Nissan Altima

afty · March 2002

I read that the center console wiggle is gone on recent production Altimas. Apparently they are making rolling changes on the production line. FWIW, the center console on my Altima (production date 11/01) does wiggle.

cho7819 · March 2002

Hey all - I havent been very active in this discussion nor do I know anything about the altima. I do like the 3.5se. Whats the best deal guys? I want a base 3.5se for 18.5-20K.... is this reasonable?

toyotas1 · March 2002

invoices for over $20k, so......all I'm sayin' is the Altima doesn't have a "Bad" interior. GM makes "Bad" interiors. The Accord, Camry and Passat (in particular) are the best in their class. It falls somewhere between them...... The Passat STARTS at almost $22k, so I BETTER get a nice interior!

cfocfo · March 2002

Another vote against that inferior interior .......

I'm also amazed that Nissan sent such a great car, the Altima, out with that cheap interior. I am torn between 2 vehicles, the other, has a great interior with nicely designed compartments for storage and that great feel when you look around. But the Altima beats it in almost every other catagory, IMO.

Before I found this board, the interior was and is the only reason I don't own one. So from these posts, I learned I'm not the only one.

IF car makers can put leather in for a cost of $600-800, why didn't Nissan spend a measley $300-400 extra on the interior to make it look nice and pass that cost on.
I'm thinking I'll wait until the 03s come out to see what they did, and if they don't fix the interior, I'll buy something else.

ateixeira · March 2002

Who says you gotta pay $28-30k? Fitzmall.com does not have a single one over $25,700. Realistic prices are $18-26k, noone pays $30k, noone.

$30k will buy you a G35 that will spank TL/S60/Avalon silly.

Passats have nice interiors, but Accord and Camry have cut costs, too, and use peach-fuzz-over-cardboard headliners. Check it out, they aren't much different than the Altima.

If the interior is high on you priority list, stick with VW.

-juice

mrholt · March 2002

Hey all-

I am out actively scouring for a base 2.5S alty with an automatic and ABS. Nothing else if I can. I have used CR, read what others have said here and the 3 dealers I have talked to haven't been willing to come down much off MSRP. I get a feeling they do not believe that I am going to buy since I am young and I am not from the area I was looking in. I work for an airline, so I can fly for free, so if I have to travel to pick it up no big deal, I will just drive it home. BTW, home is Wisconsin if it helps.

From Edmunds I get a TMV for $19,389, MSRP of 20,188, and an invoice $18,657. When I tell the dealers that CR has the invoice for 16,761 (including holdback of $331) + 850 Auto+799 ABS = $18,410+540 dest =18,950. Which is the better place to start to negotiate from Edmunds or should I start negotiating from. I'm new to all this and starting to feel lost.

Additionally, are there any deals out there for an altimas either financing or cash back? There aren't any in Wis. Additionally, does Nissan give a college graduation rebate? graduated 1.5 years ago.

Thanks everyone for your informative posts. I've learned alot. I would probably have been fine paying $100 below MSRP before.

Mike

afty · March 2002

I don't think there are any financing deals or rebates for the Altima right now. I'm pretty sure Nissan gives a recent grad rebate, but I'm not sure how much it is. Ask your salesman about it.

As for pricing, I would start negotiating at the invoice price and work up from there. Edmunds TMV is a good final price to shoot for.

Good luck!

1wiseguy · March 2002

I'm considering a 2002 Altima S with the convenience package, 5 speed manual transmission. I was quoted at 25,000 $CAD including freight/PDI, air tax and gas tax in Ottawa. The only extras are GST and PST. Anyone know if its a good deal or where I could do better? There's no TMV service in Canada as far as I can tell, so I really have no idea what others are paying. The best available is car cost canada where they give invoice price, but that doesnt help much if dealers are saying that they're selling the car for MSRP due to its populatity.

Also, I wanted to know what people have experienced in terms of fuel economy. With the price of regular 87 hovering around $0.70/litre (roughly $2 US per US gallon) I'm concerned by some of the reports I've read that the car only gets low 20's mpg.

Finally, for a male in his early 30s who wants a 4 door (the wife insists) with some style and power along with reliability, anyone have any suggestions? No Hyundais, please. I have memories of the Pony and Stellar from the mid 80's that just wont fade.

