I love my 2.5S

I got this car about two weeks ago. I have the 2.5s with just the floor mats, in-cabin micronfilters, and splash guards. You would be hard pressed to find 2.5s altimas without those options. I paid $18,400. Looking back, I'm sure I would have been able to get it for $18,200. In the two weeks that I've had it, it's been absolutely beautiful.

Performance:
The car has 175hp at the four cylinder level. Mine is automatic and it will supposedly go from 0-60 in 8.3 seconds. Obviously, you will feel that a car is more powerful if it has soft, cushy suspension that pins you to the seat when pushed hard. The Altima has a stiffer ride so you might not necessarily feel it as much as you would in a Camry, but it's there, believe me. I recently tested a friend's Acura RSX, you know that it's going fast, but it's so stiff that you don't really feel the "pinning to the the seat" effect. I think I can handle along with the RSX, we'll race later and I'll post results. The manual shift Altima will do that in 7.7 secs. That's about as fast as the Camry and Accord V-6 speeds. The engine is absolutely as smooth as silk. There are 4 water-cooled engine mounts and vibration canceling shafts. When the car's at idle, you have to try real hard to feel that the car's started. It has a variable air intake system which results in a beautiful roar of the engine when the throttle is pushed on. You may like that or you may not. It's not a problem though; the engine hushes as soon as the revs drop below 3000rpm. The transmission is a bit tricky though. In normal acceleration, for me that is, it doesn't want to shift from first to second below 3300rpm, it seems. To be less harsh on the engine, I like to let off the gas pedal around 3000rpm so that it changes from first to second gear. Another reason I like to do this is because I like to pick up speed quickly from 0-25, roughly. Then I take it easier so I don't pick up a ticket. It's a bit trickier in this car. This car seems like it doesn't want to shift below 3300rpms. It is fine if you don't let off of the gas and keep on the pedal. That's just something that was different from my Camry and Accord. If you stomp on the pedal all the way, it will gladly rev up to a redline of around 6000rpms at a constant rise of engine speed. The power is constant through the entire power band. I must say that I was very skeptical about Nissan's ability to make reliable 4 cylinder engines. I am totally convinced, now, that it beats the camry and accord engines hands down. I haven't tested the V6 Altima, but I have tested the Maxima with a similar V6 but only beefed up by 15hp. Although the Maxima is more powerful, it does has the same 0-60 time as the Altima. I'm thinking about maybe getting the V6 at the end of the year. The V6 has 0-60 and quarter-mile times that will let you flat out beat the Ford Mustang GT, keep up with cars like the Mercedes SLK(not the SLK32 AMG) and the Porsche Boxter(not the Type S). Stillen Racing will likely come out with a supercharger for the 3.5 V6, similar to the ones for the old Maxima engine. Oh ho ho ho ho, I can't wait for that to come out. Add at least 50hp with that and then tune all your beautiful ratios to your engine's liking. I believe the Altima 3.5SE can easily be turned into a low 13 sec 1/4 mile beast. Might I remind you that the 280hp 350Z that does 0-60 in less than 6 secs has the same engine as the Altima V6, tuned to get 40 extra ponies of course. That's called potential.

Safety:
It comes standard with dual-stage airbags. That means that the airbags come out at two different force levels, depending on the seriousness of the wreck. An ABS/side curtain airbag package is available for roughly $700($799MSRP). The ABS supposedly reduces the 60-0 distance by about 10 ft from 133 without ABS to 123 with ABS. The car's standard braking system is excellent. It has 4 wheel disc brakes standard. I don't know about the Accord, but the Camry still has the drums in the back. There is absolutely no vibration or steering wheel jerk when the brakes are pressed hard, and 133 ft 60-0 is excellent. The front and rear crumple zones absorb the impact. Other things that the dealer told me about where that the steering column drops so it doesn't run into your chest, the hoods heat mat will be dropped onto the engine in case of fire thus giving you enough time to exit, and the engine is supposed to drop instead of going back and being pushed into cabin. The security system utilizes the car horn. On the 2.5S, the remote locks and unlocks with first press of the unlock button unlocking only the driver door and the second click will unlock all doors. The remote also unlocks the trunk. With the convenience package, the remote will roll up and down the windows. This feature is standard on the 2.5SL and 3.5SE. The security system also immobilizes the engine, that means the car won't start if the alarm is armed.

