Hey there! I have a quick question regarding car modifications. I have a Nissan Altima 2009 Sedan that I got a few months back before I turned 17. Immediately I noticed the car had some pickup to it! I got the car at a fair price at around 6k, since it had almost 100k miles on it. When I bought the car I wasn't interested in modifications of any kind, but since owning the car I've been researching many things and was wondering if it's even worth spending my money on this car, or just go and buy another one in a few years and mod that one. I started looking online to see other cars that would be worth modding, and noticed that the current car I have has more stock horsepower (175) than most of the cars in its class. The only modification I've made to this car is 2 subwoofers and a new head unit, so I'm wondering should I just start doing stuff now (cosmetically first and then add stuff under the hood) or should I start saving for a better, more respected car to modify, like an Infinity g35, g37, or a 350/370z or even a Mitsubishi Lancer or a Subaru BRZ or WRX.

Hi shawboy99, welcome to NICO Club!

This is a highly subjective question you're asking. It really comes down to you, the car owner. Respected cars? Respected by who? Will you want to drive it into the ground or resell it someday? Mods depreciate the value and reduce the interest, some mods more the others of course.

Factory cars are designed based on compromises for the majority. Maybe you're willing to trade some MPG for some HP. Maybe you'll put up with a rougher ride to gain handling precision. Maybe you like two-tone purple and yellow flake paint jobs where most want just a black car. Anyway, you talk of cosmetic mods first. Aesthetics are entirely up to you and we can't tell you what you think looks good.

For performance mods that affect the way the car acts, again, it's up to you and your driving preferences. You've had the car a while and had a chance to drive it. I think you should have an idea of what needs improving. Just like the stereo, you listened to it for a while, it didn't meet the standards of your ears and you upgraded. So, does it take too long to brake or do the brakes fade to early in the night? Does it loose traction in the turns or off the line? Does it bounce too much or too little? Does it accelerate fast enough for your driving? Does it plow or oversteer? Does it spin one tire instead of two? Does the chassis flex so much that you're afraid it will disintegrate with another year of autocross? Fix what's wrong with the car and upgrade to accommodate for it's shortcomings based on your preferences. Is nothing wrong? Then don't fix it! Don't "mod" to spend money (unless that's what you truly want).

The meat of my post is that last paragraph. Tell us what's lacking in your driving experience and we can tell you what might affect that and how to change it.

I wouldn't mod an Altima 2.5, its not a very strong engine. IMO don't mod a throw away car.

Hi shawboy,
I have a 2.5 Altima coupe stock, and I really feel fine the car, that I never mind about mod the engine, I really like the performance of the car just as it is, I just drive in the city and highway sometimes, I don't think to get the car in 1/4 mile races so I don't need more.

The mods that I have are only aesthetics, 350z wheels, blue exhaust tips, black vinyl in the hood...

So in my opinion just aesthetic mods are ok, (wheels, spoilers, etc) for a 2.5 sedan if you don't want to compete in races.

The 2.5 car performance is good for it's engine, it's not worth it to try mod for performance. The more you try to squeeze more, the more money you have to spend for little return. It's almost logarithmic rather than linear effect.

I have been told if you want a performance car you should have a bought a performance car, but I just had to try. I wanted to work on a project honestly more than anything, even so, I was expecting some performance. But nah, too much money for too much noise.

I haven't tried suspension mods or roll bars or whatnot, I have read people happy with those.

If you want performance, I think you should start saving for that future car, don't spend a dime on a 2.5 altima.

Exterior Aesthetics (paint, body work, wheels, aerodynamics, lighting), Interior Aesthetics (trim, upholstery, lighting, seats),and or Entertainment Systems (audio, visual, all that wifi bluetooth techno-connectivety) can be fun modification projects to spend money and time on to make your ride unique.