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Nissan Altima Hybrid Test Drive - Give us Your Report!

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Comments

  • hiwaymanhiwayman Member Posts: 98
    "Maxima Armada"...now THAT is FUNNY! You're right though. when we were shopping for the NAH I sat in a Maxima, just out of curiosity. I actually like the interior of the NAH better, and the bodies are so similar it takes a careful look to see the differences. I've never been much of one for the wood accents and other "luxury" cues. It's not a sailboat. It's a friggin' CAR. :D Maybe if I could afford a Mercedes Maybach I'd feel differently....
  • gr8tfuldadgr8tfuldad Member Posts: 3
    I'm thrilled with this car. It handles beautifully, quiet, smooth ride, not a single glitch yet. I've only filled the tank twice, and mileage was 34 mpg on the first tank, and 35 mpg on the second. Lots better than my old Camry. I give this car 2 green thumbs-up.
  • maximafanmaximafan Member Posts: 592
    It's kind of sad what's happened to the evolution of the Maxima over the past four years. The Altima came along and just seemed to have the right combinations of everything that buyers wanted with great pricing. There
    is a few creature comforts that the 2004 to current Maximas do have though that you can't get on the Altima, such as memory seats and power folding mirrors. I do like my memory seats!!
  • mrav8rmrav8r Member Posts: 7
    I bought my new 2007 NAH on July 31, and picked it up on Aug 4 from Clay Nissan in Norwood, MA. I live in Arlington, VA. My salesman Ron Scotch graciously picked me up at the Amtrak station, brought me to the dealership, and made the entire purchasing experience nearly painless. The only real issue I am currently facing is state sales tax. Virginia DMV does not coordinate with Massachusetts DMV to reconcile the taxes I have paid in MA, so I have currently paid both MA and VA state taxes. I am in communication with Clay Nissan to have them cut me a check for the MA taxes that they were required by MA DMV to collect. I am hoping that they will cut me the check, which totaled over $1500.00.

    Does anybody have any advice regarding out-of-state car purchases, DMV, taxes, etc.?
  • townboy325townboy325 Member Posts: 37
    that suxk... i though u only paid tax on you own state when u brought car out of state cause u not even rigster on that state.
  • colloquorcolloquor Member Posts: 482
    My brother just bought a Altima Hybrid, and loves it as well. BTW . . . I am sure all of you know that the Altima Hybrid is built at Nissan's Smyrna, Tennessee plant, not in Japan. I just returned from a business trip to Alabama, and saw truck after truck in Tennessee carrying new Altimas. See link below:

    http://www.nissannews.com/nissan/news/pricing/20070130085311.shtml
  • langjielangjie Member Posts: 250
    I think it's a lot easier if you were transferring plates. then they can allow you to drive off the lot without needing to register the car in mass (which is where you would be paying to tax).

    don't worry, i'm sure clay will cut you a check, just make sure to follow up on it
  • hiwaymanhiwayman Member Posts: 98
    Here in CA the DMV workers are notoriously incorrect in their assessments of your situation. You may want to check to be sure the person "assisting" you knew what they were doing. Also, CA does something where they check the sales tax from the other state. If it's lower than CA, you have to pay the diff. If it's higher, which would mean, logically, that CA would refund some money, of course they don't... :D
  • langjielangjie Member Posts: 250
    you have to pay the difference? and you guys call us taxachusetts
  • hiwaymanhiwayman Member Posts: 98
    I think the only reason Califonia doesn't have a wry name like "Taxachusetts" is because we can't think of anything to rhyme well, other than Californicate, which, when you think about it, might be an apt description of our tax structures. Not only do we have to pay the difference between other states and California, we even have to pay the difference between counties and municipalities. The big cities have their own taxes on sales. If you were to go to some little country town and buy a car, the DMV will pop you for the difference between that town and your own, if it cost less to buy there. And let's not even get started about buying a car in a non-California air quality certified state and trying to bring it in, if you are a resident of California.

