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2007 Nissan Altima

1568101114

Comments

  • phx08phx08 Member Posts: 8
    I'm interested in the 2007 Altima 2.5 S what kind of pricing do you guys think that i can get on the car?
  • pureevilpureevil Member Posts: 28
    Can anyone that has purchased a 3.5 SE or SL share their experiences inside the cabin? I'm curious to know how contained road and engine noise is. Today I drove a 3.5SL Maxima and found the cabin to be very peaceful and quiet. I than drove a 3.5SE Altima and was a bit disappointed in the cabin noise. Do SL's have more sound insulation, or maybe the Maxima's do.

    I would appreciate any and all input, as I have decided to buy one or the other - but would rather spend less and get the Altima ;)
  • lili1lili1 Member Posts: 44
    I look at it from two different perspective after road testing and have yet own one.

    1)Hearing the engine noise. You are not into 2.5. The 2.5 is really bad from the noiseness of the engine itself on even moderate acceleration and then the firwall area insulation. The 3.5 is much quieter on moderate acceleration due to its power but the firewall I will say beign the same in all models SE, SL, still make it a little nosier.

    2)The cabin's own insulation from the wind noise, road noise from starting from the anything associated with the 4 tires and its suspension, exhaust, etc. After teh car is born, the remidy is added insulation materials. I had the previous generation Altima before and its cushioning and insulation being minimal as a start did not help. This 07 does not appear to have invest much more money in that and it is a little noisy compare to the Maxima or Avalon or even the Camry.

    I don't know what is the dBa comparison BUT nothing mean more than actually driving to compare them all. Besides, it is not only the loadness but also the quality of the noise. Noise that you don't like makes you feel uncomfy even if not that loud!!! So, I will say, trust your ears.

    You drove the 3.5SE Altima. You may also have been influened by the added road/bump noise from the harsh/sportier suspension (shock and bigger anti-roll bars) on the SE as well as the bigger diameter wheel w/ teh higher aspect ratio tire therefore much less cushy. I found the SE indeed noisier and somehow a mismatch if I give it leather interior.

    With this kind of brand new platform not evolved from an existing one, it is still raw and unrefined because money is eaten up by doing all sorts of new things. I don't feel they will have spend what they should in the noise area. It is obvious. Audi is an Audi. Infinite is an Infinite. This is merely an American design Lego from computers and not w/ a lot of the fine touch of art of engineering.
  • nordiconenordicone Member Posts: 4
    Having had a new '02 Altima in the family, I loved the way it drove & still do. I actually like the overly induced torque steer. However, the car is a pile of junk. The latest issue being; the car now shuts off for no apparent reason and for no apparent cause (at least no one can can figure out why) needless to say it can't be driven long distances anymore. I never believed that old notion that you should never buy a car the first year it is released but now I do. From what I understand, only the 02-04 ones suffer from serious quality problems. I have friends with the 05/06s and they swear by the Altima's reliability. (Give it time?)

    NOW ON TO THE 2007... I fell in love with the '07 and wanted one but was uneasy about how high the CVT reved all the time (it always seemed to hover around 6k rpm during normal acceleration). Tell me this, is it bad in the longrun for an engine to rev this high all the time?

    I figured since the engines were all essentially carryovers, that the problems we had with our '02 would have been worked out.

    However, I have noticed a quite a lot of 07s being towed into dealerships. I saw somone at my carwash with an '07 and asked how she liked it. 'Love it' she said, but, the electrical system failed on her once and the car would not start (the car was less than 500 miles old)she said the dealer kept it over-night and the next day it started like nothing happened, and they never figured out what had occured. Looks like a whole NEW set of problems.
  • victrolajazzvictrolajazz Member Posts: 75
    "NOW ON TO THE 2007... I fell in love with the '07 and wanted one but was uneasy about how high the CVT reved all the time (it always seemed to hover around 6k rpm during normal acceleration). Tell me this, is it bad in the longrun for an engine to rev this high all the time?"

