2006 Altima Test Drive

I had a very pleasant test drive of two different trims of the Nissam Altima: the 2.5S with a manual and the 3.5S with an automatic w/manual mode.

First, the good points of both vehicles. The Altima is much more comfortable than my Sentra, and both have good power. The seats in the Altima provide good back support and also include lumbar support. In my opinion, the Altima is even more comfortable than the venerable Accord, although not by a great deal. The interior is very roomy in both the front and the back, but especially the front. The Altima is even more roomy than the Accord. Not only is the interior roomy and comfortable, everything is arranged in such a way that you don't have to go reaching for something if you need it. The steering wheel also has built in stereo controls, allowing you to work the stereo without taking your hands off of the wheel. In short, the interior is well designed egonomically and it even puts the driver at ease even sitting in the vehicle. The handling is about what you would expect from a mid-size sedan. The interior materials aren't super-high quality, but they're pretty good. For a little extra you can get leather, but I didn't test drive an Altima with leather so I really can't comment on it. The ride is very smooth, but manages to be smooth without completely disconnecting you from the road. Both vehicles get average fuel economy. A pretty good factory sound system is also a plus.

The first Altima I drove was the 2.5S with a 5-speed manual. This trim does have a 4-cylinder, but at 2.5 liters it's a big 4 cylinder. Despite the Altima's larger size, it could still out accelerate my 4-cylinder Nissan Sentra. The shifting was smooth, even if the throws were a bit long. I suspect this vehicle would be a bit sluggish with the automatic, however. The engine generates adequate low end torque, so the engine won't easily die on take off, even if you come off the clutch a bit quick.

I wanted to test drive a V6 Altima with a manual, but as these are rare and my dealer didn't have one, I tested an Altima 3.5S (V6) with an automatic transmission with a manual mode. The 3.5 Liter, ~250 horsepower V6 delivers explosive acceleration any time you want it. The engine screams like a NASCAR when you mat it, something that some may not like but makes me really, really happy. I still prefer a true manual to the automatic with a manual mode. It's fun to shift the vehicle in manual mode, but when shifting you still get a bit of delay between the time you push the shift lever to the time the transmission actually shifts. In short, even though you are manually shifting it, it still feels like an automatic. It's probably the kind of thing that someone who drives in heavy traffic in a large city on a daily basis would want because it will allow the driver to have some shifting fun, but will still have the advantage of an automatic during stop and go traffic.

The Altima has a good base price, but with any options, gets prohibitively expensive.

Both vehicles are fun to drive, however, they don't handle quite sporty enough to completely suit me. Close, but not quite. Also, while the styling is very attractive, it doesn't have enough of what I would call meanness in its appearance. It's just a little too sedate for a sedan trying to act sporty. I wish Nissan would make the Altima a *little* more into a sports sedan because Nissan doesn't really have a low-cost sports car in the same vein as the Toyota Celica. With Nissan it's either a more ordinary car or a 350Z, which is a very expensive ride. For a sedate ride, there's always the Sentra.

All that said, however, the Altima is one of the very best automobiles I've ever sat behind. Pony up the extra money for the V6 if you buy one: you won't be sorry.