Handling:
One thing that amazed me more than anything was the Altima's ability to handle so beautifully. It has four wheel, fully independent suspension much like the Q45. It is supposedly from the Nissan Skyline, a dream car to some of us. It sure does live up to its Skyline name. The Maxima and the I30 only has independent front suspension which means that the Maxima doesn't quite handle as well as the Altima. I find myself looking for sharp curves or trying to take turns at high speeds just to see how far the car can go. I used to have a Camry and it handled like a boat. Now that I have the Altima, I am a bit tentative to actually push the limits. I've pushed the cornering hard, but it seems like I haven't even pushed the envelope because i haven't even been able to screech the tires. So far, I've done sharp S-shaped curves at up to 55mph without any problems. The body roll is minimal. That's surprising considering the suspension isn't all that stiff. It's very supple when driven at normal conditions. The suspension absorbs most bumps and is very smooth, but there is noticeable rear hopping when the car is driven over dips or bumps at higher speeds. The bottom line is that this car's handling reminds me of what the BMW's can do, but it's a lot smoother under normal conditions. For over $10,000 less than a stripped 3 series, that's well worth it.

Exterior:
It's actually just as long as the Maxima and even slightly roomier on the inside. That says a lot. With that in mind, it's much larger than the Camry and Accord. The headlights are very very bright. With headlights as good as these, you don't really need HID's. From the side, it looks like the Passat or the Audi A6. One thing they definitely can improve on is the 4 cylinder's mufflers. The two tiny tips look whimpy and cheap; the rust developing on the welds keeping the tip on the muffler is also unattractive. Chrome tipped exhaust systems like what some Accord features or the former Maxima mufflers look much more classy. The V6 Altima's mufflers look great with one large chrome tip on each side with cut outs in the bumper, creating a much cleaner look. But basically, this all depends on your taste.

Interior:
This is a major weakness in the Altima's package. The plastics are very very very cheap! They look like they belong on Fisher Price toys, not in a car. They seem to be poorly assembled where the seems are rough and not flush. They feel hollow and I'm afraid that I might break them. Luckily, the armrests and steering wheel is softer and vinyl covered. The design, though, is very thoughtful. The dash is clean and stylish. The large oval gauges are very noticeable, especially the bright amber color that will burn your eyes if you stare at them for too long. Why didn't they stick to green or adopt that indiglo blue type deal? Cool colors are much easier on the eyes than the bright amber. The driver's seat is 8-way adjustable. The cruise controls are mounted on the steering wheel and volume controls can be had on the wheel also with the convenience package, but they're not lit and useless at night. The steering wheel telescopes to compensate for smaller drivers. The center armrest is adjustable to be higher or lower. The armrest flips open to two compartments, one small one on the top to fit phones and things and a larger compartment below that one to hold cd's with a 12V power outlet at the bottom. There is another power outlet below the cd player. The cup holders are huge and can accommodate large 64 oz drinks. It also has a plastic insert that can be removed and washed just in case you spilled something. There are also rear cup holders and front seat back magazine pockets. It's things like that which make the Altima seem so attractive. It shows that the designers put a lot of thought into the car. The gated shifter is stylish and reminiscent of luxury cars. The standard CD player sounds excellent. It's made by Pioneer and has 6 speakers with 100 watts of power. On top of the bass, treble, fade, and balance adjustments, it also has a midrange adjustment. It sounds great. There is good bass and is good through high and mid ranges. I had a premium JBL system on my old Camry and this standard audio system beats out the standard Camry system which sounds muffled and almost unbearable to use. I do bet that the BOSE system sound so much better though. The large front window provides great visibility and the pillars do not worsen blind spots. The rear window is also large and the rear view mirror is perfectly sized for rear window because it reflects almost exactly the size of the window and nothing else. Wheel noise is quite evident. This may be due to the high performance turanza tires that this car has. Engine noise is also noticeable during acceleration, but that's something you have to accept for 175 and 240hp. It's not a problem though. Even a plus for me. The front seats are very comfortable, although more side support can be appreciated since it handles so well. The rear seats will easily take in 3 adults and maybe if u try hard, stick a child in there too!

Conclusion:
The bottom line is that this car meets and exceeds all of your needs as long as you like the way this car is styled from the outside. As for now, the Accord and Camry has no way of competing with the Altima though the 2003 Accord is due out in September of this year. Is this as good as it gets for around $20,000? This is really an all-in-one package that amazes me. Don't let the old Altima's reputation detract you from at least test-driving this car. I don't think you will regret.