Thanks

mney6 · March 2002

College Grad money is available on the Xterra,Frontier,and Sentra. (500.00)
There are no rebates or dealer incentives on the Altima's here in the Midwest.
College Grad financing on the Altima is 5.99.

elmoblatch1 · March 2002

Along with that fault is the poor design of the trunk hinges that protrude into the trunk storage area.

This is Techology 101 stuff....does not make sense that the car would get a complete make over and have these 2 obvious flaws.

I have looked at a few more cars/mimi-suv's over the weekend....I too keep coming back to the Altima.

I want the ABS/Airbag package & polished pewter color....would also like the alloy wheels, but don't want to pay $1,800 for the package that they come in. I will ask the sales manager if they can be ordered & added prior to buying the car...do they still give a credit for the "base" items that you upgrade on a car ?

Also wondering if anyone else here bought an Altima in the past few weeks ?

Wondering what kind of discount off the sticker price ( if any ) that you received & what the word is on getting any discount since these cars seem to be in such demand now....

Thanks in advance-

1wiseguy · March 2002

$1100 off in Canada. MSRP for 2.5S is 23,500, convenience pkg is 1500, freight/pdi is $935, Ontario Air tax is 100 and federal gas tax is $75, for a total of $26,110.

That's a bit more than 4% off the FULL MSRP including full freight/PDI.

ateixeira · March 2002

CR ranks reliability as so: Subaru and Toyota (tied), then Honda and Nissan (also tied). Stick with these and you should be OK. So style and power? Look at Legacy GT, WRX, Altima SE, Maxima SE, Acura TL and TL-S, IS300, and G35.

Accord and Camry are a bit bland if you're looking for style.

New sport wagons are cropping up, if you like those consider the Protege5 (no Ford influence, ought to be reliable), WRX and Outback sport wagon, Vibe, and Matrix.

-juice

mrholt · March 2002

I want to thank everyone who responded, regarding the college incentives, and any special deals going on. I have been trying to start at the invoice and work up to around True Market Value. In the Madison, WI area they are not really willing to negotiate. I have heard about some possible negotiating in Chicago? Anyone know if it is true. Family member in Chicago saw an ad for an Al Premonte dealer, base 2.5S below invoice. Called and internet dealer is supposed to call me back.

Additionally, I have found a few 2002 Altimas with 20K miles on it. How much should they be less than right off the lot. Is there a basic computation I could use to figure out the cost for miles ($.10/mile??). I see what the 2001s are going for but I assume that is extra off due to new body style. Additionally, 20K miles seems like a lot in 6 months, are these rental cars? One dealer I spoke with said the one he had was not. If they are would you try this route? I have read on edmunds purchasing a rental but I need help in figuring out the value.

Thanks again,

Mike

elmoblatch1 · March 2002

There is a Nissan dealer in Fulton, NY.

I was there a week ago & they had about a dozen Altima S.

They advertised something like $18,995 for the selling price.

I think the phone # is 315-695-2363....ask for the sales manager...I spoke to him once before & he was helpful.

Good luck & let me know how you do.

regfootball · March 2002

go look at the new CTS and then tell me which car has the cheap interior.

that Altima price keeps looking better doesn't it?

BTW, the Altima has more room and more horsepower/ superior engine.

Heck, go look at a Bonneville (got to drive a rental the other day, absolutely not impressed) or any other Pontiac and tell me if the Altima has a cheap interior.

pathmax00 · March 2002

I agree on the trunk hinges but it's not a deal killer. The much more expensive Lexus GS300 has the same type of hinges!

zoomzoom79 · March 2002

at a CTS or a Bonneville anyways. Same GM build quality issues that we had with our 2000 Silverado (the first and last GM product we will own). The cars I am looking at most definitely have a better interior than the Altima. I am looking at the Accord, Camry, TL/CL, Lexus SC300/400, Civic, maybe even a Maxima. But the Altima's interior isn't something I think I could deal with long term and I am tired of trading cars every 2 years.

porknbeans · March 2002

Don't even bother to shop for a vehicle in this town. Every dealership that you talk to around here is "only sticker". The only way I've been able to get them to budge is to either deal with a fleet manager, use an internet auto buying tool or take in a sheet with the invoice pricing (like Edmund's) toward the end of the month. Good luck.