    This would be in a 2.5, right? I have an '07 3.5 SE and it sometimes gets close to 4,000 RPM, but never over. On a 2.5, it would probably have to rev higher because of less torque--2.5 is only 150 cubic inches--that's only 10 more than the 1960 Falcon's smaller engine. It's not the fact of its being a CVT--it's just the transmission doing its job--a four- or five-speed would be down-shifting all the time to accommodate the lesser availability of torque. I'm amazed at the performance that today is gotten out of what 35-40 years ago would be considered tiny engines. The smallest standard engine in full-size cars was usually at least 4.0 litres--of course I'm aware of all the advancements in engine design over the years making this possible, but it is still interesting.
  • victrolajazzvictrolajazz Member Posts: 75
    "Can anyone that has purchased a 3.5 SE or SL share their experiences inside the cabin? I'm curious to know how contained road and engine noise is. Today I drove a 3.5SL Maxima and found the cabin to be very peaceful and quiet."

    Actually, if a person from 300 years ago was placed in one of these cars, they'd think they'd gone straight to Heaven without having to pass "GO". ;) I've found mine wonderful, but I'm easy to please--I do notice one little thing that is really not a bother--when the AC is "On" and I'm sitting at a light, I can actually hear the compressor compressing. What is especially nice about it is that it compresses ALL THE TIME and is not sitting there going on/off/on/off/on/off/click/click/click/click like the majority of other cars sitting in traffic that suffer from what has been a commonplace in automotive air-conditioning systems over the past 25 years--the horrible cycling compressor, which, even in the most sophisticated systems harks back to nothing less than the heart of a 1959 Frigiking under-the-dash unit. And all the new cars do not share this feature (a variable displacement compressor)--several weeks before purchasing the Altima, I drove an '07 Mazadaspeed 3 and it was blatant in its manifestation of cycling--"muggy lapses" and all.

    "I than drove a 3.5SE Altima and was a bit disappointed in the cabin noise."

    This is what I call "progress-induced disappointment". Our cars have achieved such a wonderful level of refinement that even the slightest intrusion of noise causes annoyance. Imagine the thrill experienced by a 40-50 year old person in 1955, fully familiar with the antiquated jalopies of 1946, or even 1952, getting to experience their new Oldsmobile Super 88 replete with high-compression V-8, Hydra-Matic, power steering, power brakes, air-conditioning, power windows, et al. Everything over the past 50 years has really just been a variation on the same themes. They're the ones who had the most fun.
  • vikariousvikarious Member Posts: 15
    "This would be in a 2.5, right? I have an '07 3.5 SE and it sometimes gets close to 4,000 RPM, but never over. On a 2.5, it would probably have to rev higher because of less torque--2.5 is only 150 cubic inches--that's only 10 more than the 1960 Falcon's smaller engine."

    I have a 2.5 and I've never seen it rev just over 4000 - and that was accelerating a cold car in cold weather (not sure if that makes any difference).
  • ggs2ggs2 Member Posts: 18
    i purchased a 2007 altima se 3.5 two weeks ago and have not noticed cabin noise being a problem. there have been a couple of things that need to be addressed like the center console that will not latch. i'm still trying to get used to having more interior space than i'm accustomed to. i usually like the cockpit feel which this car does not have. my biggest complaint with the car is probably with the leather seats which seem a little too firm and could also use more bolster support on the sides. this car is plenty powerful though and i hope it will have typical nissan reliability. i now have about 850 miles on the car and no problems other than console
  • victrolajazzvictrolajazz Member Posts: 75
    "I have a 2.5 and I've never seen it rev just over 4000 - and that was accelerating a cold car in cold weather (not sure if that makes any difference)."

    6,000 RPM did seem high, even for a 2.5. The first CVT I ever drove was a Saturn about three years ago and it would rev to 6,000 RPM if floored, but then it's only 2.2 litres.
  • pureevilpureevil Member Posts: 28
    Thanks for the reply. I realize the noise issue may seem trivial, but I drive 1500 miles a week for work, and my car has unfortunately become an office. With the huge amount of miles I put on the car I cannot justify spending in the Infiniti/Lexus/BMW range. Nissan sedans are my favorite, though the Avalon is making me look even harder.
    Thanks again...
  • victrolajazzvictrolajazz Member Posts: 75
    "I realize the noise issue may seem trivial, but I drive 1500 miles a week for work, and my car has unfortunately become an office."

