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Nissan Altima

speedracer3speedracer3 Member Posts: 650
edited September 2014 in Nissan
Let's start with some pics then specs.


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More shots here: http://www.nissannews.com/

Now the specs


Layout/Body: Front engine, front-wheel drive, 4-door sedan


Engine: 3.5-liter DOHC 24-valve V6 with dual exhaust 240 horsepower and 246 lb-ft of torque 2.5-liter DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder 180 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque

 

Transmission: 5-speed manual or 4-speed electronically controlled automatic with gate-style shifter


Drive Configuration: Front-wheel drive Available Traction Control (V6 with automatic transmission)


Suspension: front: Independent strut with coil springs and stabilizer bar

rear: Multi-link independent with stabilizer bar


Brakes: Power-assisted front vented discs/rear solid disc Available ABS with Electronic Brake Distribution and Brake Assist


Wheels and Tires: 4 cylinder — 16-inch steel or aluminum-alloy wheels, P205/65R16 tires

V6 — 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, P215/55R17 tires

 

Wheelbase: 110.2 inches

Length: 191.5 inches

Width: 70.4 inches

Height: 57.9 inches

Interior Volume: 103.3 cubic feet/15.6 cubic feet

 

Safety: Dual front supplemental air bags with dual stage inflators, LATCH child seat safety system; available front seat side-impact supplemental air bags and side curtain supplemental air bags


Other: All-new distinctive, aggressive exterior design; sculpted interior with distinctive interior "environments," 3-gauge instrument panel with trip computer, available 150-watt Bose® audio system with in-dash 6-disc CD changer; four trim levels — 2.5, 2.5 S, 2.5 SL and 3.5 SE


Personally, I think this car is a knockout in looks, performace and features. What do you guys think??

«13456797

Comments

  • aes1519aes1519 Member Posts: 19
    I saw one post about how the Philly area has 01 Maximas below invoice. Has anyone else seen/heard any speculation about the 02 Altima's impact on the pricing for an 01 or even an 02 maxima? I guess it may depend on what the Altima comes in at on price but thought I'd ask.
  • anilpunjabianilpunjabi Member Posts: 61
    a car that small bein changed into that is great, what is teh price, this should be if teh weight is low be one hell of a fast car, thsi shoudl eb faster than the max accord, or anyother car in its class, what is teh starting price
  • speedracer3speedracer3 Member Posts: 650
    No prices from Nissan yet but GET THIS:

    According to Nissan the Altima V6 5 speed will rocket to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds!...the automatic 7.2 seconds. Can you say CamCord killer?, for that matter the Maxima is not that fast!.
  • jmaxejmaxe Member Posts: 198
    Look here are some more great pics

    www.autoshowny.com
  • dettimdettim Member Posts: 9
    I was at the Nissan Dealer letting my wife test drive the Maxima SE 5 speed 2 weeks ago when the sales guy tried to get me to buy. I told him we were going to buy a Maxima SE before the end of the year but I wanted to wait and see the new Altima. I told him that this would drive down the price for a 2001 SE and I could get a better price. The salesman then tried to get me to buy the SE and offered me a fully loaded (heated leather seats etc...) for invoice. I told him thanks but I wanted to wait to see the Altima(he said it was going to be smaller than the Maxima)........Wow!!!! I'm glad I waited.... thank you Nissan....It's much better than I had anticipated.....My wife says she is in "love".... I can't wait till Sept. to test drive this car...of course I will wait till the ferver dies down and I can buy it for a good price! I hope I can wait!!!
  • tgo63tgo63 Member Posts: 16
    we have y2k accord and 98 escort in our family, both five speed. After I saw a preview of a new altima I definitely want one! Nissan has one new customer. I considered purchasing Maxima but I like the specs and looks of 2002 altima better. Only price will decide which engine we will get, transmission of course will be five speed.
  • dettimdettim Member Posts: 9
    After looking at Nissan's news site, I see that it says nothing about a sunroof option for the new '02 Altima. Does anyone think they'll have that as an option for the V6 SE?
  • BobL242BobL242 Member Posts: 29
    Does anyone know how much headroom is in the 2002 altima?
  • maxamillion1maxamillion1 Member Posts: 1,467
    because if it is not, Nissan will lose some of its customers, especially me, I don't want a car without a sunroof.
  • speedracer3speedracer3 Member Posts: 650
    I am sure there will be a sunroof!...don't worry!
  • toddmichtoddmich Member Posts: 8
    I know on one of the pictures I saw yesterday there was a sunroof...I believe it was the video of the New York Car show that I saw one with a sunroof..Nice looking car!
  • j_colemanj_coleman Member Posts: 143
    I don't want a car with a sunroof!

