like pigs when the gas is back up to $2.00 a gallon again.
  • alfaberalfaber Member Posts: 19
    aurorabill: I just bought a new I35, and think it is a great car. The interior is very nice, and certainly looks much more upmarket than the Altima. I also like the exterior styling, but that is obviously subjective. I'd urge you to check it out before making a decision.
    -andy
  • jrct9454jrct9454 Member Posts: 2,363
    ...if your friendly Infiniti dealer has some I35s around without heavy option loads, and given the current state of the market, I surely would buy one of those before spending even close to equivalent money on any Altima.
  • maxamillion1maxamillion1 Member Posts: 1,467
    but I have got to have a stick shift. I hate automatics.

    It's a very nice looking car, inside and out...
  • canadianclcanadiancl Member Posts: 1,078
    You want a stick because you're a young stud. I used to drive nothing but stick. But when you get to be an old fart like me, you'd appreciate the slushbox :) Hell, sometimes I wish there was a device to steer the car for me too, so I can finish my coffee and make a phone call!
  • one_loveone_love Member Posts: 28
    with a Nissan Altima Owners Board? Others here have spoken for it too.
  • dkneedsnwcrdkneedsnwcr Member Posts: 35
    When I went to the Nissan dealer there was an Infinity in an adjoining room. While in the Infininty showroom, a salesman was getting REAMED big time. Apparently (and I just caught a whiff of their conversation) the salesman messed up and lost a sale on a Q45.
    :)

    Anyways, when I went to test drive the Altima, nice car, interior didn't bother me too much. The display wasn't really appealing to me. But it wasn't a deal killer in my eyes.

    The only bad experience through this was that the salesman was an absolute idiot. I brought a friend along cuz he had nothing to do that day and he was askin' all these questions about the car. Salesman couldn't answer a thing. It ended up that I answered all the questions. When I asked about speed-sensitive power steering (because it did feel numb at times), he couldn't answer me.

    Thank goodness for the internet otherwise, the car would have been a complete mystery.
  • riezriez Member Posts: 2,361
    dkneedsnwcr... Altima uses an "engine-speed sensitive" power rack & pinion steering system. Vehicle-speed sensitive system is preferable.
  • lsclsc Member Posts: 210
    Of course if you can buy the I35..have the cash...it's the one to get.

    The new refreshening is nothing short of excellent work over at Infiniti.

    Congrats on you new car. Don't race my Altima though...even though mine's an automatic, I'm crazy :-)
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    I'll ask KarenS, the host, to put it on her list.

    Question - I was thinking of closing the other Altima discussion and having this one be the place for talking about both current and past versions of this vehicle. Any strong objections to this? I don't really see a need to keep the separate conversations going, and it would make more sense when setting up the Owners Board.

    Pat
    Host
    Sedans Message Board
  • emmo1emmo1 Member Posts: 6
    pathost: that's a good idea

    jrct9454 and dkneedsnwcr: The bottom line is that the new Altima is not a finished car. Nissan rushed it. Although they did a commendable job on the exterior design and the 2.5 and 3.5 engines, the incompleteness of the car is all too obvious in the interior. Have a Camry salesperson describe the new Camry to you and you'll see what I mean. As for the Nissan salespersons. Totally clueless. These guys couldn't sell snow to an Eskimo. They wouldn't know how to describe it. Nissan will learn a bitter lesson from the Altima. The sale of any car (or thing for that matter) starts with your sales staff.
  • maxamillion1maxamillion1 Member Posts: 1,467
    Please! Toyota dealers act like they don't have enough time to deal with you, they carry such snobbishness, and they all act like no car is better. The dealership I went to was pathetic, they told me that the new Altima was slower than the Camry, and that the Camry comes standard with automatic transmission. Like I really want one. Also, they talk bad about other cars that are comparable, like the Accord and new Altima, I can at least say that around here, the Nissan dealership is better than the Toyota or Honda dealership. Even though half of the staff no nothing about the new Altima. They treat me with respect everytime I go there even though they all know that I am just 16. When you are treated nicely, somethings can be overlooked, but when they treat you like you are nobody, I automatically know that in my mind they will never get my business.