    Not at all--I realize when you pay what we're having to pay for these things, you expect a certain level of refinement. It's possible you may have a leak of some kind--I think Road & Track rated the Altima #2 instead of #1 precisely because it had a wind leak, which is ridiculous for a car like this. Plus they said theirs looked like it had been spray bombed with a depressing primer gray paint job, which is a selective item.
  • lili1lili1 Member Posts: 44
    shifting at 6k rpm is not normal and it does not make sense if you are to optimize the shift point. Exception is you are actually driving in the manual mode. The shrt slot with + - gates.
  • lili1lili1 Member Posts: 44
    Cabin Noise is NOT trivial when you cruise a lot at 70mph or so & not fun sriving racing around on the highway. At a constant hum of some sort, it will never go away as your bedmate's snoring. You are spending about 20% of you awaken life in this cabin.

    It is competitive comparison. If I can get less noise with a different make and model for the similar amount of money, I will say, one really need to think hard.

    I will say the 2.5 is intolerable on any accleration and it is MUCH WOORSE thatn the Generation 3/previous Altima 2.5.

    However, when it is light load cruising at 65-70 mph, both the 2.5 and 3.5 are quite quiet but don't accelerate.
  • alex34alex34 Member Posts: 8
    i purchased a 3.5SE manual transmission in January. its not as quite as Maxima which i have rented before but i found it to be a quite ride. but i owned a 99 mazda protege for 7 years so this car is a step up for me.
  • alex34alex34 Member Posts: 8
    are all manual transmissions in Nissan's a little rough? i find going into 2nd gear a little rough. this is my first Nissan and from reviews i have read, the car testers seem to always say the nissan manuals are not 'fun'
  • victrolajazzvictrolajazz Member Posts: 75
    "I will say the 2.5 is intolerable on any accleration and it is MUCH WOORSE thatn the Generation 3/previous Altima 2.5."

    I think it's axiomatic that the smaller engines are noisier than the larger ones--they're working harder to accomplish the same task. In spite of all the advancements, there's still no substitute for cubic inches.
  • marks16marks16 Member Posts: 1
    I too find the seat in my 2007 Altima S to be extremely uncomfortable. I drive 100+ miles each day and after 20 minutes, my lower back/rear is numb. After 2 months of adjusting the seat, I've had no luck. I traded in a 2005 Altima S after 40K miles that was much more comfortable. It seems they got rid of the lumbar adjustment in the 2007. I plan to write Nissan about it.

    Also, most of my miles are highway, yet I'm getting less MPG than I did in my 2005 Altima S (26 MPG this week). I was expecting much better than that with the CVT transmission.

    Other than that, I really do like the car. It's my 3rd one in 3 years.
  • ex_tdierex_tdier Member Posts: 277
    Appears Nissan was one of the first to use this device

    The Mazda3 from 2004 to mid 2006 has been plagued with the dreaded on/off cycling of the compressor. Until recently, Mazda ended up redesigning the HVAC air flow system (venting) which improved the cooling inside the cabin. They also added auto climate control with inside cabin light and temperature sensors to help out with the cooling.

    For those who have models made prior to middle of 2006, we are SOL.
  • dougbenniondougbennion Member Posts: 5
    Simple question. Does the 2007 Altima have collapsible side mirrors? I need to be able to squeeze this car through a narrow gateway. Thanks.
  • lili1lili1 Member Posts: 44
    It is G3 2.5 engine with G3 insulation against G4 2.5 engine with G4 insulation under some push. That is what bothered me. The engine is almost feels like it is right behind a thin firefall & the G4 sounded louder and liked it is struggling. Now, one light load cruising, they are quiet enough.
  • altimeraltimer Member Posts: 1
    Just put a deposit on a black 3.5SE manual here in Canada. Also considered an 07 Legacy GT and the new Silverado 1500. (Completely different cars, I know). What really won me over were the ridiculously strong brakes on the Nissan.

