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ordering a car would take 6-8 weeks assuming there isn't a shortage in navi units.
you can do your own search but i really doubt you will be able to find the exact car you want. but the target MSRP price you want is 32,365 or 32,625. so just look for that
80 miles to get there). Tech package + floor mats for
300 over invoice.
Could get no deal or preferred color in the Bay area.
I am overall happy with the car but made the switch from
an Acura TSX - obviously a different kind of car, more
nimble and compact. Also interior was plusher. So some
adjustments for me.
I could not find a way to display mpg, range etc in the
Navi. Anybody know how to do this? The dashboard info
toggles between mpg meter, mpg, temp, range etc. Isnt
there a way to get all of these on single screen in the
navi?
Thanx
Larry
Phonebook part I did not checek but I was able to
send and receive calls by using the Navi touchpad.
It can sync up with multiple phones and store each
ones settings in the memory. So 2 phones should work.
Do not know what will happen if one is in use and a
call comes to the other.
In Bay area temperatures are usually mild. So in the
morning the EV mode comes on within 1-2 minutes of
driving.
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It drives quite well and I’m getting about 35 MPG in mostly highway driving. Since the northeast has been hit with unusually cold weather recently (30s), in the morning it takes about 10 minutes to warm up enough to cruise in EV mode exclusively, but that’s not so bad.
The first day I drove to work I had the pleasure of getting stuck in a massive traffic jam for over an hour. I was running off battery most of that time, so much so that twice the engine had to kick in to recharge it, since it didn’t really have the opportunity to fully charge yet.
Overall, I’m pretty happy. Does anyone have any suggestions on breaking in the engine aside from the recommendations in the manual? In general, I’ve heard that you should try to avoid keeping a constant speed all the time, so I have yet to put it on cruise control. I also try to vary my speed as much as possible on a highway.
I would just say that you can drive the car pretty normally during break-in. i just wouldn't stomp on the gas. I've been up to 75 (albeit really slowly)
Coincidentally I drove an Accord LX this evening, and setting aside the characteristics of the hybrid drive, the time spent in the Honda reinforced my decision to go Altima. The Accord is still a good car, but in almost every category not affected by the hybrid drive (exterior + interior design, legroom, seat comfort, stereo) the Altima seems just a bit better to me. The only area where the Accord seemed to have an edge is interior fit and finish.
I'm still amazed by the bias Car and Driver displays for Honda. Not only did they trash the Altima Hybrid in one article, but in a recent comparison test, they boldly declared the now aging Accord as better overall and more refined than the gas powered Altima. I've got nothing against Honda... as a matter of fact I own their minivan, but such journalistic bias is fairly disappointing.
but yeah, i completely agree with you about C&D's bias. 40% of the time, I come to work in an Accord (carpooling) and I feel the suspension is rougher then my altima's yet they always grill the nissan's on their "rough ride" whereas they always aplaud honda's "superior handling"
they so get paid by honda and BMW. moreso honda of course but during some of the G35 vs 335 comparo's...they say that the g35 is really really close to the 335's performance and just a bit off on fit and finish but the kicker is the G35 is 10,000 less then 335. I think that's a pretty big kicker and if I can get almost the same performance, and pretty nice luxury and pay 10,000 less...i'll save the cash everytime
Also, I’m pretty tall (6’2”) and the amount of legroom combined with the generous width of the footwell make the Altima feel like a much larger car to me. I sat in the Accord and thought I was driving a Civic. I have no idea how legroom is measured, but despite obvious differences, invariably all cars within a certain class are within fractions of an inch of each other.
And as far as the 3 series vs. G35, I think it’s an unwritten rule of journalism that the Beemer is untouchable. I think BMW could put out a mule attached to a rickety cart and that combo would still outclass Infiniti’s best according to the likes of C&D. Edmunds came REALLY close to proclaiming the new G37 coupe better than the 335i, but wimped out at the end. For my part, $10K would be the only motivation I’d need. When all is said and done though, you have to give Nissan props for even trying to compete against BMW. No other Japanese manufacturer does that.
As an aside, have you actually seen another Altima Hybrid on the road? With sales around 400 for March, I’m not counting on seeing one soon, but I have yet to spot any other type of hybrid except the Prius. No trace of the Camry Hybrid either.
of course i am in the 3rd most hybrid registered state? (mass)
The answer to the first question is most likely - yes; since every option package is priced out separately and then added to the base MSRP.
The answer to the second question is a little bit more difficult. We can hope that the $590 is only on MSRP, but maybe someone that is a dealer or works at a dealer can shed a little light on this for us.
Base Price - MSRP - Old=24440 / New=24990
Base Price - Invoice - Old=_____ / New = 23442
Connection Pkg. - MSRP - Old=5250 / New=5250
Connection Pkg. - Invoice - Old=_____ / New=4554
Floor Mats - MSRP - Old=100 / New=110
Floor Mats - Invoice - Old=___ / New=84
Destination Charge - Old=615 / New=625
I just got mine today with Convenience Package for $24442 which is about $300-400 below invoice. Any comments on my price? I went to supposedly the biggest dealer in the US, which is the Los Angeles area. They gave me a competitive quote by email, which other dealers had a hard time matching over the phone or by email.
The negotiation didn't take that long including trading in my 13 year old SUV. The financing took forever.
Base Price - Invoice - Old=22821 / New = 23442
Connection Pkg. - MSRP - Old=5250 / New=5250
Connection Pkg. - Invoice - Old=4554 / New=4554
Floor Mats - MSRP - Old=100 / New=110
Floor Mats - Invoice - Old=79 / New=84
Destination Charge - Old=615 / New=625
One edit: My original post should have said the old base price MSRP was 24400 (not 24440).
