The folks at Nissan must really be in the business of shooting themselves in the foot. Why do I say that? Surely not because they are starting to manufacture cars that are worth buying: Nissan vehicles across the board have received more power, feature content, and even attitude. No, where they seem to make things difficult is by making cars that are so good, you'd think twice before buying another more expensive Nissan model.  
 
Take the Xterra, for instance. True, it's a different SUV compared to the Pathfinder, but until its introduction, the Pathfinder was the only SUV option buyers had. I wouldn't be surprised if the Xterra had siphoned off a few Pathfinder sales.  
 
Enter the new Altima. Up until now, Nissan had remodeled the Altima into oblivion, making it a ho-hum choice. Definitely worlds beneath the new Maxima. Now, though, things are different. I'll tell you right off the bat: I really liked the Altima. So much so I'd be hard-pressed to shell out the extra dough for a Maxima.  
 
My schedule has been really hectic, but I still made it a point to go drive a manual V6. Here are my impressions...  
 
 
EXTERIOR: 8  
Let's just say this car's new look is a head and shoulders improvement over the previous iteration. Big, too... the wheelbase is 7.1 inches longer, its overall length bumped up by 5.7 inches. The body is 1.3 inches wider with wider tracks front and rear for better stability. Height was increased by 2 inches for more cabin space. On the inside, the cabin is 9.8 cubic feet larger than the last generation. The body has been tweaked to have over 70% improvement in torsional rigidity. Plenty of sound insulation has been added to this vehicle, too.  
 
The overall appearance of the new Altima strikes the observer in a completely different way than the old one did. "Me too" quasi-luxury styling could be seen in the old model, whereas this model looks like it could actually make good on such a promise. This impression hit me hardest when I saw one parked next to a VW Passat. Not only is the new Altima about as large as the Passat, but it looks just as upscale if you look at it from the right angle. IT looks well put-together and solid all around. ... And I'm particularly fond of the clear tail lights that just seem to make sense on this body.  
 
So, with all these compliments why not a 9 or 10 rating? This part is harder, less tangible, and all a matter of personal preference. From some angles, the Altima seems a little porky-looking rather than muscular... the bubble-butt in the rear comes to mind. While the car is much more of a looker than the old model, it didn't really speak to me. See? It's hard to explain, so I leave this rating up to you.  
 
 
INTERIOR: 9  
I've already made references to interior space, and when you sit in the car, you'll see what I mean. The rear seat is cavernous with the front seat moved forward for a short-statured driver, and head/shoulder/hip room is generous front and rear. The trunk is large, too, with around 15.6 cubic feet inside.  
 
Let's start off with the most important stuff... I loved the eight-speaker Bose audio system! Large well-placed controls made it easy to use, and the in-dash six-CD changer was a real nice touch. The steering wheel controls were a nice perk, though I've read they are not illuminated at night, which is just silly. After a while though, I had learned how to operate them without looking down. Overall sound is awesome, with crisp highs and punchy lows sandwiching perfectly balanced mid-ranges. Nissan really knows what they are doing when it comes to stereos. It's even better than the 10-speaker Monsoon stereo I so openly praised in the VW Jetta. That says a lot.  
 
As for interior quality, a few cost-cutting cues can be noted, such as the less-than-substantial feel to the switchgear, and wimpy cupholders. The leather seats are nice, but won't bring thoughts of Lexus to mind. Other than that, I'd say Nissan did a great job at making the interior cabin very hospitable to both the driver and passenger. Having sat in the Acura CL's heavenly seats, I have begun to notice that not many cars offer enough side-bolstering. The Altima could use some more.  
 
The gauge cluster is easy to read, and looks like it belongs on a more expensive car. All the controls are well-placed, intuitive, and within reach. Both Car and Driver as well as Edmunds.com have complained about sun glare coming from the windshield, which I didn't notice, even after searching for it. The automatic climate control system works great, though I would have liked to see a dual-zone, seen in the Pontiac Grand Prix, for instance.  
 
There are plenty of nooks and crannies to store your stuff in. Even the cup holders double as a storage space if you don't need them for... cup holding. The 60/40 split-folding rear seat increases cargo carrying capacity, but you neeed to go around the back to do it. The hinges on the trunk are of the luggage smushing variety, as opposed to the hydraulic hinges found on the VW Jetta and Honda Accord.  
 
 
ENGINE: 8  
The Altima comes with two engine flavors: the base is a 2.5-liter DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder that churns out 175 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque. The second, more enticing flavor is the on the 3.5SE model. It uses the same 3.5L V6 as the Maxima, though toned down a bit, producing 240 horsepower and 246 lb-ft of torque.  
 
I drove the latter of these two choices, accompanied by a manual transmission. The engine itself is a gem, revving very smoothly and producing a satisfying growl when pushed. Acceleration has been clocked at 6.3 seconds 0-60, and you can definitely feel this urgency off the line. Highway passing is easy, too. Oh, and did a mention that this car comes with a 20 gallon gas tank and has pretty decent gas mileage even when driven hard (like I did)?  
 