    I was able to test drive it without the salesman, so I took it to an empty stretch of country road and did the 0-60-0 test. Oh man, it just about took my face off! I think I may have a mild concussion from the force of braking slamming my brain against the front of my skull. Seriously.

    And of course it's hard to beat the price of an SE here in Canada. It was more than $8000 cheaper than the LGT (they just would not budge on the price). The truck would have been about the same and slightly cheaper month-to-month because of GM's low financing rates, but it wouldn't fit in underground parking at work (6'2" clearance :confuse: )

    I didn't seriously consider any other cars (or trucks) out there because of either performance or features/price differences.

    BTW: manually folding mirrors are standard on the 3.5SE models in Canada (there is no 3.5SL trim, but there is a cheaper 3.5S trim that doesn't have the sport suspension or the TCS).
  • victrolajazzvictrolajazz Member Posts: 75
    For the March issue, Consumer Reports magazine tested five family sedans (Kia Optima, Saturn Aura, Pontiac G6 and Chrysler Sebring), titled it Leaping Ahead, with the sub-title The Redesigned Nissan Altima Accelerates to the Top of Our Ratings. Also, they tested both four cylinder and V-6 versions in this comprehensive test. The four cylinder won almost all the acceleration tests--only beat by .2 of a second by the Saturn Aura 45-65, had the best gas mileage of all. The V-6 won ALL the acceleration tests (0-60 6.4), (45-65 3.9), 1/4 mile 15, and got best mileage of all tested. It begins by saying "The Altima 3.5 SE virtually ties with the Honda Accord V6, our top-rated family sedan. The four-cylinder Altima 2.5S is relatively refined. Both are coupled to a smooth continuously variable transmission, which helps them attain commendable fuel economy." CR continues: "Both engines deliver strong acceleration yet get commendable fuel economy. The 175-HP 2.5-litre four cylinder accelerates better than some V6s and returned 25 MPG overall on regular fuel. Although it requires premium fuel, the smooth and punchy 270-HP 3.5-litre V6 returns 23 MPG (I'm actually hoping for better) overall, comparable to some four-cylinder engines. Both are mated to a smooth CVT. Braking performance is very good. Both halogen and HID low beams perform well but have a sharp cutoff." About the interior it says "The Altima has nicely textured, well-fitting materials. Drivers have plenty of room in the cockpit, even with the optional sunroof. The steering wheel has an awkward telescope adjustment and coarse tilt settings. While rear-visibility is hampered by a high rear deck, the 3.5 SE's optional backup camera works well. The Altima's bright back-lighted gauges are easy to read. The controls are straightforward and the optional navigation system is easy to use." I will have to say, on my first highway trip, I did find the seats harder than usual, as some others have pointed out, but not badly so.
  • vikariousvikarious Member Posts: 15
    OH that consumer reports post makes me so happy!
  • victrolajazzvictrolajazz Member Posts: 75
    Of course there is this dimension to it: considering the competition, is there really any surprise?
  • aweinmanaweinman Member Posts: 3
    On the 2007 2.5 Altima with the Navigation package. Can you use the LCD screen for:

    Navigation - entering addresses
    Radio control
    Heating control

    Directly on screen (without voicecontrol) while the car is moving?

    Thanks,
    Allan
  • alex34alex34 Member Posts: 8
    i have a canadian spec car, so i don't know if it makes a difference, but while the car is moving this is what happens:

    navigation entering addresses: no you cannot enter new addresses while moving.

    radio-controls: radio controls work on lcd screen. except in CD mode you cannot use the Track function which lets you see all the songs on the CD, but it does work when vehicle is stopped at a stop light.

    heating control: i do not have any heating controls on LCD screen

    it would be interesting to know of US spec Navi packages have heating controls on LCD screen?
  • d0min0d0min0 Member Posts: 3
    I'm wanting some price feedback on the car I am looking into.
    '07 Altima 2.5SL w/Tech pkg.
    ABS
    Spoiler
    Kick Plates
    Sunroof wind deflector
    tint
    emergency kit
    floor mats
    So,
    - Edmunds.com is telling me 'what others are paying' is $30,335.
    I am getting this including TTL at a quote of $30,165