    I went to tirerack.com to see how much those P215/55R17 tires would cost and they don't have any that size. Any ideas? It's something I usually consider before making a purchase...
  • ed571ed571 Member Posts: 6
    The car is a beaut, no doubt. I am in. Hopefully the $ stays around 18k-24k. Surefire winner then. I was going to buy the 01 Max SE but thats on hold for now. Imagine the incentives Nissan is going to push out for the current Atima & Maximas later this summer. There is a ton of Maximas for sale around me here in Philly. I'd estimate 300 just sitting on the lots within 5 miles of me and their being offered under invoice and not moving at all.

    Ed
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    Does that mean that the maxima will go bigger in 2003?
    The altima will have a wheelbase longer than the midsize GM cars.
    The 2002 Altima seems almost to good to be true.
  • arnolsarnols Member Posts: 7
    Not as much as the current Altima, but still. The front looks like the new Civic (which is seriously less attractive than the old one) and the back like a Cadillac STS (gulp..). I guess the beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
  • speedracer3speedracer3 Member Posts: 650
    Yes...the Maxima will be bigger in 2003...probably a full size car. eeeeck!.
  • beanboybeanboy Member Posts: 442
    What's with the FWD? Sorry, 246lb-ft of torque with a manual tranny routed the front wheels is not my idea of fun.
  • dettimdettim Member Posts: 9
    The low $20K pricing was taken out of context - that price actually refers to the base model 4-cylinder. But hopefully the V6 will be in the $25K range.
  • eagle30eagle30 Member Posts: 28
    I am still saving my dollars for the Pathfinder,all because there are no sedans out there I like. Then comes along the 2002 Altima, my first impressions was UM! this is sharp. Shoot Fire, now I have to consider the Altima as a possibility. This really looks like a winner, I just hope we do not have go throught that crap this is a HOT! Vehicle so we getting $2,500 over invoice. I will once again walk away so quickly, in search of a fair price. Nice job Nissan, make us happy, give us an affordable vehicle.
  • ruskiruski Member Posts: 1,566
    The front (when staring straight into the grille) looks like the new Lexus SC430)

    the rear reminds of Olds Aurora, Chrysler 300M, and a little bit Monte Carlo (must be those taillights)

    Overall it looks like a Lexus GS.
  • gooniesgoonies Member Posts: 24
    hi all after reading and watching the edmunds video i decided to trade in my brand spanking new 2000 sentra se w/ pp for the new altima. i might still consider the audi a4 but for now its the new altima cause im sure i will get a better deal. now my questions is by the time the new altima comes out i would still owe about 10,000k on the sentra. do i lose out big when i trade in a car that isn't paid for? what happens to the money that i already put in? im sorry im a newbie but i really do need some advice. also im willing to pony up abuot five grand more upon signing the new deal. thanx all
  • dettimdettim Member Posts: 9
    Goonies, If you look at the Edmunds used car prices it shows that a 2000 Sentra SE will be worth the following.

    Trade in value: $9,851

    Sell yourself: $10,722

    Hope that helps!
  • roninjoutenroninjouten Member Posts: 201
    No, the Nissan quote from a few places said the V6 would come in the low 20's. Starting a 4 cylinder car at 20k is an insult. And would be suicide. Heck one can can a get a fully outfitted Accord for 25k, so why would any Camcord buyer switch to the altima if it's priced the same or higher?

    Nissan generally undercuts competition. Look at the Sentra GXE, which is about a $1000-2000 cheaper than a Civic EX when fully outfitted.

