Newbie! thinking of getting an Altima sedan...

[Lurchdubious]

what's up everybody?! looks like a pretty cool site; been lurking for a couple days now. i currently own a nissan Titan and since i don't use the truck much i'm thinking of getting into an '07 or '08 altima sedan. besides the obvious power and price differences, would you recommend the 2.5L or 3.5L? i've heard a few things about the 2.5's not being as reliable. any truth to that? also, how many of you with 3.5's are running regular instead of premium?? the dealership here said they just put regular in at the lot, but i'm looking for input from you pro's

thanks!

[Joe]

1) never go to that dealer again

2) only run premium if the car asks for it.

3) the 3.5 is WAY more reliable than the 4cyl POS.

[SHIFT_COUPE]

Welcome! Glad you found us. Make sure you check into the Altima forum if you have any other questions about your future purchase.

You can't go wrong with the 3.5. You'll love the responsiveness when you test drive one. The 2.5 has had its fair share of problems. The previous years have been problem ridden. I don't want to steer you completely clear from them because they are slightly more economical and are still quite peppy if you don't necessarily need the 3.5.

As for gas, you'll get mixed responses on that one. I personally run premium.

[Lurchdubious]

aaaawww man, i may not be able to afford the 3.5L then... that would cost almost as much to fill up as my Titan! ok, not quite...but i guess i would be able to go twice as far on a tank...

i would still fill up w/premium every couple tanks, but in the meantime i would put in regular from Chevron, Exxon, or Shell. anyone else doing this?

oh, and i'm not really a fan of that dealership anyways

[SHIFT_COUPE]

As a matter of fact. I'll move this to the Altima section where you'll get more responses.

[Lurchdubious]

Welcome! Glad you found us. Make sure you check into the Altima forum if you have any other questions about your future purchase.

You can't go wrong with the 3.5. You'll love the responsiveness when you test drive one. The 2.5 has had its fair share of problems. The previous years have been problem ridden. I don't want to steer you completely clear from them because they are slightly more economical and are still quite peppy if you don't necessarily need the 3.5.

As for gas, you'll get mixed responses on that one. I personally run premium.

thanks coupe! man, i gotta say i've been admiring your sig for the past couple days. that thing is hawt. i test drove a loaded manual 3.5 coupe and it was a fun drive. little small for me tho, at 6'4" and 280. lol. the other car i drove was an auto 3.5L sedan and it was pretty fun too. i have yet to try out the 2.5, but manual is pretty much mandatory...

[Lurchdubious]

As a matter of fact. I'll move this to the Altima section where you'll get more responses.

thanks man. this forum's a lil different than the ones i usually frequent.

[SHIFT_2.5S]

Who's the guy that called the 4-banger a POS? That's very untrue. Sure, it's had it's share of problems, but I believe it to be just as reliable as some of the other 4-cyl. engines out there in Hondas and Toyotas. Of course, the VQ has been in the top 10 engines since 1994 and that's saying a lot. I didn't have the $ to upgrade to a 3.5, especially here in California with crazy gas prices and their dealership mark-ups.

The main reason for me (for going with the 2.5 instead of the 3.5) was that I didn't need the additional 100bhp (traffic) and wanted as much fuel economy as possible. I will stand by my belief that this newer RD25 will be reliable in the long-run.

[Joe]

Who's the guy that called the 4-banger a POS? That's very untrue.

me

just count the recalls.

and i didnt ask why you bought it, im just stating a fact that its not NEARLY as reliable as the v6 option when comparing large numbers of engines. there are exceptions to every individual engine, but look at the overall picture.

[SHIFT_2.5S]

I know, I've read all about them. It's pretty obvious that the 4-cyl. isn't as reliable as the V6 which, as I mentioned, has been in the top-10 US engines since 1994. Nevertheless, most of the QR25's problems were in the 2002-2004 years. Since 2005, the engine has had significant improvements and Nissan guarantees that the engine is becoming more and more reliable. We will see with this new generation of Altimas whether it can truly stand the test of time.
Modified by SHIFT_2.5S at 5:36 PM 12/11/2007

[Lurchdubious]

The main reason for me (for going with the 2.5 instead of the 3.5) was that I didn't need the additional 100bhp (traffic) and wanted as much fuel economy as possible. I will stand by my belief that this newer RD25 will be reliable in the long-run.

i'm with you on that....but the wifey is on board to spend a little extra (i just convinced her, lol), to get the 'more reliable' engine, so i'll hold her to that.

[notaverage]

I didn't like that 4 cyl being a POS comment either. What's worse is, that it came from a moderator

[Joe]

oh boo hoo, get over it lol

its just the internet. dont take everything so seriously. if it makes you feel any better i dont really like the VQ series when its in a performance application either. what does me being a moderator have to do with anything? i dont have to immdiately love everything made by nissan (my car is proof of that. ) i have an opinion like everyone else.

it takes a LOT for me to be impressed by an economy engine so get your panties out of a twist.

[Lurchdubious]

Don't get offended, i just thought this was funny:

[Lurchdubious]

oh, and i noticed you're a fellow Titan owner Joe! nice work!

[Joe]

arguing is all message boards are anymore lol

and yes i LOVE my titan. i bought it new in 05 because it was the best 1/2 ton on the market and still love it (except when i put gas in it hahaha)

damn thing has been great to me, just put 1000 towing miles on it recently, not 1 hiccup.

[SHIFT_2.5S]

i'm with you on that....but the wifey is on board to spend a little extra (i just convinced her, lol), to get the 'more reliable' engine, so i'll hold her to that.