    I have not talked down at all. The car isn't due in until the 27th.
    Any suggestions, or lessons learned from anyone here?
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Hi d0min0, welcome to CarSpace! You'll find folks talking about their deals here: Nissan Altima: Prices Paid & Buying Experience. That discussion should be very helpful to you. Good luck - keep us posted!
  • gasmizrgasmizr Member Posts: 40
    I have a 2007 2.5S 6 speed and the mirrors are fixed. Does anyone know if you can "swap" the mirrors that are on the SL onto the base car? I would like the collapsible mirrors simple because if you get to close to the garage door they will not sheer off but move.

    There has also been a lot of discussion about the cabin noise. I find the car very quiet, especially cruising on the highway. I normally cruise between 75-90 going back and forth to work and have no engine noise or wind noise worth talking about.

    I drove both the CVT and the 6 Speed. I opted for the 6 Speed because it was quieter on acceleration and cruise, YMMV.

    I have had the car for about 3 weeks with about 500 miles on it. Would be more but it has been snowing here so I have not been driving it.

    Anyway it is getting combined about 28MPG on the first tank of gas. Since I filled it up I am now averaging about 30MPG combined. My expectation is that it will settle in at around 30-31MPG once it is broken in with a few thousand miles.

    The fun factor is very high with the 6 Speed manual and the engine has a nice note to it when accelerating as I shift. :shades:
  • rennie4rennie4 Member Posts: 55
    how much faster do u feel the 6-speed is than the cvt? The cvt is already getting to 60 in 7.4 seconds.
  • gasmizrgasmizr Member Posts: 40
    I would venture to guess it is not by much from driving both. It is easy to "slam" the accelerator down on the CVT and just let the car go; strange sensation the first time you do that and the car does not shift. With the manual it takes an experienced driver to get the most out of the car. In daily commuter driving I do not believe there is a "real" difference in usable straight line acceleration. The cvt also has very sophisticated logic so that it "downshifts" correctly when you need that extra little bit of acceleration.

    With the manual you just drop it into a lower gear and you do not have to think about what the cvt may do. Of course you can use the auto manual mode to simulate. I prefer and trust the manual when I need to "shoot the gap" in traffic since I know there will be no lag. ;)

    For me it was that the car seemed quieter than the cvt under acceleration and cruise.
  • victrolajazzvictrolajazz Member Posts: 75
    "It is easy to "slam" the accelerator down on the CVT and just let the car go; strange sensation the first time you do that and the car does not shift."

    Traditionally I've always preferred manual cars--the one I traded on the Altima was an '04 VW NB GL TDI 5 Spd--but I loved the first CVT I ever drove when looking at a Saturn several years ago. We've gone from two-, three-, four-, five- and now six-speed automatics--STOP! I love the turbine-like smoothness, reminds me of the '50s Buick Dynaflows, except without all the wasted slippage. When you floor it, it is also reminiscent of the variable-pitch stator installed in the Dynaflows from 1955 on and also applied to the Turbo-Hydramatic 400's in '65-'67 Olds/Buicks/Cadillacs.
  • jd10013jd10013 Member Posts: 779
    Just bought mine (2.5sl) about 2 weeks ago, and the cvt has never reved the engine at 6000. even when i stomp the gas from a stand still, it tops at about 5200. In fact, its been my experience that the cvt seems to keep the rpm's down considerably. I can cruise at 70mph at about 200rpm's.

    anyways, as for the return trip to the dealership, that not uncommon. even the best, most reliable cars average something like 2.5 trips back to the dealership, and i've had to take every new car i've ever bought back to the dealer at least once in the first year for something.

    and don't let the tow truck give you the wrong impression. after having spent 20k+, most people (myself included) will tell the dealer to tow it, rather than driving it back.
  • tmc1688tmc1688 Member Posts: 28
    Hi all, I just drove my moms 2000 Maxima GLE I must say I love the acceleration. The acceleration was clean and has no hesitation what so ever when I pressed the accelerator. It felt like the fuel flow was right on tap. I was wondering if the current owners of 2007-2008 V6 CVT Altimas have the same exciting acceleration or if there is a 1 or 2 second delay when the accelerator is pressed.