    The only thing that's better than Mass (if Mass is still like it was when I lived there about 20 years ago) is that there are no vehicle inspections. We get a smog test on all but hybrid and diesel cars once every two years, but there are no headlight/horn/tire/windshield inspections (although the CHP CAN bust you for bad equipment if they see you)...
  • langjielangjie Member Posts: 250
    it's still like that now for inspections. it was quite annoying before because i changed my headlights to HID's and didn't have high beams. sometimes i needed to change out the system to pass inspection. in the end, i just found a place that really didn't care that much.

    your woman are hotter, i think that counts for something too, haha
  • hiwaymanhiwayman Member Posts: 98
    I remember when I lived in Taxachusetts it was pretty much a scam to get money into the pockets of the gas stations that did the inspections. $20.00 to someone who you knew would get you a sticker.

    Interesting statement about our women. I think you're thinking of LA. Up here in the Bay Area, the beaches are cold and rocky, it can be foggy for the better part of the day, and the women dress accordingly, plus there's no chance of being "discovered". Women in this area are probably more closely aligned with East Coasters. It's two different countries, my friend. ;) . It WOULD be interesting to see how easily an LA Woman could pass a Massachusetts vehicle inspection, though...

    I saw an options list for the 08 NAH. The base model car is more expensive, but not by much. Base cost is more, but when you add on the tech package, the total is less, very slightly, than a loaded 07. A dealer friend of mine showed me the preliminary pricing estimates. Methinks Nissan wants you to buy the tech package (which is really cool, by the way..we have it).

    I had heard that the 08s would have LED tail lights and HID headlights, but it appears that will not be the case. The ooptions list the dealer showed me did not show them as being part of the package.

    Oddly enough, if you go to Nissan's site, it shows the trunk capacity at the same as the standard Altima, with 60/40 seats. Could they have moved the battery?!?!! That would be pretty sweet. The trunk on our NAH is pretty small... It would be worth the slight price increase to have a larger trunk!
  • langjielangjie Member Posts: 250
    no change in hell they moved the battery. it's just a copy and paste job by nissan. they really need to get their things proof-read before they publish. but i agree, a bigger trunk would be great, oh well, i bought my car knowing exactly how large the trunk is.

    i have the tech package too, i think it's cool and the energy history and flow meter are good tools too!

    i think an LA woman could pass a vehicle inspection even if her car was on fire. i have a theory that woman are sort of like flowers...they need more sun to grow and blossom

    if you're not hot, then it's not as easy and you can't pay people off anymore. the problem is with the emissions test, but if you can pass that, you'll probably get your sticker
  • greanpea68greanpea68 Member Posts: 1,996
    Does anybody have any advice regarding out-of-state car purchases, DMV, taxes, etc.?

    If they registered it in Mass so you could drive back to VA. then you might have to pay both.
  • johajoha Member Posts: 7
    I purchased my Altima hybrid in New Jersey and had the dealer register it in Maryland for me. No problem except that the three-week temporary tag expired before my MD plates arrived. It would have been faster for me to do it myself. I paid MD tax and registration. Dealers do out of state registrations all the time.
  • langjielangjie Member Posts: 250
    i think the easiest thing is if you trade in a car and transfer plates, but you shouldn't need to pay tax (unless you live in california anyways)
  • mrav8rmrav8r Member Posts: 7
    All very good points. Fortunately, I only paid MA state taxes, but I did not register it in MA. I only registered it in VA.

    You all also have a good point, that the drones who work at the DMV probably don't have all the answers. Looks like I need to have some face-time with a "DMV manager".

    Wish me luck! :cry:
  • saabgeorgesaabgeorge Member Posts: 22
    The 5% sales tax in MA is paid directly to the RMV when you register the car. This is to keep a MA resident from buying a car out of state - like NH where they don't have a sales tax - and then registering car in MA without paying the tax. If you didn't register your new car in MA then I would say the dealer made an extra 5% profit on your purchase because I'm sure they didn't pass it on. The car dealers in MA usually collect the tax as a convinience for the buyer and register the car with the RMV so the buyer doesn't have to stand in line.
  • mrav8rmrav8r Member Posts: 7
    I agree. Unfortunately this is my first car, so I'm no expert. The salesman took advantage and told me it was all mandatory...little did I know.

