In this day and age, when fuel efficiency is so closely watched, I wouldn't be surprised if more people take a closer look at Nissan sedans as folks pass by the large SUVs and other gas guzzlers. Given my experience over the past four months driving the car, I'd recommend this as a solid, reliable car for daily commuters, a step above a Honda or Toyota. However, this is DEFINITELY not the driving enthusiast's choice. More on that below.
We received our silver 2006 Nissan Altima 3.5SL as a gift a few months ago from my husband's grandparents, who can no longer drive. With less than 3,000 miles, it was practically a brand new car. Yet I still had to have the rack and pinion replaced (though it was covered by the warranty).
Yet overall, despite that one repair, the car has performed well without any major complaints.
About the car
First, as I said in my one other Epinion on my former car, a
2002 VW Passat sedan, I am not well-versed in discussing the technical attributes of cars. I suggest looking to professional reviewers or owners who know their way around an engine if you're curious about torque or want to know how the 270 horsepower V6 engine compares to a 175 horsepower 4 cylinder engine.
If you look at photos of the sedan, you'll see it has some nice flowing lines and curves. I'm not too fond of its sloping rear view (though I like the round brake lights), but luckily I think the car looks fantastic from every other angle. It's more aggressively styled than its Japanese cousins from Honda and Toyota in my opinion. Still, I do miss true European styling. Still, at the end of the day, it was a free car for us! For what it's worth, after CA sales tax and various upgrades to get the Nav package, I believe they originally paid about $32,000.
The Driving Experience
With a V6 engine, the car certainly has the power to accelerate when needed. It's much smoother and faster starting from a stand-still at a red light than my old Passat and it's easy to merge onto the freeway and get right over to the carpool lane.
In fact, acceleration is so smooth that I have to keep an eye on my speedometer as I'm often above the speed limit before I realize it. Even though I attempt to stay at 65 mph on the freeway, I do sometimes find that I'm suddenly going 75. The V6 engine is incredibly quiet and smooth.
Yet I find it lacks the solid heft and stiff cornering of my Passat. Instead, with its wider and longer frame, it actually feels lightweight and almost "floats" on the corners. I guess one could say it's a little spongy. I now have to brake slightly on freeway off-ramps that I used to be able to take in my Passat without a problem.
Thus, I really don't think a driving enthusiast would enjoy this car. I assume it's designed for family drivers looking for extra power to easily merge on and off the freeway. It's a bit overkill for its intended audience in my opinion. Still, I will say that I enjoy the power.
While the manual recommends premium octane 91 gasoline, it's not required so I've been going with 87 octane since it's technically ok for the car and fuel prices have been about $4.40/gallon for 87 out here. I haven't had any pinging issues (assuming that means I'd notice a sound or drop in performance).
Still, my mixed freeway/local commute has consistently garnered 23-24 mpg. I've read that owners who use higher octane fuel get better mileage. Regardless, with a V6 engine, you sacrifice some fuel efficiency compared to a 4 cylinder one.
In terms of seat comfort, I find them above average but I feel they could fit better. I sometimes slide a bit while on the seat, instead of feeling like I was firmly planted in it. It might just be a bit too shallow.
The interior
When my husband's grandparents initially purchased the car in early 2006, they wanted a navigation system, which required we upgrade to the leather package and all sorts of luxurious extras that they really didn't need. Alloy wheels, power sunroof, motorized driver's seat controls, steering wheel radio controls, Xenon headlights, and auto-dimming rear view mirror are a few features I find unnecessary. I was perfectly happy with my economy car. Yet manufacturers tie in certain upgrades in packages so you can't just choose one feature. If we were to buy this car again, I'd opt for the base model and buy a TomTom portable GPS unit.
The fit and finish on the car isn't much nicer than my VW Passat, even though this Altima is intended to be a higher trim level car. It's a step above my husband's Honda Pilot, but I don't find it as nice as my parents' Toyota Avalon. There are few nice chrome accents and not as much cheap plastic like my husband's Honda. I will say I love the leather seats, except on hot days when I'm wearing a dress or shorts.
