3.5 Altima

[Sailor Bob]

Went into a Nissan shop today to see if I could get an oil filter for the old girl (no luck) and saw the discussed vehicle on the showroom floor. I though to myself - self, I'll soon be in the market for a new car, so why not check it out.

When doing so I was shocked - why all the crap about this car, it is a dandy rig, four door, four seater, lots of headroom, CV tranny, lots of toys and last but not least it is wicked fast, with torque galore right through the band. It's not much like a Z (although the coupe ? maybe a little) - no doubt borrowed some, but I think it's an entity. A real nice family car with some upgrades for Dad, it gets respectable milage as well 27 city and 37 h/w. (double my Z)

It was worth the time - Could be my next car.

Had to submit this in after the wacky thread from a couple of weeks ago.

[MikeW]

My only complaint is FWD but I think that's not nearly as important as some traditionalists believe. Unless you plan on sliding it around corners I don't think the difference is noticeable. Perhaps maintenance down the road would be more including different tire wear than RWD.

I might even consider the coupe and, horrors, the 2.5 for even better mileage. For me it would just be a daily driver going to and from work.

[sblake01]

Never said the car was wacky, it was the author of the thead that's wacky. My brother just bought his wife a 07 Sentra. Nice car though it's not my cup of tea. Much roomier and more powerful and higher fuel mileage than any Sentra the wife and I have ever owned.

[rdefabri]

3.5 Altima is a great car for the money. Tons of torque steer, but still cool. Screw that crappy CVT though, get the manual.

I nearly bought the previous iteration, having owned a 2000 Nissan Maxima SE 5-spd. Instead I ended up with a used Lexus GS400 - it was cheaper and faster...but I did like that Altima....go for it!

[red_dog007]

Man, I only think that the 2.5L would get that kind of mileage.

Don't get me wrong, the Altima is a nice car, its just that Nissan has too many Z-inspired products right now that look WAY better then the Z and even perform better.

Though when the base 3.5L Altima is $24k, for just $2k more I had much rather get the 350z. RWD and more power out of the same motor if your in the market for a coupe.

The CVT would be nice and smooth for a mom and pap car, but the manual would be better if you want better performance. CVT gives you the rubber band effect which is basically lag. I am sure that it is a little worse design in the Caliber but the R/T has some 30hp more then the SE and the SE is just as fast as the R/T because the R/T only has the CVT and the SE is a manual.

[sblake01]

Don't get me wrong, the Altima is a nice car, its just that Nissan has too many Z-inspired products right now that look WAY better then the Z and even perform better.

Ain't that the truth! Even my brother's 07 Sentra mentioned earlier in this thread has been restyled to have a very similar look to the Altima, Maxima, G35, etc.

[Rockr69]

where have all you naysayers been for the last twenty years? So what if they all look the same. did you know that while looking at an s130 i noticed huh!, it has the same mirrors as my maxima and while I'm looking I also notice that the seats are almost identical as well. Same style of fabric, color combos. I mean all the major American auto manufacturers have been doing it for decades, sure twenty years ago the outsides may have been different, but I sure didn't hear anyone complain that they could get the same drivetrain package whether you were buying a camaro or a vette. Same with Ford and Mopar. So Sailor Bob I hear your words of wisdom and feel that they are sound. If those are the qualities you feel you need, you go and get that Altima and if it is not what you want don't get it. I would love to get my wife one of those to replace her, and forgive me here, aging Honda, I know, I know. She bought it not me, but anyway you know if your a car guy you look at everything that's on the road and the 3.5 Altima is the one that always catches my eye. And in response to Reddog, Sailor already mentioned the four doors as a plus. And also if you have followed Sailor's post of the past if he wanted the 350z he would have said that as well. I think he's looking for a mom and pop car. Great choice Bob.

[sblake01]

No naysayer here. Never said I didn't like them they're just not for me. This 'pop' doesn't drive the kids around anymore since they're out on their own and driving their own cars and 'mom' which I guess really would also be 'grandma' is the daily driver of the mom and pop vehicle.

[bigoak]

Though when the base 3.5L Altima is $24k, for just $2k more I had much rather get the 350z. RWD and more power out of the same motor if your in the market for a coupe.

Yeah, Sailorbob and I wish...Canadian pricing is wacky. The fluctuations in currency exchange have not been fully reflected in price and in many cases, due to the lower # of vehicles produced for this market, cars such as the 350Z have relatively few trim options.

Case in point:

Base price of a Altima Coupe 3.5 SE: $31,398 CAD ($30,255 USD)

Options available: CVT $1,200 CAD ($1,156 USD)

Premium Package $4,000 CAD ($3,854 USD)

Navigation $3,000 CAD ($2,890 USD)

Metallic Paint $125 CAD ($120 USD)

3 Coat Paint $285 CAD ($275 USD)

Now brace yourself...

Base price of a 350Z GT Coupe: $49,798 CAD ($47,985 USD)

Options available: Navigation $2,950 CAD ($2,843 USD)

That's it. No other options...The GT Coupe is the cheapest model available, the only other model available is the Roadster. On top of this, add $1,350 freight and PDE to my dealer and tack on 15% sales tax and the cheapest you can get a 350Z off the lot for is over $57,000 CAD ($54,925 USD)!!!

Not often you will hear me say this, but every once in a while I wish I lived in the US...

As a side note, this isn't just Nissan. My brother just bought an Escalade ESV stateside for $62,000 USD. The exact same vehicle in Canada is listed at $90,600 CAD ($87,302 USD). Makes you want to spear an automotive marketing in the gut (hockey reference for you non-Canadians)...

Cheers,

[Rockr69]

Sorry Stephen wasn't refering to you as a naysayer

[Sailor Bob]

That can't be right - you're saying the base 350Z is $26,000 USD? If that was the case here I would likely have one - can't be right.

Further, back to the original conversation - I have four kids and two ex-wives (not mom and pop - simply pop and occasional mom type pal) - a four door is a necessity, I still lug around four kids at a time frequently, so to have a one that is fun to drive would be nice. I am looking at four different vehicles for a daily rig - honda Vtech (now in a four door), Volkswagon jetta, Ford fusion v6 awd (mostly because I am trading my F150 (also four door)) and now the 3.5 Altima. Got to say the the Altima is pricey, but likely a level above the rest.

My 280Z is "my" toy, I can't have all toys, but as you can see from the cars I have looked at they all have a common theme, They all have some guts and the Altima has a very respectable wasteline - it will eat my Z and spit it out in a very embarassing manner. Most Mom and Pops can't do that.

I don't think many of you have driven the CVT rig - I was impressed - if you haven't tried it, go do it, then comment. You will see that it is very effective/quick.

Last point: Front wheel drive in a northern climate is not a bad thing, gets the weight over the traction, good in the winter. Got to be practical, Zs are off the road from November to April up here (those that weren't have blown away in the wind as tiny orange particles), gotta have a yearround rig.

[MikeW]

Here's the 350Z on the US autos.yahoo.com:

http://autos.yahoo.com/newcars/model/overview.html;_ylt=AjT1mbUy.R4dBBs7LH2N6IEEc78F;_ylv=3?modelId=5266

Here's the equivalent Canadian version:

http://ca.autos.yahoo.com/newcars/nissan/350z/2007/model_overview.php

The only thing I can think is that there must be really high taxes on this car in Canada. For instance, comparing a Sentra on both sites gives a much closer price. The exchange rate is currently close to even so it's not that.