Still like my Rogue over any other small X over.Was at Toyota dealer checking out a new Rav 4 for $24,500 includes freight you can get a nicely equipped Rav 4.I'd like to know if there is any Rogue and Altima owners here and I have posted the question on the Altima forums but no answers.I have found an 06 Altima 2.5 S special, off lease from Nissan credit Canada with 44,000 kms loaded, but no leather or sunroof. Still has the original continental tires on alloys. No accidents all original paint. $11,000.Do you think it's a good buy for the price? It looks showroom condition no paint chips,scratches or dents.Any reliability issues, like using oil, brakes, transmission, suspension.thanks

I used to own an '03 Altima 2.5S. Put about 250,000km (150,000mi) on it.

Generally, they are OK reliability wise.

Engien/Drivetrain:

The '02's and '03's had engine issues... which was solved in subsequent model year's. Namely butterfly valve screws in the intake that get 'sucked' into the engine, and catalytic converter failure that causes fine ceramic dust to be sucked back into the cylinders damaging the walls and causing oil consumption issues. My car was one of these and had the engine replaced under warranty.

There were a number of smaller recalls including bad crankshaft position sensors, cracked rear sub-frames, and in the final year (late 2006) a batch of bad piston rings for the 4cyl caused excessive fuel consumption. Many cars were screened before they were sold and repaired, but some had to be recalled.

I had a 5spd manual trans, the ridiculously tall shifter and weird clutch engagement made it a chore to drive smoothly. Not the best manual I have driven. The automatics are reportedly trouble free.

Chassis:

The rest of the chassis appears fine. Some have had minor issues with the HVAC controls, the front undertray/engine cover can come loose, rattle or make whistling noises. Nissan redesigned the part and there weren't any more issues. The clip that latches the center armrest/tray can break off. Nissan again redesigned the part and no more issues. The interior on the earlier models was a bit plain with alot of hard plastics... the later '05+ models got a nicer upgrade.

Rust was pretty non-existent with my car after 4.5 yrs. There was a few spots in the engine bay near the cowl that were showing rust. Otherwise it was good.

Suspension & Brakes:

The Continental tires (like those used on the Rogue) are junk. Poor wearing, little grip in the wet, and snow... forget it. The brakes are fine but can be prone to warping... for that matter the Rogue seems no better in this regard.... maybe it's my driving? The rest of the suspension is great. Never had to replace any worn parts... then again I did upgrade to NISMO S-Tune suspension after 150,000km. (Note, the S-tune is designed for V-6 cars but fits the 2.5's just as well)

The final verdict:

Except for the engine problem, mine was fairly trouble free. The '05-06's are a bit nicer... upgraded interior, etc.

Oh, the price...

$11K is a bit high. Canadian Black Book value (what a dealer would pay if you traded one in) is between $8,000 and $10,000 depending on condition.

IMHO,

1) Negotiate the price.2) Ensure that all recalls have been performed. This is easily done by searching the VIN.3) Have the vehicle inspected by a 3rd party mechanic.

Thanks for the quick answer philipa I never expected one that quickly and with great detail.Are you having warping problems with your Rogue brakes? The warranty does not cover that? mine still drives like a charm but then again we only have 28,000 kms on it.We are thinking on buying the Altima my wife really likes it as we are returning our leased 07 Matrix. The Altima is more comfortable and powerfull car.I checked the brakes and rotors on the Altima and have been replaced, also checked the rear suspension and the joints have been re-welded, looks like the rear suspension is aluminum just like my 01 BMW 530i I used to own.Do you think aftermarket pads and rotors would solve the problem with the brakes.thanks

philipa_240sx wrote:Oh, the price...

$11K is a bit high. Canadian Black Book value (what a dealer would pay if you traded one in) is between $8,000 and $10,000 depending on condition.

IMHO,

1) Negotiate the price.2) Ensure that all recalls have been performed. This is easily done by searching the VIN.3) Have the vehicle inspected by a 3rd party mechanic.

It's a used car dealer in Kitchener and was the best one we've seen so far. The dealer owner tells me he is not making much on it. He showed me the auction invoice(Adesa) and he paid 10,200 + 350. auction fee, 30. car fax report + the GST but the GST he get's it back, and he is paying for the certification and emission test. Do you think the price is too high? thanks

roguester wrote:It's a used car dealer in Kitchener and was the best one we've seen so far. The dealer owner tells me he is not making much on it. He showed me the auction invoice(Adesa) and he paid 10,200 + 350. auction fee, 30. car fax report + the GST but the GST he get's it back, and he is paying for the certification and emission test. Do you think the price is too high? thanks

More, there is a sticker English/French under the hood by Nissan Canada that the engine has been replaced by Nissan and it has a warranty for 160,000 kms or 84 months witchever comes first, so there is 3 more years warranty on the engine.

roguester wrote:More, there is a sticker English/French under the hood by Nissan Canada that the engine has been replaced by Nissan and it has a warranty for 160,000 kms or 84 months witchever comes first, so there is 3 more years warranty on the engine.

Engine replacement? Must have been one of the ones with the piston ring problem. Mine was replaced at 85,000km due to the catalytic converter issue. At 250,000, it was still running string.