    As far as what I've seen and read, Nissan is gunning for the Camcord and they can't expect to blow them away selling the car for the same price. It won't happen. It's suicide.
  • viktoria_rviktoria_r Member Posts: 103
    it's true that altima is more powerful (40 hp more than current accord v-6 if i am not mistaken), but it is yet unproven. IMO, when you are spending a substantial amount of money, you want good reliability record, too. as for manual transmission - i don't care for one. i used to drive cars with manual and in my mind manual is just associated with times when i did not have money for anything but barebone econobox, but it's just me. i don't know where and why one REALLY needs to be able to go 0-60 in 6.3 seconds and how often. Of course it's nice to know that a car can do it, but the novelty of knowing it wears off pretty soon. i think it is well known that enthusiasts do not comprise a big market, and will not determine success or failure of a mass-market car.
    I like the looks of the car, they said to have also increased interior volume, and, hopefully, comfort level. If nissan managed to do it for less than CAmCord, great! But if nissan assumes that it can beat CamCord just by offering little more hp for more money, they should think again. they should try to beat in both aspects - more hp and amenities for less $$$. so lets wait and see.
  • vcjumpervcjumper Member Posts: 1,110
    All v-6's are not created alike and the Altima's is much more powerful than the current Accord. If Altima can match the Accord in price, it has an available 5-speed tranny and 240 hp, it will appeal to the enthusiast driver who needs a sedan. 0-60 in 6.3 vs 8 seconds is a huge difference.
  • speedracer3speedracer3 Member Posts: 650
    When I was shopping for a car I was looking for a good V6. I tried the Camry V6, the Accord V6 and the Maxima. Well guess what, the Maxima was the most expensive of the three cars and I chose it!..not because of the price, but because it was hoot to drive and had a much better engine that the competition. The V6 on the Altima IS head over heels better than Camry and Accord, and so will the I4...so even if the the Altima is slightly more expensive it will still be a worthy competitor.
  • viktoria_rviktoria_r Member Posts: 103
    it's true that altima is more powerful (40 hp more than current accord v-6 if i am not mistaken), but it is yet unproven. IMO, when you are spending a substantial amount of money, you want good reliability record, too. as for manual transmission - i don't care for one. i used to drive cars with manual and in my mind manual is just associated with times when i did not have money for anything but barebone econobox. i don't really know where and why one needs to be able to go 0-60 in 6.3 seconds and how often does one REALLY need to do it. it's nice to know that a car can do it, but... i think it is well known that enthusiasts do not comprise a big market. IMO, if nissan assumes that it can beat CamCord by offering little more hp but for more money, they should think again. they should try to beat in both aspects - more hp and amenities for less price.
  • raychuang00raychuang00 Member Posts: 541
    After looking at the new 2002 Nissan Altima, I think Nissan has a winner right here!

    It appears that the 2002 Altima is built off the same platform the new Primera, but has a totally different body design. At least it's not over-styled like the Primera is.

    Even the L-4 engine (rated at 180 bhp) is going to be a blast to drive. Hopefully, Nissan will offer a five-speed automatic as the auto transmission on the SL (L-4) and SE (V-6) models.

    By the way, I've heard that the Primera will become the replacement for the Infiniti G20 in about a year's time; I think the G20 replacement should sport the same 180 bhp L-4 engine the new Altima will have.
  • jgts1jgts1 Member Posts: 32
    0-60 in a flash, my car does 0-60 in 4.0sec- and I'm ready for more power....the Altima should be a great car, especially with the 5spd, if they offer a 17inch wheel option (I haven't read up on it yet)- that would nice as well.
  • lngtonge18lngtonge18 Member Posts: 2,228
    The 2.5 four is an all new engine so its reliability is a bit uncertain, but the 3.5 V-6 is already a proven engine. It is basically a bored out version of the Maxima's 3.0 and is already being used in the Pathfinder and Infiniti QX4. There should be no concerns of reliability with the V-6. As for price, Nissan has already stated they do not intend to make the new Altima a car that sells on value alone (like the current one does), so expect prices to go up to Accord and Camry range. To think Nissan will offer a car that has a bigger, more powerful engine and more safety features than the current Maxima, Camry, and Accord at a significantly cheaper price is ludicrous. A current fully loaded four banger Altima GLE stickers for 21K for heaven's sake. Let's be realistic people! 24-25K for a fully optioned V-6 Altima would be plenty fair considering the flagship Maxima costs around 28-30K for the same features.
    IMO, the Altima is one of the best looking sedans I have seen in a long time. Outstanding job Nissan! It's so sporty looking, yet elegant. Huge departure from Nissan's typical dowdy funky styling. And thank you Nissan for building a mainstream sedan that excites the enthusiast and stays far away from the godawful world of blandness that Honda and Toyota are stuck in.
  • s852s852 Member Posts: 1,051
    Everything I've read indicates it will have horrific fuel economy. Nissan has equipped the new 2002 Altima with 20 gallon fuel tanks to compensate.
    The only estimates so far indicate fuel economy in the 18-20MPG range, and I don't mean in the city.
    These cars are for people who just want the most power in the class, no matter how much gas it uses.
  • vcjumpervcjumper Member Posts: 1,110
    The Pathfinder at 4100 pounds (probably what - 700 pounds heavier?) and a brick aerodynamically with the 3.5 is rated at 19mpg highway. I expect the Altima to get atleast 7 more mpg than that.
  • wjm1wjm1 Member Posts: 33
    Wow! If true - that really sucks. Seems that EPA even for the 4 cyl is 20mpg ?!? With gas prices going up - doesn't seem like a way to go ...
    I hope it's better. Anyway - when it comes I'll consider it...and probably the maxima - it will be heavy discounted (I hope) and still it's a nice and proven car (and from what I know even averages more then those 18-20MPG). We'll see
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    My intrigue with the 3.5L DOHC motor and 3.29 gear gets 29 mpg at 80 mph with the A/C on. I would think the altima with its lighter weight and much less frontal area over the pathfinder, should pull down at least 25 mpg highway.