My complaint is with the friggin' manual shifter. Throws are longer than I like, and it's not easy to tell when you've actually engaged the desired gear. This is possibly the first car in which I would probably prefer an automatic transmission. It's a shame, too, because I was really hoping to give this engine a higher rating.  
 
 
RIDE: 9  
With a multi-link suspension taken from the Infiniti Q45, this car rides very comfortably. Outside sounds are well-muted, and road irregularities are well-dampened. The SE provides just enough feedback to feel sporty, too. I really don't have many complaints about this suspension. It serves well in a family hauler and enthusiast setting. What more can you ask for than that?  
 
 
HANDLING: 7  
The Altima impressed me here. Body roll is hardly evident, and braking is equally strong (though I felt the brake pedal to be slightly spongy on the way up - probably a new car thing). My usual "cloverleaf test" was handled with poise and confidence. I even pushed the gas just a little more to challenge the car and was not disappointed. Overall, this car is a hoot to drive, yet has the balance of a car with a totally different purpose, like taking the kids to school.  
 
Although the Altima performs admirably in the hard corners and is fun to drive, it has its drawbacks. For example, what's up with the steering? All of the "sport" that the car promises practically goes out the window. Put simply, this steering feels like it belongs on a mini-van. It is completely non-communicative, and requires many corrections on the highway. It has no real weight to it, as if the assisted steering is assisting too much. Understand what I mean here? Anyway, it was pretty disappointing and is the only reason why I didn't give the handling over a seven.  
 
 
SAFETY: ?  
The model I drove was equipped with the "ABS/Airbag Package", which included ABS, dual front and side airbags, as well as front and rear head curtain airbags. This is all well and good, though I can't rate this car just yet until crash tests have been performed. I'll change my rating as soon as the tests are done. The 2000-2001 Altima scored an "Acceptable" rating by the IIHS in its offset tests, and received 4 out of 5 stars for driver and 5 out of 5 stars for passenger frontal crashes. Side impact ratings were lower at 3 out of 5 stars for both front and rear occupants by the NHTSA.  
 
 
RELIABILITY: ?  
While Nissan usually makes well-assembled cars, this is an introductory year for the Altima. The engine is fortunately not all-new since it was merely taken from the Maxima and modified, rather than drawn from the ground up. Other than that, this is a new car, which means a few problems could come up. Hey, it happens to everyone even the folks at Honda (read: Honda Odyssey).  
 
 
VALUE: 9  
The Altima represents an excellent bang-for-the-buck value. No, let me rephrase that... Nissan has really taken the phrase "affordable luxury" to a whole new plane and should be commended for it. This car could seriously be sold for a price in the upper twenties, and perhaps an argument could be made to sell it for more. It essentially comes with all the stuff the Maxima does, but costs less... and here is where I make the joke (sort of) that Nissan may have shot themselves in the foot by making such a value-packed yet excellent vehicle (I had to add "yet excellent" because sometimes "value-packed" is hardly complimentary). The 3.5SE package offers all your standard fare, most notably the 3.5L V6. My car also had the leather trim, automatic climate control, Bose stereo system, heated seats/mirrors, and more. All for around $26,000. That's loaded to the gills, folks. This car can be found nicely equipped in the lower twenties. (Sound like a commercial?)  
 
The jury is still out on whether or not the Altima will have a good resale value, but has always been around average or slightly above so. Regardless, this car stacks up well against its competitors, such as the Accord, Camry, and Jetta. In fact, I'd say it is the best value out of all of those listed.  
 
Still, bear in mind this is a brand-new car and you might want to hold off on budget-minded buying for now, as dealers won't be able to resist charging sticker or above sticker until demand goes down.  
 
 
VERDICT: NISSAN MAKES GOOD ON ITS "AFFORDABLE LUXURY" PROMISE  
There aren't many cars that provide the same level of comfort, sport, and feature content that the Altima does. Out of the ashes from this totally new redesign has come a mid-size car that has sprung from middle-of-the-pack to the front runners. Is it perfect? Well no, obviously. There's a few flaws that Nissan should definitely look at... the steering and manual shifter come to mind.  
 
But I still come back to my original question: where does this leave Maxima buyers? For the money, I'd actually buy this car over the Maxima. Nissan hopes you can see enough of a difference between the two cars by increasing the horsepower rating on the Maxima, but I see right through their desperate move. Outside the increased horsepower, better steering, and a few nicer quality touches, little separates the Maxima from the Altima... except for several thousand bucks, of course. For a penny-pincher like me, the Altima would get my vote.  
 
 
AVERAGE SCORE: 8.33 out of 10  
VARA'S PERSONAL RATING: 8.5 out of 10  