mrholt · March 2002

I assume you are talking about the Madison area not negotiating as I see you are from Oregon, WI. I'm originally from Middleton. I was hoping to negotiate in the Madison area where my family still is, because out here in NJ where I currently live the dealers don't give a crap about negotiating because the Altima is new. Where have you looked, do you know anything about the Milwaukee or Chicago area? I would really like to get a used 2002 Altima if I could get a good deal on one. The dealer in Madison that I spoke with had one with $18K miles but was only $1,000 less than new, plus a delivery fee of $300 down from $500. It seems like a used 2002 altima (probably a rental car) should be 20% off. Am I crazy???

sunilb · March 2002

I wonder if the reason that Nissan didn't make the Altima too nice on the interior was to avoid killing sales of the Maxima. Seriously, if the interior was nice on the Altima... why would anyone buy a Maxima?

I can imagine that once the next generation Maxima comes out, that Nissan will improve the interior of the Altima as well.

porknbeans · March 2002

Locally the Nissan dealership has changed hands within the last year or so. It's now located along the beltline next to American and it's not going to win any awards for helpful salesfolks. Nissan is now under the Kayser umbrella and you get Kayser treatment (not very good IMO). Everybody that I've dealt with there has told me we only sell at MSRP. They only began to wiggle when I said that I'd call their manager and deal with him using invoice pricing. I'm looking to trade my wifes Altima in and I have yet to sit down seriously and discuss new vehicles with them. I really don't know if I am until I see some of the new vehicles that are coming out over the next year. I know that on other boards people have had good luck with dealers in both the Milwaukee and Chicago areas. I don't want business to go elsewhere but I'd be hard pressed to recommend anybody around here (regardless of brand). Maybe your parents have had better luck. Sorry, and good luck. If there is anything else that I could help you out with let me know and I could e-mail you.

mrholt · March 2002

Yeah, I was there three weeks ago at the place next to American TV( I thought it was Smart, but alas). The salesperson I initially spoke with knew nothing about the car, and it was during one of their silent sales so she said couldn't negotiate. At that time I was trying to narrow down what I was looking for in a vehichle and getting prices and what I wanted to spend, etc. I ended up speaking with the finance manager who was knowledgeable about the car and was helpful, although he kept pushing me to either the 3.5 which I can't afford or the Sentra SE-R. At that time they had one used 2002 Altima on the lot with 20K miles. As I said it wasn't marked down much from a 2002 with 0 miles which doesn't make much sense to me.

My family always had good service when the dealer was on Odana and I like Nissan vehichles, my father currently has a max with 300K on it, hardly any problems.

Do you know anything about any of the dealers in the Chicago area. One guy I spoke with at Al Premonte Nissan down there said I could get a base 2.5 with Auto and nothing else for $17.7 which would be right around invoice, plus destination and tax and nothing else. To me that is better than what it seems i can get in Madison, there is just something I don't trust about the guy.
I thought it was the first girl I spoke with at the dealership.
What year Alty do you have? My friend at UW med school may be interested, he is in need of a good car. How much do you think a 2002 alty with an MSRP of $20.5 should be with 20K miles? Thanks.

Hope you enjoy it in Oregon. I plan on coming back in the near future. I miss the Madison area.

mike
email me at mrholty@hotmail.com if you want

msurgeon2 · March 2002

I have been watching the Altima price since they came out last fall in the St.Louis area. Test drove a 2.5S last October, salesman told me sticker only. Last Saturday I drove another 2.5S. I was told that they would deal from invoice.fleet dealer quoted me 600 over invoice plus ad fee. As to the car, I like most of it. I have a 2000 Accord 4 cylinder and the Nissan is much peppier and better looking but not as nice inside. But the Nissan comes standard with remote entry and four wheel disc brakes that you won't get standard on Honda LX. And you won't be paying 500 for a timing belt replacement. I still may buy one but in the back of my mind I can't help thinking this car will be better and maybe cheaper next year after the redesigned Accord comes out.

zoomzoom79 · March 2002

about a $500 maintenance item that you have to do at 90,000-105,000 miles????

ateixeira · March 2002

Chains mean more reciprocating mass, and they certainly aren't unbreakable. They may be better but there are trade-offs.