    My intrigue can pull down 21 mpg city if i baby it. The altima should be in line with this too.
  • s852s852 Member Posts: 1,051
    "Should be" is right, but it doesn't look like it will.
    It is almost unbelievable that it is so poor, but it is in black and white on Nissan's web site and the fuel economy of the 2002 Altima has been pointed out as being unusually low by the Yahoo! article.
    Nissan has also greatly increased the fuel tank capacity to the point where it is now even larger than that of a Ford Taurus.
    With the huge tank, the Altima can still eke out up to 400 miles per fill-up.
    The new Beetle also gets bad gas mileage for a car of it's size, weight and power unless you get a diesel, so it would not be a first.
    Some may justify the poor fuel economy because the 2002 Altima has more horsepower than the cars it competes against.
    If the milaage is only 20 mpg highway on a 4 cyl Altima, imagine how bad the city meileage is.
  • mdmetzmdmetz Member Posts: 27
    Range isn't calculated on the tank's full capacity - there's always a reserve of a couple of gallons taken out.
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    Do you think that nissan will be running a lot of gear to help with acceleration? This will almost assuredly result in poor highway numbers.

    Most of the GM products that i have owned actually exceed the EPA highway rating. My intrigue is rated at 27 highway, but like i said in my earlier post i have seen 29 mpg. at high speeds.

    Probably the best way to tell is by what the maxima's gas mileage is. If they put a more powerful engine with more torque in a lighter car.
    Then it should get about the same, provided they don't put a stump puller gear in it.
  • AamirQAamirQ Member Posts: 7
    After reading about the 2002 Altima and looking at some photos at nissandriven.com, my initial opinion is that the 2002 Altima will be the first Nissan sedan to have a substantial impact in its market segment since the 1989 Maxima. I can't believe what I'm reading... 180 hp base engine? 240 hp 3.5L V6? 16" and 17" wheels? Xenon HID headlamps? Drive-by-wire throttle (V6 only)? I'm surprised this car isn't going to be an Infiniti. As mentioned above, the styling is a bit derivative in the details, but as a whole, it is a refreshingly progressive sedan in an arena where there's mostly conservative, bland styling (Accord, Camry, 626, etc.)

    As far as fuel economy is concerned, I wouldn't be surprised if the V6 is in the same league as the Accord and Camry V6 sedans (the Maxima already is), but if it gets 1-2 MPG lower, it wouldn't surprise me. Same goes for the 4-cyl version.

    I'd keep my fingers crossed as far as the interior is concerned. It looks interesting to say the least, but material quality needs to be as good as the rest of the car looks on paper. The plastics need to be top notch and the fabrics should be tasteful. The leather should not resemble vinyl. Many recent Nissans, including the current Maxima and Altima, are mildly lacking in high quality materials, so I'd like to see the new Altima approach the VW Passat in this regard.

    Anyhow, the 2002 Altima is looking great so far!