    Also, for anybody who cares, in yesterdays Greenville Newspaper, Benson Nissan advertised all 2002 Nissan Altimas at INVOICE, and all 2002 Nissan Maximas at $1,000 BELOW INVOICE!
  • joeandcarol2joeandcarol2 Member Posts: 152
    I'm 53 and i hate automatics also. Its about control and fun when you drive. if you want someone to steer why bother drive? Why bother visiting a car website.?
  • joeandcarol2joeandcarol2 Member Posts: 152
    Greenville NC?
  • bobbyknightbobbyknight Member Posts: 121
    Athough I don't think that the altima will be a lesson to Nissan, I do agree that the Altima needs more development. Camry and Accord are so over developed it is sickning but they are as plain as white bread. Its just refresing to know there is a sporty alternative out there.
  • canadianclcanadiancl Member Posts: 1,078
    Don't get me wrong. I would love to have a real sports car like a Porsche and use it just for fun on weekends, vacation, etc. Then its a no-brainer that you'd want a stickshift. For a daily commuter, kidsmobile, grocery-getter sedan, when I would be sitting in traffic half the time and trying to meet appointments and give instructions to the office staff, I couldn't be bothered with a stick. How much fun and control do you have with a stick inching along in traffic?
  • maxamillion1maxamillion1 Member Posts: 1,467
    It's Greenville, South Carolina. I looked in the paper at school yesterday and I was shocked. I think the dealership is in Easley, South Carolina though..
  • dabronxrdabronxr Member Posts: 73
    I noticed the carsdirect price on all the altimas for 2002 have gone down $150.00 in last week. On the down side the price of Maximas on carsdirect has gone up $200.00 in last two weeks!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    You don't (inch along in traffic). Adjust your work hours, if possible, so that your commute isn't bumper to bumper, then get a 5 speed.

    The I35 is styled nicely, I prefer it to the Maxima, but that 6 speed is a big plus.

    The quick drop in prices is no shock, because Nissan has not matched the 0% offers from other makes.

    -juice
  • dkneedsnwcrdkneedsnwcr Member Posts: 35
    was really nice apart from the fact that he was out to (or is it "for"?) lunch while trying to peddle me the car.

    I definately liked the car. There's nothing wrong with the interior. It's simple, nothing fancy, and not too far a stretch from my current '88 Accord. But being young, I opted for a sporty car.

    If I was in the market for a family hauler, I think I'd lean heavily on buying the Altima as opposed to its competition.
  • rvideenrvideen Member Posts: 5
    My wife needed a new car...drove a Accord and the new Camry. She loved the new Altima. 2.5 SL, silver. She's had it a week and she says she really gets the head turns when she goes into a shopping center.
    Drove it on a 150 mile trip this weekend, a little over 31mpg.
    Price was $250 over invoice on Edmunds. Great deal I thought.
    She loves the Bose stero except when I put my Led Zeppelin CD's in!
  • regfootballregfootball Member Posts: 2,166
    congrats-which transmission?
  • dabronxrdabronxr Member Posts: 73
    You stated it was $250 over invoice on Edmunds. Do you mean edmunds listed 250 over as TMV in your area or that you were able to negotiate 250 over the invoice posted at Edmunds? Thanks for the info and ENJOY YOUR NEW ALTY!!!!!!!
  • speedracer3speedracer3 Member Posts: 650
    Congrats on the car!...want to win brownie points with the wife??. Tell her that it's not the car turning heads, it's her beauty. Let me know if it works.

    Enjoy

    Speed
  • canadianclcanadiancl Member Posts: 1,078
    Nothing beats a good-looking woman driving a good-looking car!
  • himomerhimomer Member Posts: 59
    That is very true. I had to teach my friend who is a salesman a couple of things about the car. He didn't know it had a trip computer, or a telescopic wheel.
  • one_loveone_love Member Posts: 28
    Welcome to the Altima family :) I know you'll enjoy the car as much as I am.
  • rvideenrvideen Member Posts: 5
    regfootball...it's a 4sp automatic
    dabronx....I bought it for $250 over Edmunds listed invoice. the dealer had it on the lot (came off the truck that day).
    My wife had a little trouble at first with the gated shifting (going from a 94 Olds Cutlass Supreme with auto on the column, but now she loves it.
    By the way...she is a good looking Italian!
  • rocko6rocko6 Member Posts: 1
    And I thought I got a good deal with $900 over invoice! I bought a polished pewter with charcoal leather, spoiler and moonroof the other day. I snapped it up as every 3.5 5 speed that I have seen around the Dallas area is gone as soon as it hits the lot. All I can say is that I am very happy with it so far!
This discussion has been closed.