One other question (just curious):
Edmunds lists the Nissan holdback as 2% of "Total Invoice". Is the destination charge included in their definition of "Total Invoice"? (Obviously, this is trivial, since it only affects the holdback amount by $12).
When is their own system coming out?
http://www.nissanusa.com/altima/specifications.html
View Altima Standard Equipment and then look at Audio.
It's difficult to find something like that. The Altima Hybrid might have been the one, but you have to buy the $5000 option package to get bluetooth and then you have a $30K plus vehicle. You can't get VDC on the 2.5 non-hybrid at all. The 3.5 is pricey and a gas guzzler.
No VDC on Sentra and Versa.
Does any vehicle like this exist now?
I think I can cherry pick that combination of options on the 2007 base model Mini Cooper, but it would fail my reliability requirement. I also have heard rumors than the 2008 Ford Focus might have this stuff available, but reliability might be subpar and resale value will definately be poor. I have also thought of a Dodge Caliber SXT, but reliability and MPG reports have been poor.
I think the current best choice is the Camry Hybrid or an 4 cylinder Camry XLE with optional VSC unless the 2008 Accord has VSA and bluetooth standard on LX or EX 4 cylinder models this fall. I think the next most likely vehicle will be the next generation Honda Fit (2009??) unless Nissan has any plans on making VDC available on Sentras and/or Versas in the next year or so.
Sounds like I might have to wait until stability control is mandated in 2012 to get this combo in features in sub $25K cars. I'd actually prefer to go down to sub $20K economy cars.
keep in mind there's haggling room
I would venture to guess that the = in your formula above is more like a ≈ and the answer is Altima Hybrid. You pay for what you get!
I ended up Special Ordering my Nissan Altima Hybrid in Sonoma Sunset with Blond Leather Interior and the Technology Package on 5/7/07. I went through Nissan of Garden Grove, and I'm getting a great deal on the car. Thanks to Lina, the Internet Director, at the dealership. I highly recommend this dealer to anybody out there looking for this hard to find car. I will have mine sometime in June, and I can't wait.
Check out there website, and go visit the dealership if you want this car:
www.nissangg.com
http://www.edmunds.com/apps/vdpcontainers/do/MediaNav/styleId=100851544/firstNav- =Gallery/photoId=20112012#
(in case the link doesn't work, it's picture 14/25 of the Interior section of Edmunds' photo gallery).
On other matters, does anyone have any recommendations on dealers in the South Bay Area, CA? Assuming I like the car when I test drive, I'm probably planning on buying a NAH in the next couple months. I have access to the Carperks network (www.carperks.net) through my work, so I will probably try that as well as going through either Carsdirect or the internet salesperson at another dealer to ensure I get the best deal. I will probably have to special order the car I want, too, so if anyone has good information on which dealers make that process painless, I'd really appreciate it!
In my area it seems like the majority of new Altima's I see are hybrid models compared to a very low ratio of 2007 Camry Hybrids vs 2007 non-hybrid Camrys I see on the road.
When you say them above, are you referring to Nissan of Garden Grove? Because all they required from me is a $500 non refundable deposit to order the car. That $500 then goes towards your down payment. Like I said, final pricing should be worked out when your car is delivered. I specifically asked if by giving a deposit and special ordering the car, if I was in any part agreeing to a selling price, and the answer was No.
I've never bought a new car, so I'm a little unfamiliar with the whole process, but every time I learn more about it the less I like it. Putting a $500 nonrefundable deposit down on the expectation of receiving a price I'd be satisfied with, only to leave them the option to change last minute, is not something I would very keen on.
My manager, when buying his new car a few months ago, received an online quotation with a price he liked. However, once he got to the dealership he was told that they could not actually have sold him a car at that price. How that isn't a bait-and-switch tactic worthy of reporting to the BBB, I have no idea.
As far as your manager goes, bcp01scu05, that dealership should be reported to the BBB. Usually when you receive an online price quotation it specifically says that this price is good on this specific vehicle for up to, for example, 72 hours. If he went to the dealership with documentation of the price he liked, and they said, ooops we're sorry, we can't actually charge you that, we are going to charge you $1000 more, the dealer broke a written agreement between them and the consumer, and could be prosecuted in small claims court for doing so. That is BS.
Not all dealers are crooks. Find a good one, and stick with them. bcp01scu05, you never answered if you had specifically gone to Nissan of Garden Grove? If you didn't, and you live in SoCal, I suggest that you go there. They won't jerk you around. Make sure you ask for Lina. If you did, I'm surprised to hear that you had a bad experience with them, as mine has been all like a pleasant walk in the park.
I think I may be able to get the same corporate discount you are receiving (Carperks?), so hopefully I will end up getting a similarly good deal. I'm up in NorCal, though, so unfortunately Garden Grove is about 400 miles away--probably a little far to go for a car. I haven't even gone in for a test drive yet (my timeline to buy is July/August-ish), but if you have heard anything about good dealers up in NorCal, I'm all ears.
As to the whole BBB thing--I don't think he would have had a legal case based on the specifics of the situation, and I don't think he ever reported it to the BBB (he works too much). He just got stuck between a rock and a hard place--the car was a surprise for his wife, he brought her out for a test drive, she liked the car, and then they sprung the price trap on him. It was either pay more or piss off his wife... he probably made the right choice.
What if there is some problem with the car and you don't have to be stuck with it hoping it can be fixed under warranty? Transit damage with repainting and so on?