-juice

keyrow · March 2002

"Chains mean more reciprocating mass." I thought the timing mechanism, whether chain or belt, just ran in basically a circular motion, I didn't know they changed direction like a piston does as well. A timing chain that changes direction makes no sense to me. Can you back that statement up? Or did I totally misunderstand your post?

ateixeira · March 2002

Reciprocating doesn't necessarily mean up and down, it can be in a circle. My Thesaurus says "returning".

But basically you have more mass to move around, more inertia to overcome.

-juice

msurgeon2 · March 2002

I did not complain about the cost of timing belt replacement, merely noting it's a factor. I drive about 100 or more miles a day so belts do matter to me. There must be something wrong with timing belts since Honda has decided to switch to chains, as have other car makers.

porknbeans · March 2002

I ran across this in Motorweek and didn't remember it being posted here.

http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/reviews/rt2123.shtml

wacka · March 2002

So I was somewhat keen on this vehicle UNTIL I read an article here on Edumunds that the Bose system fizzes out after an hour of use??

Has anyone had any problems with this? I really liked the system in this car, but I would be seriously perterbed if it couldn't handle the power I would want to put through it.

Having a GOOD system in my car is absoltely tantamout! Has anyone had any problems or known issues with this, or has Nissan 'rectified' the situation..

http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/longterm/articles/48980/page001.html

Any feedback would be great. By the way on the timing belt/chain thing.. The only thing I wanted to add is that cars with chains generate more engine noise.. than those with belts.

Later

afty · March 2002

FWIW, they didn't say the system fizzled out after an hour of use. It was actually 3 hours.

My Altima has the Bose system and I haven't experienced this problem. However, I haven't taken a road trip over 2-3 hours, so it might actually be there and not have shown up yet.

lsc · March 2002

First check out www.carmax.com

it looks like they are selling the Altima from below invoice to about $600 above invoice depending on the trim.

The dealer is located in Kenosha so its a little far from Madison but it'll be worth the drive.

zoomzoom79 · March 2002

I do not see how $500 after 90,000 miles could be a factor when buying a $20,000+ car. If it's that much of a factor then you should be looking at a Sentra, or even worse, a Kia.

[Deleted User] · March 2002

I have a 94 Altima with 114K trouble free miles, that my son is now driving. The Air Bag light is flashing intermittently. Owners manual says take to dealer for service. However, I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem or may know if this is a common problem to Nissan and may have a recall or service bulletin on it. I have not been able to find one. For future Nissan owners: To date this car has been flawless. No leaks or fluid consumption, original tires went to 65K, front brakes to 93k and rear to 110K. It has been the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned.

jmfreshour · March 2002

Someone else had a similar problem a few posts back to which I also responded. We had a 95 Altima with the same issue. It turns out that it was the air bag sensor/computer. The dealer replaced it for the sum of $1,000. Ours went bad at around 90k miles. Obviously, the car was out of warranty. I checked for a recall but didn't find anything. Like yours, other than this issue, the car has been flawless. Good luck.

msurgeon2 · March 2002

Thank's for the financial advice. Do you work in auto repair shop? Maybe do a few timing belt jobs?

zoomzoom79 · March 2002

and what difference does it make if I do work at an auto repair shop or have changed a few timing belts. It's only $500 ... to me that's a small price to pay especially when you only have to do it every 90,000 miles.

lsc · March 2002

$500 is not a big deal if you plan for it in advance but most people don't.

So, when it comes times to change the timing belt, shelling out $500 is a big deal because it's a one time expense. A smaller price to pay than $500 is $0.

imprtlvr · March 2002

I'm undecided between a new Altima 3.5 and a Volkswagen Passat. I've driven both several times and am leaning towards the Passat based on looks(both inside and out), the fact that you can "chip" the 4 cylinder turbo to make it as fast as a 3.5(undetectible by the dealer), fully loaded the Altima is 2k more expensive, and to me the Passat is just classier. Plus the Passat has the auto/manual Tiptronic shifter. I know the Altima gets blasted on every board about its cheap plasticky interior, but I think it looks decent. The Altima is faster, but on the other hand I noticed alot of annoying torque steer when accelerating hard. Just my thoughts....but does anybody have any ideas why the Altima would be a better choice?

afty · March 2002

The thing is, I'll bet most people just don't change the timing belt because (a) they didn't think about it, or (b) it costs $500. Then when it breaks and their engine goes "boom!", they wish they had a timing chain.