    Also, the car is titled to the dealership, not to me. That can't be right...! Today is the day after Labor Day weekend so people will be in the office, I can make phone calls, meet with people, etc. Will send y'all the play-by-play as soon as I get it.
  • gripperdongripperdon Member Posts: 17
    The milage sucks I can't get over 29 in Arizona even with the AC on recirculate and directed in your face and set to 81F The AC kills the already overrated milage.
  • townboy325townboy325 Member Posts: 37
    how can it be titled to the dealership which mean they going to get the tax rebate too and not u???
  • mrav8rmrav8r Member Posts: 7
    Rest assured townboy325, this is being corrected asap.
  • sonicagamemnonsonicagamemnon Member Posts: 5
    I just purchased a 2009 NAH fitted with the technology package at Tonkin Nissan in Wilsonville, Oregon. The final cost was about $24K after a fat $3,500 Nissan rebate, a $2,350 federal tax credit, along with a $1,500 state tax credit, and there is no sales tax in Oregon. The dealership experience was very good. The staff was friendly, professional and well informed. The only issue was simply availability: There was just one NAH in stock when I arrived for a test drive.

    My fully appointed Altima is very comfortable, handles well on the road, accelerates strongly for a hybrid, and produces very low (AT-PZEV) emissions with good fuel economy, averaging 34 MPG so far. The car is fun to drive and has an overall sporty feel. Steering is accurate and it corners well, with very strong brakes and an overall solid feel on the road. Noise levels in the cabin remain fairly low in nearly all paved driving conditions, except when gunning the engine all-out. The electric motor is eerily quiet as the car begins to roll, and there is a distinct growl whenever the gas engine eventually starts.

    Inside the cabin, the first thing I notice is how comfortable the leather seats are, and the car’s excellent front, side and rear visibility. There are 6 air bags and most impacts zones have a 5-star safety rating. The navigation system works well, especially XM traffic monitoring and the rear-view video camera. The Bose sound system uses 9 speakers to produce strong and clear sound throughout the cabin. I trained two Bluetooth phones and downloaded both contact lists in less than 10 minutes. Communicating with others hands-free is now safe and simple: When a call arrives, the XM radio programming fades away automatically; after the call finishes, the radio quickly returns. Small misses include the lack of fog lights in the hybrid model, the lack of a full iPod docking bay, and available trunk space is limited because the main battery is stored there.

    I also test drove the Toyota Camry hybrid and Prius, Honda Civic and the new Ford Fusion all on the same day. In general, the prices, warranties and incentives are approximately the same for these vehicles when similarly equipped, so my final judgment mostly depended on the test drive. For me, the Nissan Altima hybrid was the clear choice.
  • occkingoccking Member Posts: 346
    Congrats on your purchase! I purchased two 08 NAH's March 08. One loaded with everything tech, bluetooth, etc., that I kept for exactly one year put on 35k, and traded in as I needed something with more space, plus wanted AWD (got 09 Subaru Forster) The second load had just the convenience package w/roof. That is my wife's car & is presently has approx 7500 miles on it.

    I must say I do miss my vehicle, it was so much more quiet, much "peppier" and smooth riding than the Forster. MPG was pretty consistent at around 34 - 35 mpg, except in the winter it dropped to around 30. Now that the weather is warmer I can see that my wife's NAH, the mpg has improved to 35 - 36 again.

    Have had absolutely no problems with either vehicle. Only complaint was on the bluetooth; although it worked fine as you decsribed, people on the other end could never understand what I was saying and I would invariably turn it off (have to be careful in NY and CT they will nail you with a steep fine if caught talking to a handheld) I even had the control unit replaced but that did not make things any better.

    I did like the Nav system in the Nissan better than the one I have in the Subaru, more options & less prone to errors. Also, loved the long range with 20 gallon tank could go almost 700 miles. Even though my Forster, which now has 9000 miles in 3 months is getting better mileage (now up to 28mpg on a trip) with the 16.9 gallon tank hard to squeeze more than 450 miles.

    Sounds like you got a great deal! Watch out, the Fed Refund for Hybrid can be affected by your income. Even though I did not qualify for AMT, for the two Hybrids I purchased last year should have gotten $2350 x two but got only $4050. I guess it can start to phase out as your income gets higher.
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