08-09 Altima owners: Post your experiences

[CKinslow]

I am currently looking for another car. I went to the coupe section and was asking them their opinions, but right now I can't afford a coupe. I love the sedan also so I was trying to see what are some you guys' likes and dislikes about it. I had the sedan for a day and I loved the CVT and the radio and the whole riding experience. Just trying to see if there are any long term problems

[DarkScorpion]

I personally like the sedan more overall. Do yourself a favor and get the 3.5 instead of the 2.5, though. I used to have a Maxima, and as much as I love the Altima, I definitely miss the VQ power. Don't let MPG scare you away either. In the city, the 3.5 and 2.5 are almost identical. There was a thread here a while ago where everyone posted their mileage, and the results were pretty interesting because it seemed like the only time the 2.5 got significantly better mileage was when it was highway driving. Plus, it'll have much better resale value when it comes time to trade it in and many more aftermarket upgrades!

[ADKSaad1387]

i agree with ^^^ get a 3.5...but i love the sedan. rattling noises in random parts of the car is annoying but when those are fixed everything is fine that i can think of.

[xeene]

ill post what i dont like about my 2.5 sedan.first is the very noisy engine when its cold.second the bubbly suspension(should be first as i hate it the most).third is very uncomfortable seats, no lumbar support.forth is base radio doesn't play mp3 files(its freakin 2008 get with a program nissan).fifth is manual mode on cvt is misleading you dont really have to shift, it'll shift for you or it won't let you shift when you want to.sixth is poor fit and finish. car creaks and sqeaks like titanic at cold temps.thats about all for now. mechanically it has been very reliable so far and it looks sweet. other day a guy in older ser pulled next to me asking if mine was a new ser, i told him its just a body kit with custom lights and wheels he loved it though!

[t0e]

i suggest 3.5 also.. the 2.5 just don't pick up fast enough i really regret getting a 2.5.

[CKinslow]

Yeah I never understood the reasoning behind the #'s on Nissan cars. What do they stand for? lol. And that makes sense@the 3.5 being better than the 2.5. My base model of the Versa does some of the same things that you guys complained about with the 2.5.

[Gene-E]

Yeah I never understood the reasoning behind the #'s on Nissan cars. What do they stand for? lol. And that makes sense@the 3.5 being better than the 2.5. My base model of the Versa does some of the same things that you guys complained about with the 2.5.

By numbers do you mean the 2.5 and 3.5? lol

Thats how many liters(measure of capacity) of gas and air all cylinders combined have in your car. The more fuel and oxygen you burn at a time, the more power you get.

Does that make more sense?

I personally love my 2.5s Altima. I'm basically the only person who drives it, and i hardly ever have passengers so I honestly never needed the power of the 3.5 Although I have driven 5 adults at one point and the 2.5 did a great job. If you want better highway mileage, and don't need to haul a** then I'd get the 2.5. If you want a more powerful vehicle then you should go with the 3.5.

As far as things that I dislike;Changing the oil in the Altima is a pain. It gets easier after you get the hang of it. The hardest part it the oil filter. It's located right behind the front passenger wheel, and it's about half an inch away from the frame so you literally have to shove a thin tray into a tiny place so you don't get oil all over everything.

Thats really the only compliant i have. Other than that if you get one, get an intake!

Modified by Gene-E at 10:38 PM 4/16/2009

Modified by Gene-E at 11:18 PM 4/16/2009
Modified by Gene-E at 11:20 PM 4/16/2009

[atlanta3.5]

yeah get the 3.5 since when you put on the emergency brake and punch it you can leave a much better smoke show

[AAlvarado]

I must say I have been pleased with the Altima. This is my second 4th gen Altima first one was totalled by some idiot in Salt Lake City rear ended me. (they all drive stupidly up there in Utah )

I have had no real issues with the car its been a great grocery getter as well as track car. must say if you do get one get a 3.5 SE 6MT with Technology package and you wont regret spending the extra dough on it.

As far as issues all I have really had is a few noises from the cabin that have been fixed under warranty and just to let you know how reliable the Altima is I bought the car brand spanking new in February 08 and today I hit 33,000 miles on it and cant say enough about it great car!

[CKinslow]

Ok sounds like the car is reliable from you guys' reviews and the reviews I've read on Edmunds, Yahoo, and other places. I'm holding out on my next car until I start working for Enterprise because I'm sure they have plenty of Altima's.

@AAlvarado, yeah I am thinking about getting the 3.5 one since everybody mentions that. But um, I can't drive a manual transmission I know I suck. And from what i've heard, it's a lot of work

[Idok]

I have a 07 2.5 coupe which I bought new at the end of June in 2007. I now have 43000 miles on it. No real issues. Only done routine maintenance and a couple of minor warranty issues(drivers power seat repair, air intake deflector). I drive almost a hundred miles a day, mostly rural highway. It gets me there in rain, sun, snow and ice and averages about 33 mpg a little better in the warm months, a little less in the cold snowy months. I just gave it to my wife last month cause I got a pretty good deal on a 2008 2.5 coupe which had been sitting on the dealers lot. It now has 3000 miles on it. Coupe is great if you don't have to have backseat passengers or access the back seat much. It's trunk is quite a bit smaller. It seems to not pass quite as much road noise but not a big difference. The coupe is a little more peppy feeling and seems a little quicker in steering response.,not certain, it could jut be the sedan has a lot more miles it. The seats are more comfortable on the coupe. I like them both and would purchase either one again.

[joshyth]

the car is great overall, but the seat rattle too much..... also, it seem like there is something in the car that always squeak every now and then, but i think that have more to do with the 2sub i have in my trunk, causing these squeaking sound...

[mcheddadi]

Nice lots of honest reviews. About not being able to afford a coupe over a sedan...thats wierd because you can get more discounts on a coupe then a sedan since the coupe is selling a lot less than the sedan.

[AAlvarado]

lol.... but am pretty sure enterprise doesnt have any 6MT unless they are extremely pimp.

Thou I must say i live in LA and they commute in traffic sucks a** in a 6MT, you just gotta get used to it.

and all of you that live in the LA area know how bad that is.