    Thanks for reading
  • flightnurseflightnurse Member Posts: 2,217
    CVT transmission well have that delayed feeling, but it really don't hurt the perforamance all that much. I have a 07 Nissan Versa with the CVT, and also have a 05 Altima with the 3.5l. The current Altima is faster, and smoother then your mothers Max...
  • _wraith__wraith_ Member Posts: 16
    Last Saturday, I took a few test drives, including an 07 Altima 4-cyl. It must have been an 'S', since it had an auto/CVT w/ a 4-cyl.

    I was really impressed with the interior, quiet/smooth ride, comfortable seats (at least from my short test drive). Power seemed reasonable.

    What I didn't like was the handling in the snow. It was snowing pretty good, but it wasn't deep at all, and there was plenty of traffic on the roads. It just felt squirmy when accelerating. It felt downright bad. On clean roads, I didn't notice any problem.

    I drove a 4-cyl Accord after that, from the same dealership, and it seemed to handle the snow a little better. The salesman said it was due to the wider tires on the Altima. Looking at the specs, the Altima has 215s, while an lx/se/ex Accord has 205s.

    Does anyone have experience with the Altima in light-to-moderate snow? Does the V6 with traction and (added) stability control fare any better?
  • vikariousvikarious Member Posts: 15
    This past weekend I drove home from a party in the snow - "blizzard" conditions. On the sides roads there was probably 6" of snow, I had a foot in my driveway (which I got stuck in).

    I was actually very very pleased with the way it handled in the snow! I felt secure and didn't feel like there was much sliding/fishtailing. I was being cautious, but even still, I felt like I had good control of the car.

    I felt much more secure in this car than I did in my previous car (Ford Focus, for reference) and I don't think I have EVER driven in as much before.
  • bostonfan49bostonfan49 Member Posts: 2
    Hope there is someone on this board who can help me! If I wants to obtain the highest gas milage possible in an Altima 2.5 what tire/tire size/wheel size would I use. I have long felt that S rated summer tires give the best gas milage.... Also I am not considering most true LLR tires because of the percieved reduced handling/braking. (An exception would be the Michelin MXV4S and its newer replacement)Agin, hope some high gas milage folks can shed some facts on this subject. Thanks, Bill
  • bostonfan49bostonfan49 Member Posts: 2
    Ka-ching$$$$$ I really want to get a '07 Altima but I would appreciate a simple explanation of all these plans. What if any is worth it? Besides oil changes (My current cars)Semi-Syn every 4-5K. What is the suggested maintenance interval per the warranty? I have a 2000 S40 with 142k. It runs great, my only real problem has been with the check engine light...like all Volvos its on more than it off. Volvo offers just one extended warranty plan. Thanks again, Bill
  • vmokhutovvmokhutov Member Posts: 23
    How you can describe the 6 sp. operation? Are rpm's hanging like most of today's cars when you go from one gear to another or rpm's drop as soon as you depressed the clutch? Is this tranny slick and precise or shifts rough?
  • xonoideasxonoideas Member Posts: 2
    HI-I'm new here. I own an 07 Altima 2.5 S, I bought it in Nov.06. I have 8300 miles on it. I live in Upstate Ny where there has been significant snowfall.
    My car is GREAT in the snow, its not the car, its the tires.
    Once I put Blizzak snow tires on, no problems, goes through anything. This is my 3rd Altima, the snow tires make all the difference in the world.
    I'm finding the driver's seat very uncomfortable though, and have had some prettty bad lower back pain, wondering if my seat is the cause. Anyone else own one that finds the seat uncomfortable? I wish I had my '03 Altimas seat back. Thinking of looking for a Maxima seat to put in, anyone have advice?
  • xonoideasxonoideas Member Posts: 2
    have you addressed this seat problem with Nissan? and did you get anywhere with it?
    I too am having back pain, and drive a lot. Ive had my Altima since Nov. and have 8300 miles on it. Was thinking
    of putting an old Maxima seat in it from a salvage yard.
    But not sure what to do. Would love my '03 seat back.
    As far as gas mileage I get between 29 and 32 mpg. I do
    a lot of highway driving as well.
    i love the car too.
  • dk4dk4 Member Posts: 4
    I'm considering buying an 07 Altima 2.5S with Convenience Package. ANY THOUGTS(comfort,driveability,headlight performance at night)?? How reliable is the CVT trans? Is the 2.5 just not good compared to the 3.5(any reliabilty issues between the two)?
  • brownieaffairbrownieaffair Member Posts: 5
    I bought one a couple of weeks ago.
    -Comfort has been fine for me. My seat is reclined back somewhat, so the headrest problem is not an issue for me.
    -Driveability has been fun and smooth. I'm still breaking her in so right now I just cruise.
    -Headlights are pretty good - in very dark areas there is a noticeable cutoff, but the high beams are great.
    -CVT has been fine so far.

