As enthusiasts, you've certainly seen hundreds of car comparison tests, from thrifty econo-crawlers to mega-buck race cars for the street. But comparison tests can be misleading. Think about the two contenders we have assembled for this article. On paper they have the goods to be considered two of the world's best mid-size sport sedans: potent engines, athletic suspensions, inspiring design and world-class quality. The stuff with which automotive legends are made.
Contestant number one (the
Altima) features a healthy 240 horespower 6-cylinder
powerplant, a performance-tuned independent suspension, a standard five speed manual transmission, and a sprinter's stance.
Contestant number two (the new 6) has just shy of 220 horsepower from its 3.0-liter V6, a European sport-tuned multilink double wishbone suspension, and an aggressively sculpted body as well as the aforementioned five forward gears.
Not that many years ago, this comparo could have been a shoot-out between two of the hotter sedans of the day, a BMW M3 and a Yamaha-powered V6 Taurus
SHO. But today, it's two mainstream sedans beginning a drive for their respective brands to a coveted piece of automotive real estate: Who will be Japan's holder of the all-around performance crown?
As Datsun, Nissan's legend in America was created with performance cars. 240Zs and 510s ruled on racetracks as well as street corners. But by the mid-1990s, the too-pricey 300ZX was gone, the bargain sprinter Sentra SE-R had disappeared into the misty past, and even the Infiniti Q45 had left behind BMW 5-series aspirations (and execution in many areas) to become a Cadillac Deville. Nissan's goal looked to be to take the crown of most boring Japanese brand away from rival Toyota.
Similarly, Mazda built its reputation through a few iterations of sporting machines dating back to the early-1970s. Rotary-powered RX-2s and RX-3s demonstrated that interesting and innovative technologies could come from Japan, and the 1979 RX-7 was the pinnacle of popularity for the brand. It really put Mazda on the map. Mazda continued its sporting tradition in 1989 with the introduction of the Miata. But Mazda, too, had its drive down the path of darkness during the 1990s. Once high-flying all-wheel drive 323GTXs and potent 626 GT Turbos, had become secretary-sanctioned Protégé's and transparent 626 DXs. Mazda also stumbled into the middle of the road after such a promising beginning with cars like the RX-7 and Miata.
But light has begun to eminate both of these manufacturers once again. Nissan has taken a serious step down the performance path with the introduction of the 2002 Altima, especially in 3.5 SE guise. And Mazda, which will introduce the all-new Mazda 6 sedan this fall, may make good on their Zoom-Zoom promise. Since the 6 has not yet been launched, let's take a first look at these two interesting new intros on paper, the considerable step they mean for their respective brands, and how they are beginning of the trek to snatch that Japanese performance brand crown.
With the Maxima hovering above, the Nissan Altima has always been at the lower end of a two-pronged strategy for Nissan to compete against the Accord/Camry juggernaut. While the first and second generation were underachievers in a seriously competitive automotive world, the 2002 Altima is the antithesis. It's not at the bottom of any strategy now, it sits comfortably on top of its class of vehicles from a performance standpoint, and is shaping up to be great success for Nissan.
The most noticeable change for the Altima is the gorgeous new exterior design. This head turning design features the same styling direction as the Infiniti Q45, but where the Infiniti seems to have a flabby middle-aged spread, the Altima looks youthful, trim and athletic. The Altima's design greatness is in details such as the jewel-like Q45-esque headlight cluster, the fluted bezels on the rear taillights, and the polished dual exhaust tips.
At the heart of any Altima is a stellar engine. The car features a base 175 horsepower 2.5-liter inline-4 or the award-winning 3.5-liter V6 that sees duty in everything from the Pathfinder to the new Z. On paper the top-of-the-line Altima 3.5 SE model has the same horsepower as the previous generation BMW M3 sedan (240hp) and a torque advantage (246 lb-ft versus 236 lb-ft) over that legendary sports sedan. The new Altima also checks in within 3 pounds of the Bimmer's curb weight. So, serious performance was expected (and confirmed with sub-seven second 0-60 times) for the new car.
The new Altima puts the power to the pavement through front wheels mated to either a five-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission. The five-speed connected to the V6 is the package choice. In fact, the new Altima is a serious contender versus the new six-speed 255 horsepower Maxima in acceleration tests. To make sure all this newfound performance hardware made it to the ground properly, Nissan also introduced a new four wheel independent suspension for the car.
The Altima's independent multi-link set up promises (and delivers) ride and handling a step above any other Nissan product save for the new Z.
