Value-Hoon Jelly Bean

This car is a hand-me-down so I've observed it for 6 years and driven it for 3 years. Currently at 100890 miles. This is a really practical great car. It's a compentent people hauler, fits 4 easily, remarkably large trunk, very comfortable interior, soft organic shapes and textures. I don't mind spending hours in the car.

It also has an inner sports car if you have the SE. The suspensions is fantastic. Sure there is moderate body roll, but it it composed over the roughest surfaces. The rear sway bar on the SE turns the handling completley neutral. There is no terminal understeer, only some slight linear understeer from the weight of the heavy FWD KA24DE engine, and slight power understeer from the torquey engine. Most importantly it does what you ask, and does not get unsettled easily. Just watch your weight transitions, they need to be slowish due to the body roll.

Steering feels firm but slow, stock was somewhat vauge, but still very communicative. With 17" wheels and Kumho Ecsta ASX tires and new bushings it firmed up significatly, still a slow ratio, but much tighter.

Brakes are good but you need to get better pads to take advantage of the massive (for this type of car) front rotors. I got a cheap ceramic pad on the front and with the Kumho tires it stops very quickly. However, even stock, the brakes are firm and sensitive. Left stock they WILL FADE significantly if you try to hard stop from 80-0 or faster

The power is just enough for the street (in more populated areas), with excellent off-idle torque, a slight flat spot at 2500, good torque at 3000-5500 and a slight let off toward redline. It's enough to be fun from stoplights and weak enough to teach you how to drive on twisty roads without killing you, and also teaches you momentum management. The KA24DE is a very tough engine and has so far survived many many trips to redline, just make sure you change the oil on schedule. I have switched to Mobil 1 and it just loves it. 0-60 in about 8.7, not bad for a beige jelly bean from the late 90's

I'm not 100% sure here but I think all the 90's altimas above the XE have limited slip diffs, if true that would explain the very manageable power understeer and the slight clunks in the rain I feel when taking corners. This is very desireable for handling, these days you usually pay extra for a limited slip diff, if you can even get it as an option.

The car is tough as nails. It has been assaulted by a bus, a tree branch, a deer, my extremley spirited driving, and just asks for more. It looks nearly new, the paint is really tough. I wax it twice a year and it looks like new. Just keep it washed. It deserves it.

The only issues I had were a squeaky serpentine belt idler pulley, at about 80k, needed to be replaced ($700), and the intake manifold gasket cracked, ($1000) at 92k miles. The intake manifold gasket is the weak point on the engine and will dry out and crack. The idle will begin to get unstable and bounce around slightly, it may stall. If you listen to the exhaust, it will sound like it's "missing" combustion every 4 pulses. It's a 10 dollar part, unfortunatley getting to it requires hours of labor.