44,000km really isn't many km... maybe 10-12k per year? Pretty low mileage driven vehicle, no wonder the price is up there a bit.

BTW, brakes are considered wear and tear items and are usually not covered unless the part has failed or is beyond repair. From the warranty booklet:

Quote »The following items are covered under warranty if replacement is required due to a warrantable defect. They are not covered if replacement is required due to wear and tear or as part of regular required maintenance:

• Brake pads/shoes • Brake rotors/drums[/quote]I was out of warranty anyway when I replaced them... about 65,000km. Not bad considering.

As for brake pad replacements, OEM Nissan pads are not bad. Much better than some cheaper brands. I have had good luck with Satisfied Brakes Pro Ceramic pads. PartSource (Canada) sells them. They last long and more importantly are gentle on rotors. My wife has yet to warp the brakes on her Mazda Protege with them.

All things considered, $11K isn't bad. There are Altima's in the AutoTrader with more km that are selling for more.

The '02-'06 Altima was part of Nissan's NRP (Nissan Revival Plan) when it was brought from the edge of bankruptcy by Renault. These cars were intended to have high profit margins (read: pay off Nissan's huge debt), stylish, and performance. The Altima was one of the first and it certainly achieved the goal. But you can tell things were sacrificed, namely the quality of interior materials, and some fit and finish.

If your budget will allow, look into the 4th gen 2007 models. Nissan shortened the wheelbase a bit (I always felt my '03 was long and had a horrible turning circle), gave it a new fresh look, improved the interior tremendously, and the QR25DE motor was redesigned... it's far smoother and quieter. Something worth considering.

Roguester, is that a 2wd Rav4 plus both taxes? If you want a Rav4, you may want to look at newly used because some people might want to dump their cars due to Toyota's recent problems. When I test drove it, I thought the seats were cardboard thin to accomodate the ability to seat 7 and salesmen unwilling to negotiate much on pricing outside of advertised deals. Also, I thought I read there is a new one coming soon.

Don't get me wrong, the 3rd gen Altima is still a nice car. I feel the 4th gen is an even better one though!

dolbydj wrote:Roguester, is that a 2wd Rav4 plus both taxes? If you want a Rav4, you may want to look at newly used because some people might want to dump their cars due to Toyota's recent problems. When I test drove it, I thought the seats were cardboard thin to accomodate the ability to seat 7 and salesmen unwilling to negotiate much on pricing outside of advertised deals. Also, I thought I read there is a new one coming soon.

That is for a 2wd, automatic, 4wheel disks, power windows locks keyless,a\c. Horse power is up this year to 179 for the 4 cylinder. $24,5 is MSRP you can negotiate better price and the freight is included in the price. We did not like it, the tail gate with the wheel/tire on it is dumb and it swings open to the side. If there is another car parked behind yours as in parallel street parking you wont be able to open your door. Toyota was giving us a $500. loyalty cash on top of the best price negotiated but we didn't go for it. We are returning our leased 07 Matrix XR with 62k kms on it 10k less than allowed on our lease. It has been reliable but find it underpowered, buzzy engine labouring to make a pass on the highway and poor brakes. It's an ok grocery getter. My wife and I got tired of it so its going back to Toyota.

Yea i didnt even consider the rav4 when purchasing a CUV because of the swinging door but it appears they will FINALLY get rid of it... http://www.autoblog.com/2010/0...-look/

also if you find engine noise a problem, the rogue's engine is pretty noisy so make sure you hear it before its warmed up but once it gets warmed up it settles down

I've seen them without a spare tire but without that kind of front. Rav4 had slightly different grill and bumper even the headlights had no projectors. It was a good idea to get rid of spare tire just like crv did. Also I might be wrong but rav4 will not have spare tire only on v6 models because these are the only ones I saw at the dealership.

harryg wrote:Yea i didnt even consider the rav4 when purchasing a CUV because of the swinging door but it appears they will FINALLY get rid of it...

Sure doesn't look like it. The door handle is still on the LH side and there is an indent on the lower RH corner to clear the bumper.

harryg wrote:Yea i didnt even consider the rav4 when purchasing a CUV because of the swinging door but it appears they will FINALLY get rid of it...

It wasn't the swinging door most complained about but the hanging tire in the back. But in the higher upgrade models of the Rav4, they do come with the hidden tire. I prefer the hidden.

ahaha nice philipa i was just so happy they got rid of the tire on the back that i automatically thought they would go the CRV route and make it so its a hatch that swings up LOL

You might want to look into a brand new 09 versa hatchback 1.8 with VOP pkg. comes with pw, pl, keyless, auto, heated mirrors you can get it for 14,998. freight and admin included, + tax. It is discounted by $3000. Nissan is clearing out the 09's I don't know how many more they have and I don't see any difference between 09 and 10

Here is your post regarding the Altima roguester

Congrats on the purchase of your new car.

So I understand the motor was part of the recall and now comes with an extended warranty. Excellent. You should get many trouble free miles.

If you have any questions regarding your 3rd gen Altima, hit me up or cruise on over to the Altima forums here at NICO.

BTW... IIRC you live in Kitchener... I am not that far away from you... just further west on the 401... It's a small town.