In the end, the word 'reliable' depends on how you use the car and how well you maintain it. I have friends in Europe that have a Fiat which is still going strong with a 1.6L engine! No engine is completely flawless and what's important is how you use your car (regular daily driving, daily racing, off-roading, drifting, etc) and how well you take care of it.

[Lurchdubious]

In the end, the word 'reliable' depends on how you use the car and how well you maintain it. I have friends in Europe that have a Fiat which is still going strong with a 1.6L engine! No engine is completely flawless and what's important is how you use your car (regular daily driving, daily racing, off-roading, drifting, etc) and how well you take care of it.

oh, trust me, i BABY my vehicles. this would be my first new car; you can be sure i'd treat it amazing.

[SHIFT_2.5S]

oh, trust me, i BABY my vehicles. this would be my first new car; you can be sure i'd treat it amazing.

Them I'm sure you will be minimizing problems. Some problems are simply beyond the owner's control and can be called inevitable. When deciding between the 2.5 and 3.5, just make sure you go with something that's practical. Use your primary needs as judgment, because one is more economical and less expensive while the other is more reliable and has more power.

[Lurchdubious]

arguing is all message boards are anymore lol

and yes i LOVE my titan. i bought it new in 05 because it was the best 1/2 ton on the market and still love it (except when i put gas in it hahaha)

damn thing has been great to me, just put 1000 towing miles on it recently, not 1 hiccup.

i fully agree man. the Titan is the best bang for the buck, bar none. and sooo much fun to drive!! i towed my wife's car across the country last year & never had to use the tow mode; never even knew it was there. the Titan's my first nissan, but i'm now a BIG fan. i just can't afford 12 mpg anymore, lol. i'll be entering dental school this fall and i will be living off of loans for the next 4 years. the only reason i own my titan is that i bought it thru my s-corp last year when money was good. now i can't sell it w/o having to recapture the 5 yrs of depreciation i wrote off last year & pay taxes on another vehicle, so trading is starting to look like a great option.

[end of hijack ]

[Lurchdubious]

Them I'm sure you will be minimizing problems. Some problems are simply beyond the owner's control and can be called inevitable. When deciding between the 2.5 and 3.5, just make sure you go with something that's practical. Use your primary needs as judgment, because one is more economical and less expensive while the other is more reliable and has more power.

very true, but knowing the problems in recent years makes me paranoid....

would you say you can average 25 mpg with the 3.5L, as long as you drive conservatively about 90% of the time? i mean i'll let 'er stretch her legs once in a while, but for the most part i'm shooting for 24-26 mpg.

[SHIFT_2.5S]

I get 22mpg in the city traffic with my 2.5L. It depends on where you live, diving condition, and driving style.

[SHIFT_CR]

Yea I think that comment for the 2.5 uncalled for...

Wasnt the 2007 Altima Sedan 2.5 rated the best engine and performance in its class by JD Powers?

[Joe]

GET OVER IT ITS JUST AN ENGINE

my god

[SHIFT_CR]

very true, but knowing the problems in recent years makes me paranoid....

would you say you can average 25 mpg with the 3.5L, as long as you drive conservatively about 90% of the time? i mean i'll let 'er stretch her legs once in a while, but for the most part i'm shooting for 24-26 mpg.

I get around 25.5 MPG in the city/highway and around 32-35 on highways going 70-80 mph in a 2.5

I doubt you can get 25mpg in a 3.5 unless you go 90% highway

[notaverage]

oh boo hoo, get over it lol

its just the internet. dont take everything so seriously. if it makes you feel any better i dont really like the VQ series when its in a performance application either. what does me being a moderator have to do with anything? i dont have to immdiately love everything made by nissan (my car is proof of that. ) i have an opinion like everyone else.

it takes a LOT for me to be impressed by an economy engine so get your panties out of a twist.

I would think that being a moderator would give you more sense than calling the majority of the people's cars on this forum pieces of sh*t. You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but as a moderator you should set an example of HOW people should express their opinions. Calling the 4 cylinders unreliable is perfectly fine, but to insult other people's cars by calling them pieces of sh*t, is not. It shows that you are tactless and arrogant.

It is the difference between me calling you stupid or misinformed. Show some class, and set a positive example.

Just my $.02

Like someone pointed out earlier, arguing on the internet is retarded, so I'm done with this thread.

[Joe]

I would think that being a moderator would give you more sense than calling the majority of the people's cars on this forum pieces of sh*t. You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but as a moderator you should set an example of HOW people should express their opinions. Calling the 4 cylinders unreliable is perfectly fine, but to insult other people's cars by calling them pieces of sh*t, is not. It shows that you are tactless and arrogant.

It is the difference between me calling you stupid or misinformed. Show some class, and set a positive example.

Just my $.02

Like someone pointed out earlier, arguing on the internet is retarded, so I'm done with this thread.

wow. do you need a hug because someone made fun a POS engine? notice the specific word ENGINE, not CAR. never once did i say the altima was a POS. i just said the 2.5 was. you might need to take a reading comprehension class at a community college. here: http://www.ccsf.edu/

get over it. im not even gonna say anything else because you are just going to cry about it more.



oh, p.s. i do lead by example sweetie. if people would stop being blind to 1 single auto manufacturer and open their eyes to the shortcomings EVERY car and engine have, the world would be a better place.

[generic808]

Come on, girls, we're not running the special olympics here

[D-Roll]

I'm complete content with my 4 banger. Previously I owned a 02 SpecV and had no problems with the QR motor. The gas mileage is great as well!

[SHIFT_2.5S]

Kamin can't even link to another image! The ultimate fail.