    Aamir
  • kostamojen2kostamojen2 Member Posts: 284
    A car that goes that fast, the people who buy it dont care about the mileage :P Thats what the 4cyl is for! :)
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    kostamojen2: Irregardless of what car i buy, gas mileage is always a consideration for me.
    One of the reasons i chose the intrigue was the fact that it did not require premium fuel, and its low end torque in relation to the accord, maxima, and camry that i test drove.
    If i have a choice between cars that are fairly close in performance and features, and one is rated at 24 mpg highway and the other is 28 mpg.
    I would go with the one that gets 28 mpg. Especially if premium fuel is not required.
  • vcjumpervcjumper Member Posts: 1,110
    20mpg, sheesh a Corvette with the 350hp LS1 motor gets a lot better mileage than that on the highway.

    Oh yeah, where did the subject field go?
  • jochijochi Member Posts: 18
    ok, the comments regarding the poor fuel economy of the 02 Alty are INNANE. Obviously a typo, if not, a VERY conservative estimate.

    But it's an EPA estimate! you say........

    COMMON SENSE......
    The Pathfinder, which uses essentially the same engine with 19 more ft/lbs of torque weighs in at over 4200 lbs. And has a coefficient of drag of .40. It gets 19mpg on the highway.
    The 02 Altima. In the press release it states the Alty will be 70lbs heavier than the existing model on average. That makes it around 3150lbs (lighter than V6 accord, camry, maxima). The press conference mentioned it will retain good aerodyamics despite the increased size. Since the current Altima has a .32 cd, lets assume th 02 will also be .32cd.

    That makes the 02 Altima over 1000lbs lighter than the Pathfinder, and a hella lot cleaner in aerodynamics. THERE IS NO WAY THE 02 ALTIMA WILL GET 18mpg ON THE HIGHWAY! Nissan may have had the worst management of any car company in the 90's, but even it's not so dumb to produce a family sedan with these numbers!

    I'm quite sure the numbers are off, if not (ie. if hell freezes over), I'll be the first to kiss whosever [non-permissible content removed] that begs to differ.
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    jochi:
    Its not just the fact that it has a lower .cd but it has much less frontal area.
    If it is epa rated at less than 24 mpg i would be very surprised. I would expect 26-27 mpg.
  • remus26remus26 Member Posts: 34
    I would suspect the EPA city/highway ratings for the Altima V6 would be about 19-20 city and about 26-27 highway.

    And the 4-cylinder will probably have a higher city rating, probably around 22MPG in the city but only about a 28 rating on the highway.
  • ehaaseehaase Member Posts: 328
    The fuel economy figures were obviously incorrect. Nissan's new 340 hp Infiniti Q45 is rated at 25 on the highway - there is no way that the V6 Altima will only get 18 on the highway. However, even if the figures (18 for the V6, 20 for the 4 cyl.) are correct, that still is about 10 to 20 percent lower than they should be. The current Maxima is rated at 20 in the city, the 3.5L Altima should also be 19 or 20. The 4 cyl. with an automatic should be 22 to 24.
  • s852s852 Member Posts: 1,051
    Message Subject Here-----------------------

    Anyway ...

    If the fuel economy issues are solved and it does well in crash tests, I will seriously consider a new Altima.
    If I were going to get a 2002 Altima, I think I'd get an SL automatic with leather/wood interior environment, Bose stereo, side curtain airbags and moonroof.
    If I could get a V6 model without the SE's grey plastic metal interior trim, I'd probably get a V6.
    Maybe the SE interior will look more refined in real life than it does in the photo's I've seen though.
    Nissan made comments about improving the interior quality, but materials quality improvement isn't being reflected in any of the photo's I've seen online. Hopefully the Altma's genuine leather will not look more like vinyl than the "leatherette" in a BMW or Mercedes.
    Cheap leather looks worse than cloth or good quality vinyl.

    However, price is important. If price is similar to the new 2002 Camry LE or XLE, I would probably go with a Camry for peace of mind.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    The search party is still out for the missing post title box - hang on, it'll turn up sooner or later.

    Pat
    Host
    Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards
  • remus26remus26 Member Posts: 34
    Okay, there is no way on earth the Altima with 3.5L V6 will have a EPA rating of 18MPG on the highway! Most SUVs don't have that bad gas-mileage.

    And power increases have always been coming along and it recent years many auto makers have found ways to up cubic inches & horsepower while maintaining or improving fuel economy.
This discussion has been closed.