Fast, Reliable, and Attractive Transportation

My purchase of the 2003 Altima came in February, 2004. I reluctantly decided to trade my 2001 Maxima SE 5-speed for something with a more commuter-friendly automatic transmission. The Maxima was an absolutely superb car through the 43K miles I owned it, so naturally the first place I looked for a new car was my local Nissan dealer again.

Unfortunately the redesign of the 2004 Maxima priced me way out of my price bracket, but I quickly realized the third-generation Nissan Altima was now available with V6 power. It was at that point I saw a leftover 2003 Super Black Altima 3.5SE and fell immediately in love.

The twin-cam, 24-valve 3.5 liter V6 in this car is phenominal. Nissan has mastered the engineering of this powerplant - it continues receiving accolades from Wards Automotive as one of the best V6 engines. When you hit the gas, this car takes off like a jet...it even feels faster than my standard-shift Maxima. In fact, you could argue it's almost too powerful for a front-drive sedan. Torque-steer (the tendancy for the steering wheel to jerk in one direction under hard acceleration) is a bit of a problem when you floor it, but if you ease into the throttle it's much more manageable.

Unfortunately, the cost of stellar performance is subpar fuel economy. Though my highway average of 24 MPG is respectable, my city average of 17 MPG disappoints. And Nissan, why do you still want premium fuel for your V6 engines? I'd be willing to sacrifice a few horsepower to be able to use 87 octane gas without feeling guilty. Honda seemed to figure out how to get their Accord V6 to run on regular...

Nissan hit a home run on the exterior styling of the latest Altima. Even 10 months into my ownership I still get compliments from people on how sharp my car looks. The 17-inch alloy rims (standard on V6 models), combined with the dual exhaust tips coming out the rear bumper, give this car a mean, yet sporty look. The interior, while well laid out, is loaded with lower-grade plastics. Nissan should have spent a little more time on the interior during the redesign (Nissan has since improved the interior materials for the 2005 model year).

Interior and economy aside, if I had to part with my Maxima, I'm glad I chose this car to replace it. Along with the great power and looks, my 10 months/15K miles of ownership has not required one trip to the dealer for repairs. I plan on a long (and fun) ownership experience.