Very Nice Car

Author's Rating:

Pros: Gas Mileage, Roominess, Trunk Size

Cons: 4-Cylinder engine noisy at high RPM's.

The Bottom Line: 
It's fun to drive and I am very happy with it.

Author's Review
After owning three Nissan Maxima's I decided it was time for a change. My first Maxima had a 190 horse V6 that got about 25 miles per gallon of premium but in the 2002 version, because of the additional weight and larger engine, it dropped to 19. After that lease was up I decided to look at slightly smaller cars. I test drove a Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and 4 and 6 cylinder Nissan Altimas. All were decent cars and all had their strong points, but I preferred the Altima.

The base price for the 2.5S is $20,280, which already includes Air Conditioning, Cruise Control, a decent 6-speaker AM/FM Radio with CD Player and the Destination Charge. The Convenience Package which includes Alloy Wheels, an 8-way power drivers seat, security system and a number of other niceties added $1680. Splash guards were $120. Floor and trunk mats $150 and Fog Lamps were $290. Protection package $70. That brought the total to $22590.

The salesman first offered the vehicle on a 39-month lease at $331 per month with nothing down and, as an alternative, at $248 per month with $1995 down. The difference between those numbers didn't sound quite right to me so I borrowed his calculator and divided the $1995 down payment by 39 monthly payments and it came to $51.15. Adding the $248 monthly payment to the $51.15 equals $299.15, a fairly large $32 a month difference. I asked the salesman for an explanation. He was a bit embarrassed and asked if I would lease the car $299 per month with nothing down. I agreed, he got his authorization and I signed the papers.

Three hours later I came back and the salesman happily told me that there had been a mix up with the VIN numbers and gave me a car for the same price that also had ABS brakes and side airbags.

Driving Impression:

The Altima is a darn good car. The base configuration includes a 2.5L DOHC 170HP 4-cylinder engine. Performance is decent and acceleration is more than adequate. I get 24 or 25 mpg around town and about 29 on the highway using regular gas. It has a 20-gallon gas tank that lets you drive about 420 miles around town before the warning indicator comes on and at least 500 miles on the highway. I really like it's larger tank.

The 4 cylinder engine is noisier than the V6 that I test drove and that becomes much more noticeable at high RPM's. That optional engine is a 3.5L 250HP V-6 that transforms the Altima into one the fastest car in its league. Unfortunately with the V6, the city mileage drops to about 19mpg and it uses premium.

Handling is just as good at 80mph as it is at 40. It is stable in the rain and predictable in the snow. The ride is good but a bit stiffer than expected.

Braking is fine. On a panic stop, the ABS kicks in and does its job.

The 4-speed automatic performs well but on a couple of occasions stayed in a lower gear a bit longer than expected.

Interior:

There is an amazing amount of storage areas inside the Altima. Other than the usual glove box, there are compartments for your glasses, seatback pockets, map pockets and cup holders, the later of which has a pull out insert that reveals a larger opening underneath. There are three covered compartments where you can store things including really good-sized one below the radio that is perfect for trash.

Included in the convenience package is leather wrapped steering wheel with trip computer on the left side that lets you know the outside temperature, your fuel mileage, the number of miles you can drive on your remaining fuel and a couple of trip odometers. There are also controls there for the volume, tuning and track selection of the Radio and CD player.

The seats are comfortable and adjust easily. There is a control for lumbar support. The steering wheel column tilts and telescopes to conform with your needs.

The dashboard is smartly designed and nicely laid out with everything plainly visible. It is illuminated at night with an amber/orange light.

The heater, defroster and air conditioning all performed quite well. It would have been a nicer touch to have thermostatically operated controls instead of the manual controls that often need readjustment.

The security system is simple and reliable. The transmitter has a very long range, several hundred feet so if you forgot where you left your car you can honk the horn and flash the lights from quite a distance.

Exterior:

The exterior is nicely designed. I have received many complements on the design of the vehicle. The paint is excellent, the body parts fit well together and the rear tail lenses are very attractive.

The trunk is large - 15.6 cubic feet. There is a button on the key holder to open it remotely. The rear seats fold down and I can haul a few 2 by 10's from the lumberyard and still close the trunk.