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Guide>Nissan>2002>Altima · Update: Road Test Nissan's first generation Altima was a daring car. It featured a controversial emotion producing ovoid shape, peppy (if a bit gruff) 150 bhp engine, beautiful looking interior, and even a four wheel independent suspension with a neat rear passive steering link. The car over time also earned a reputation for reliability. That Altima probably saved Nissan, selling in the hundreds of thousands over its lifetime. Unfortunately, Nissan's downwards spiral in the mid-90s produced a ho-hum second generation Altima that no longer had that spark from the first generation. Of course now with Carlos Ghosn and company at the helm we should see no more mediocre cars coming out of Nissan. The new Altima steps up the ladder in every way and shape possible. The car is bigger inside and out. The car has bigger, smoother, and more powerful engines. The car has more cutting edge technology; aluminum materials are used for the hood, trunk, and certain front suspension parts. Even the sophisticated rear multi-link suspension is closely related to the Skyline GT-R supercar. And most importantly the car again has a love it or hate it shape. The car's low hood is reminiscent of Honda while it's sleek roof and c-pillar recall the Audi A6 and Lexus GS models. And those tail-lights are the trendiest thing this side of the IS300. Like the shape or not, the new Altima turns heads down the boulevard. The new Altima is actually larger than the current flagship Maxima. According to Nissan, the wheelbase has been increased 7.1 inches to 110.2 inches, overall length is up 5.7 inches to 191.5 inches and is 1.3 inches wider for a total of 70.4 inches. Height has also increased by 2.0 inches to 57.9 inches. Track has been increased by 1.8 inches in front and 2.4 inches in the rear. For comparison, the 2001 Maxima's wheelbase is 108.3 inches and the length is 190.5 inches. (You may ask, "so what happens to the Maxima?" The new Maxima coming in one or two years will be bigger and radically different than the Maxima we as we know.) Underneath the hood is a choice of two engines for the first time in Altima. The 2.5, 2.5 S, and 2.5 SL models come with the 4-cylinder QR25DE engine (also found in the Sentra SE-R) good for a 175 bhp. This engine is smoother and more powerful than the decade old KA24DE engine. For those hungry for even more power, stepping up to the 3.5 SE gets you a V-6 also found in the Maxima. The V-6 is known as the VQ35DE and yes it's a 3.5 liter V-6. The usual specs follow; aluminum head and block, double over head cams, 24 valves, and timing chain. The VQ series engines have always impressed us with it's sublime power delivery and quietness. In the Altima it's no different. All Altima trim levels have your choice of a 4 speed automatic or 5 speed manual. Automatic transmission models can be ordered with a throttle based traction control system. A nod to its performance pretensions, all Altimas have four wheel disc brakes but unfortunately ABS is not standard although ABS equipped cars come with brake assist and electronic brake force distribution. Step inside and the interior is much sportier and driver oriented than the previous generations. Three cluster backlit gauges (again similar to the Lexus GS models) prominently sit atop the dash. The ignition key has been moved from the steering column to the dash for a more high end flair. The steering column gains a telescoping feature in addition the ubiquitous tilt adjustment. The rest of the interior will be available in three designer themes. Certain luxury trim models will be available with the obligatory wood around the cabin. We are a bit disappointed at some of the materials used in the cabin particularly the hard plastics used on the a-pillar and doors. Plus the exposed screw heads in the door rests and front door speaker grille just don't cut it. Even though Rockford Fosgate has joined the party in other Nissan models, Bose retains its premium status (just like inside the Maxima). In the new Altima, an optional 8 speaker Bose 150 watt stereo system with 6 disc in-dash changer graces the center console. The Altima project was codenamed "Total Knockout" by the product planners at Nissan. We couldn't agree more that the new Altima is a giant step in that direction - following a string of vastly improved vehicles in the Nissan (and Infiniti) lineup. Just fix the interior material touch and feel issues to be on the same level as the VW Passat and we'll stop whining. Setting aside our nit-picking, the new Altima is a vastly improved and ultimately a very good car for the four door sedan shopper looking for just a little bit more than the Accord or Camry offers.  Related topics... |
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