    2.5 has been enough power for me and all that I could afford really, haha.
  • gasmizrgasmizr Member Posts: 40
    I would say it shifts fairly smooth and precise as you can miss 3rd and end up in 5th if your are not careful. I am still in the "break in" period and have to keep it below 4K RPM. The RPMs drop of a little slowly but enough that you have to give it gas for the next gear to kick in. I have pushed it a little. If you have driven a Honda 5/6 speed I would say they are a little smoother and the throw is a little shorter. I drove my friends civic SI for comparison. To me it is not enough to make a difference but that is personal preference. One thing about the SI though is that it revs much higher, closer to 8K of I remember correctly.

    I am pretty tall 6' 3" and the seat is pretty comfortable. It is a little on the firm side but my guess is that over time it will break in and be very comfortable. With the headrest up to max it is perfect for me. I would rather start of with a firm seat then a very cushy one that got to soft over time since I keep cars a long time, 10+ years usually and pushing 200K when I sell them to a kid.

    I have the standard conti's and the car has been fine in the snow. I am sure it would do better with snow tires. We had about 6" of snow last week and the car did fine, better then my '96 civic used to.
  • dk4dk4 Member Posts: 4
    How's the lumbar support. I'm 5'9" and I have a lot of non-highway miles I drive to and from work and the roads can get bumpy. Anyone in Chicagoland knows this :)
  • brownieaffairbrownieaffair Member Posts: 5
    I'm 6' and I'm satisfied - although I haven't had the car too long. I also drive a lot of non-highway miles; I'm in central Jersey and try to avoid the traffic as much as possible. Have you gone for a test-drive yet? Scope it out.
  • dk4dk4 Member Posts: 4
    I plan to start my test drives this Spring. My company is getting rid of the company car program after 25 years(it kills me!!) It is what it is though. I don't have to turn in my company vehicle until September, so I have some time yet, but I have been actively searching since December to see what's out their to meet my needs. I recently hit the Chicago Auto Show which was a great help(kind of like one stop shopping). I'm currenlty considering the Sonata, Camry, and Altima.
  • car111car111 Member Posts: 24
    Hi,
    Altima 3.5 SL with traction control and skid package vehicle dynamic control) seems to have loaded safety features. But the crash test scores from IIHS don't seem to have all come out yet.

    How do I compare safety of this car (eg 3.5 SL) with other cars such as Camry 2007. Also Camry has knee airbag for driver that Altima 2007 does not - how much of that is an issue? Anyone know when Nissan will put that ?

    How important is knee airbag ?

    Thankyou.
  • car111car111 Member Posts: 24
    Hello all,
    I am in market for new sedan that is comfortable but still sporty to drive, and should have soft gas pedals (for my hurt knee). Does anyone has recommendation for these requirements ?

    After several months / weekends, we found Altima has softest pedals (for my injured knee) compared to even the soft pedal Camry. Anyone agree ? Without this pedal requirement, I would have got the BMW 330 or 335.


    Thanks.
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