Three random questions

[pcpower]

Much easier than producing 3 seperate topics..:

I've been in the planning stages for an 09 coupe... still waiting for trade-in values to magically appear for the `08 3.5 altimas....... In the mean time;

Aftermarket HIDs - Has anyone had issues w/ aftermarket HIDs, either technical or legally? I remember one guy's story about how a cop pulled him over in some remote area.... but any other stories? No HID's exploding or anything like that right? I'm just a little bit wary of the aftermarkets compared to the standard nissan xenon's,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, don't really want the Premium Package though.

White Coupes - Anyone w/ a white coupe enjoying it,,, and not constantly having to deal with paint chips, dirt, dings, etc? Been thinking of a white coupe but also a much 'safer' color like precision grey.

`09 m/t "feel" - One of the few changes from 08 to 09 of course is feel of the m/t.............. Or supposedly, it is..! Does anyone know for sure if the m/t is significantly improved, or are we talking a little detail that nobody will notice?

thx!!

[phobs]

For aftermarket HIDs, you get what you pay for. Many members on this forum have Xentec or X-light and most have no problems technical wise, some have failed ballasts or bulbs within a few months. Legal wise, the glare that these bulbs produce in our reflector housings can cause cops (depends on the cop or where you live) to pull you over. A safer option is to get rebased H11 D2R (for reflector housings, D2S bulbs are for projector housings) bulbs.

I own a black coupe but I would still enjoy a white coupe also, can't see those swirl marks as bad as on a black coupe, oh man.

In rare cases a couple of memebers had their 08 MT transmition crapped out on them and had to replace the whole thing. I am sure the 09 transmition improved on this. Personally this is my first brand new car and the change from a 92 240sx to an 09 a/c was a HUGE difference.

[adidas2go]

1. http://forums.altimas.org/zerothread/293744

2. White and black are both always hard colors to keep clean. Also, tricolor white for the a/c is an extremly hard color to duplicate for body components and such.

3. I think theres only one member here with an 09, and his is a CVT.

[Infantry1327]

Everyone I have talked to has been fine with there aftermarket hid setup. I belive the story you are talking about, the guy was running a 10000 wat kit. I would recommend a 8000 watt kit.

White coupes are the best. Yes aftermarket parts a pain to paint because of the 3 stage paint but its worth it. Especially if you go with a white/black combo like me. I have had a few little pieces of paint chip in the front from stray pebbles, but with the nissan factory touchup pen, its not a problem.

Get the 6 speed, but I dont know if anything another than the wheels and grill are different from the 08-09. Maybe someone else can answer that question.

[AppleBonker]

3. I think theres only one member here with an 09, and his is a CVT.

False. motaman has a black '09 with a 6MT. You could check with him about the feel of the MT. I don't mind mine (I've got an '08), but without driving the '09 I obviously cannot compare the two. I liked the manual on my older Honda slightly better, but this isn't a poor trans by any means.

[mcheddadi]

`09 m/t "feel" - One of the few changes from 08 to 09 of course is feel of the m/t.............. Or supposedly, it is..! Does anyone know for sure if the m/t is significantly improved, or are we talking a little detail that nobody will notice?

thx!!

I'm willing to bet that they just added weight to the shift knob thats all.

[Cali 2 Balti G]

Nissan paint is cheap regardless of color. So if you are concerned about paint chips then you'd better invest in clear bra.

[spockrock]

Everyone I have talked to has been fine with there aftermarket hid setup. I belive the story you are talking about, the guy was running a 10000 wat kit. I would recommend a 8000 watt kit.

I think you mean Kelvins (K, temperature) not Watt (W, power).

[motaman]

I have a 2009 coupe with a manual transmission. I drove a 2008 on my test drive.

The shifting is still a little notchy when driving in traffic (~3000 rpm shifts), but there is a slight improvement. When I'm doing some fun driving (5000+ rpm shifts) it is really smooth; there is a definite improvement. I've noticed that skipping a gear when driving around town helps - shifting 1-2-4-6 or 1-3-5 is smoother than 1-2-3-4-5-6. Maybe the gear ratios are just a little too close for slower acceleration and driving....

I don't think they have added any weight to the knob - it looks exactly like the '08 knob and the shifter just feels light. I think they have changed the gear lube and maybe fixed something with the synchro clusters. It seems to have the same shifter throw as well.

In any case, there have been improvements here, and it depends on your driving as to whether they are slight or significant. My disclaimer is that I only have 900 miles on my car; it may still be tight. (My commute to work is only 10 miles, and we still have motorcycle weather here!)

[marlin29311]

Everyone I have talked to has been fine with there aftermarket hid setup. I belive the story you are talking about, the guy was running a 10000 wat kit. I would recommend a 8000 watt kit.

DAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN that's a lot of power....

...and yea, what spockrock said - 8000k, not W. Kelvin = temperature, Watts = power.

With that said, we can always use more POWAR!!!!!!!!

[Sith LL_Coupe]

Why trade in an '08 for an '09? There's no real differences between the two (very minor). It'd be a waste of money, your car's depreciation will be significant now that the '09s are out.