2002 Nissan Altima Review

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Never has there been a time when Nissan has had so much to be excited about. They have been fiscally revived and the product lineup is phenomenal. The Altima and the 350 Z will lead the way in Nissan’s new line up.

Every new model will be a winner in terms of design, cost and power. Every new model will be uniquely Nissan.

I have never understood why more people plunk down their money for a Taurus, Accord or Camry than for a Maxima. The Maxima is clearly superior. Some would argue that is the cost. I don’t get it. The cost may have been a little higher but what one got in the Maxima in terms of quality and performance was so superior over the others, I can’t imagine not buying the Maxima even if it did cost a little more.

Well now, Nissan has raised the bar even further with the new Altima. Its styling, quality and performance will put the others to shame. They Altimas are selling like hot cakes, hard to find any to test drive. We did and oh what a drive!

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Exterior

The car’s styling is awesome! They remembered their heritage and did a retro tail light reminiscent of the Datsun SPL 311. (Datsun’s cool little 2 seater sports car from the 60s. The rest of the design is clean sheet, and it looks so good. The styling is aggressive and has tons of panache. The wheels are located near the four corners.

The front headlights are high tech 4-bulb multi-parabola projector beam lights set behind a triangular cover. The grille is large and aggressive. The rear has a sloping roof with enough rake to suggest a sport coupe instead of a 4-door sedan. The trunk has a refined line that sets high and is set off by these high tech yet classy taillights.

The car is larger than its competition in every way. The trunk is larger. The doors are larger. All interior dimensions are larger and the wheelbase is longer, thus giving it a better ride.

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Interior

The interior is lad out in a classy retro 3 pod fashion that is also high tech and ergonomically excellent. The overall feel is inviting and spacious. It is the rare type of interior that you don’t want to leave. Maybe just stay in it for the night.

The car is big enough to accommodate a six foot four passenger in the front and another directly behind (another advantage of moving the wheels out). The rear center seat even has a shoulder harness. Moving the wheels out also makes for larger door openings and easier ingress and egress.

Powertrain

The best part about the car is driving it. Although I have to say that I spent much time just looking at it from every angle. Driving it was the confirmation that it was as good as it looked. Even the 4 cylinder was a great performer making comparable horsepower to the V-6 of the Camry and better than the V6 if the Honda.

The car shifts solidly and quickly. The power especially in the 3.5 liter V-6, is awesome. The rack and pinion steering is precise and the aluminum multi-link rear suspension makes this car a sport sedan par excellence. I can’t wait to try the 5-speed 3.5 version f the Altima.

Summary

This car is vastly superior to the Camry or Accord, yet they will be priced similarly. If the American consumer doesn’t get it this time, I will start wearing a bag over my head in shame. Of course they do buy more Ford pickups than anything else, they put catsup on their steak and Jerry Springer is still on the air.

Ah yes, we are a very diverse culture. I hope there will be enough descriminate consumers to see the Altima as the clear winner in the war against Honda, Toyota and Ford. We do.

Contributed by: Speeddoctor