The layout of the dashboard looks decent, though I think it lacks the "sizzle" of my Passat's blue and red display. I did find it very interesting that the orange hued dashboard lights up in the daytime. When I switch on the headlights in the rain during the day, the lighting dims noticeably, as it sssumes it's nighttime. I've also noticed a feature that turns the headlights on automatically, but it doesn't work when it's raining in the daytime (and we're required by CA law to have our lights on when the windshield wipers are on now).
I also want to note that my Nav system screen has extra menu screens that cars without it may not have. For instance, it shows an MPG bag graph that measures your current fuel efficiency. It also has trip odometers, oil change reminder screen, and tire rotation schedule screen (noting the mileage since last rotation).
The Navigation system is now almost 2 years old and occasionally has trouble in some new cul de sacs. For instance, it couldn't find a friend's home that had been built 5 years ago. Since I mistakenly thought my Nav could get me there and I hadn't brought a map of the area, I ended up doing it the old-fashioned way: I got directions over the phone.
As for the Nav system, I'll say that it's not as nice as my husband's portable TomTom unit. There are many levels one must drill down to get to the address screen and it's considerably slower than the TomTom (which is a 2007 model, so it's likely current models are even faster). I also hate the button controls on the Altima nav system. It's one slightly concave round button that you must "lean" in one of 4 directions. It would be SO much easier to use if it were a 4 button control or even a trackball.
My old sedan had an upgraded Monsoon sound system. The Altima has a Bose 6 CD in-dash changer. Assuming it's supposed to be a more premium sound system, I have to say I'm pretty disappointed with it. The sound quality is only average. Moreover, while all 6 CDs can go in at once, which is an advantage over the trunk 6D changer, I expected a faster/smoother transition between CDs. I will say that I love how the preset memory for the radio stations let's you program AM and FM channels on the same set, so that #1 can be an FM station, #2 AM, and #3 FM, as opposed to pressing an extra button to switch to a different band.
I also want to comment on how much I miss the headroom in my old Passat sedan. Yes, I know this Altima is also a sedan, so I can't compare the headroom to what I get in my husband's 2004 Honda Pilot SUV. Yet even my VW had more headroom than this Nissan. If I lean forward to get my parking permit or a piece of gum out of the center console above the transmission shifter, my head scrapes the ceiling even when I've adjusted the seat to its lowest setting possible and as far back as I can with my legs still comfortably reaching the pedals. The first time that it happened, I was shocked. I'm only 5'7", though I have a long torso. What do taller drivers do?
I will say that the Altima has larger trunk and its trunk opening is wider, so it will carry much more than my Passat. The included cargo net that sits right in front of the opening has been pretty useless, as items like my stroller's wheels get caught in it.
My Passat also had a great feature where it locked the doors once the car was at or above 8 mph. Even four months later, I often forget to lock my doors on the Altima when I'm driving nit. It doesn't help that the switch to lock all the doors requires I reach higher on the arm rest so I have to lean forward.
I also found a few problems with the build quality. For example, the fuel tank door would not close when we first got this from my husband's grandparents, so that had to be fixed. The center console below the arm rest has a slot for 2 cups and a swinging door that closes when you push the right point. Its tension cover, which should swing open/closed, is broken, too. The armrest has two storage compartments under it: a shallow top compartment (which I use to keep some tissues, chapstick, and coins) and a deep compartment I use to store bulkier items like a tire pressure gauge, extra saline solution (for my contact lenses) and a few additional items (which gives you an idea of how spacious it is!).
On a different note, I have to say I'm frequently frustrated by how the driver's side door is so long that it closes itself before I've even stood up. I swing that door open as wide as possible but it still manages to come back. I have scuff marks on the door from where I've had to kick it open while my hands were full.
To end on a positive note, I want to say that I've been incredibly impressed with is how large and spacious the rear seating area is. Not only is there plenty of room for 2 adults and a large car seat, but you have leg room! This makes the car ideal for when we eventually expand our family and have to squeeze two carseats back there. In this Altima, there might still be room for an adult back there with two car seats!
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, I would recommend this car to other families looking for a reliable daily commuter. Other than the initial problem with the rack and pinion, we have had no other issues. I know my husband's grandparents chose it because they've really enjoyed Nissans in the past. I loved my Passat, so this faced some stiff competition in my mind. Still, I might just choose another Nissan in the future if reliability turns out as expected.
CarsBelowInvoic e