One downfall in the slick Nissan package is on the interior. While interior room is very impressive, especially in the rear, occupants can see the areas where Nissan/Renault cost-cutting genius Carlos Ghosn trims his costs. The quality of the materials in the new Altima are not nearly as nice as the exterior design and stellar engine. Cheap plastics, marginal leather surfaces, and so-so tactile feel of switchgear make the Altima interior an acceptable place to do the business of driving, but not as impressive as an Accord, Camry, or most notably any VW product. Regardless, Nissan has done a great job of providing a full docket of features in the Altima like standard air conditioning, tilt/telescope steering wheel, four wheel disc brakes with ABS, and dual stage front airbags.
Now for the kicker, the Altima costs half what that old BMW M3 cost new. A truly amazing performance value and great addition for Nissan to reach that Japanese performance brass ring.
Mazda's new 6 sedan is yet to be introduced in the U.S., but has been a great success in Japan as the Atenza. Mazda recently announced that the Atenza plant in Japan was running overtime shifts to meet demand for the new car. Replacing the truly invisible current 626 line, the new 6 is a refreshing change for Mazda. And after the introduction of the underpowered, but much lauded Protege sedan and Protege5 compact wagon, the 6 will attempt to continue Mazda's march to bring exciting, moderately priced performance cars to the U.S. market.
Though I have not test driven a new 6, I was fortunate enough to see a 6 sedan and wagon at Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca recently. The first impression is that the car is larger than it seems in pictures, but the overall design is quite pleasing to the eye. The feline-in-the-wind front fascia is beautifully sculpted, as is the flowing greenhouse and taillight treatment that nicely complements the front. The Lexus IS300 (and Altima)-like taillight cluster that is available in other world markets will not be available here in the States.
On the interior, the Mazda is much better than the Altima. The oversized speedo and tach can be a bit overwhelming at first, but I'm sure once an owner gets used to them they'll wonder why all instruments aren't so easy to read. The satin aluminum trim used for the center console is sporty looking and brings some excitement to the interior environment. The seats seemed supportive in all the correct places for performance driving. The quality of the leather seats and interior plastics are also better executed than the Nissan. The Mazda does not seem to have the same rear seat room as the Altima, however. Regardless, Mazda has definitely stepped up to the plate with a very strong interior package.
One area where the Altima will lead the 6 is in power. While the new 6 is no weakling boasting 218hp from its line topping 3.0-liter 24-valve V6, its Ford Duratec derived powerplant will likely not have the smoothness or oomph to wrest the engine performance title from the Nissan 3.5. The base 150hp 2.4-liter inline-4 is said to have ample power, but also trails Nissan's four cylinder offering. However, unlike any Camry, Accord, or any other mainstream Japanese mid-size sedan competitor (Maxima excluded, and no, WRX owners, you're not mainstream), the 6 and the Altima have available five speed manual transmissions with their highest horsepower engines.
For suspension technology, the 6 brings a sophisticated set up to the party. According to Mazda, "the MAZDA6 is our new flagship model, and as such, we wanted to build a car that was exceptionally enjoyable to drive and really showcased the Mazda DNA," so engineers set the BMW 3-series as its handling benchmark, even with the Mazda's front wheel drive layout. The front suspension features a double-wishbone set up to ensure enhanced road feel and tire contact with the road. The rear features multi-link set up to provide maximum control throughout all of the suspension's travel. Mazda spared no expense in developing this suspension, and at the press preview for the car, the media has had nothing but positive reviews of the handling of the 6.
While pricing has not yet been released, it is expected that the new 6 will fall into a very similar $19,000-25,000 price range as the Altima.
So, who wins on paper? Well, that's a difficult question, and brings us to the age old question: "What exactly do we mean by 'performance'?" Power or handling. With Altima, Nissan is putting most of its eggs in the horsepower basket, generating big acceleration numbers at the track while providing a great value to the wallet. Mazda on the other hand is bringing what will probably be a better all-around package with decent levels of power mated to a sophisticated suspension to maximize the power it has in the 6. A track test will uncover the pros and cons of each, so once the 6 is available we'll begin to see who's making the bigger performance statement.
And that brings us back to which of these brands will be Japan's performance leader? While its still too early to tell how each manufacturer will execute their upcoming models, the near-term nod goes to Nissan. With strong entries such as the Maxima, Sentra SE-R, Altima, and 350Z, Nissan has its foot-to-the-floor when it comes to giving enthusiasts what they want. BUT, Mazda has an arsenal on the horizon that should not be underestimated. The new 6 will be complemented by the RX-8 pseudo-sedan, a new RX-7, and the evergreen Miata. And let's not forget about the Mazdaspeed variants of each line that will feature nimble handling, precise steering, and light weight to stay with, even ahead of, the crowd.
This is going to be a competition that will be fought for years to come, and bring a ton of cool products. With that thought in mind, WE win.