afty · March 2002

Check out this thread at Altimas.net. It might help answer your question about the Altima vs. Passat.

http://www.altimas.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=26876

IMO, I wouldn't want to chip the 1.8T in the Passat. I know you read everywhere that it's safe, the engine is reliable, etc., but I just don't believe it. I plan to keep my Altima until it dies, so I would worry about long-term reliability of the chipped engine. Another issue I had was just overall reliability of VW products. They generally haven't fared as well as Nissans in the past.

imprtlvr · March 2002

Yea, in the case of the Passat anyway 2000 model year and before had some problems, but the 2002 is supposed to be much improved. They say it's like getting a BMW 3 series for 10k less. Chipping it does add heat(which leads to more wear), but that is solved by replacing the stock intercooler. I've talked to guys who've had their cars chipped for years with no problems, it just has to be done right. 85 additional lbs of torque and 45 more hp for only $500 can't be beat.

pathmax00 · March 2002

I have the stock 200 Watt Bose system in my Y2K Max Gle and have not experienced any problems with the system. My car will be 3 years old this July and I have cranked up CD's and or the radio every day in it. I have a 30 minute drive to work so its getting alot of use!

jtdmd2b · March 2002

I had been looking at the altima 3.5 5sp, Subaru WRX, and Passat 1.8 5sp for weeks. In Columbus, OH the manual transmissions are hard to find (maybe 1-2 per week). However, the dealerships had tons of Maxima SE 5spds on hand. The factory is giving huge dealer incentives. Mine has Bose, Heated everything (meridian), sunroof, floor mats, splash guards, and Front side air bags. Total MSRP was 28833 and I got it for 23833 with ~60 for other fees and 5.75% sales tax. Xenon headlights are standard equiptment.

imprtlvr · March 2002

Umm.....if you got a 5 speed Maxima, then you didn't get a new one. The new Maximas are 6 speed.

ateixeira · March 2002

importlvr: be sure to drive the 1.8T with the Tiptronice trans, I felt it was downright slow. The 5 speed manual was fine, but the auto is a slug IMO. I drove the 150hp version, so it may be a little better now.

For an automatic, the V6 engine will be better suited because it makes more torque. Turbos have to spool up, and with a slow shifting auto tranny the problem is aggravated. I've heard you can also chip the VW tranny, but double your budget for chips.

Plus, it's not fair to compare a loaded 3.5l Altima with a 1.8T Passat. The 4 cylinder Altima is on par with that engine.

VW does have a very classy interior and a great overall car that is mod-friendly, but I'd buy it on its own merits, not because it's cheaper than a non-comparable Altima. I think the Passat comes with tiny 15" wheels, so I'd budget for rims and tires, too, plus the suspension is soft, so consider a set of coilovers or at the very minimum fatter sway bars.

The catch? That's $2-3 grand in mods right there. That's a lot of changes to a brand new car to get it right, and you're still saddled with a 4 banger automatic.

-juice

lsc · March 2002

VW did a great job on the interior. The interior in the GLX (V6) has very handsome wood and a lot of little features that make it seem like a luxury car. i.e power folding side mirrors, rain sensing wipers, etc. Plus the materials used are excellent.

The 1.8T's interior is also very nice but it lacks the luxury items that the V6 contains. i.e. climate control, power folding mirrors, rain sensing wipers, auto dimming mirror, no wood trim, etc. This make the 1.8T seem like a regular car. The materials may be nicer than the Altima, but it still seems like a regular car and nothing special.

The worst thing about the Passat is what we all know, it's slow! very slow.

I didn't feel the confidence that I have with my 3.5 SE, especially on the expressway when I have to make a quick pass.

pda97 · March 2002

Since this car uses the same engine as the SE-R Spec V, is it safe to assume that it also requires premium unleaded fuel ? Your response will be greatly appreciated.

ateixeira · March 2002

I thought CR said regular was fine for the 4 banger. Can anyone confirm? Any 2.5 owners want to check their owners manual?

-juice

afty · March 2002

The 2.5 Altima uses regular fuel even though it has the same engine as the SE-R Spec V.

From the Altima owner's manual, page 9-3:
"FUEL RECOMMENDATION
For 2.5L engine
Your vehicle is designed to operate on unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of at least 87 AKI (Anti-Knock Index)."

Nissan Altima

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