Want to see why you can't trust magazines for your car buying?

[hattrix]

http://www.automobilemag.com/r...coupe/

Almost everything this guy writes is not true. First, note that he calls it a 3.5 SE. There is no such thing!! It is a 3.5 S. Second, he says when you step on the gas the wheel spin prevents you from getting all the power. Hmmm, anyone who has the 3.5 ever had it spin out? I have slammed on the gas, never have I had a spin out. Now he is talking MT so maybe he just doesn't know how to drive a stick?? Now for the torque steer. One of the things that I have been impressed with has been how minimal the torque steer has been in this car. My girlfriend has a Maxima and with its 15 fewer hp I constantly battle torque steer. Nissan did a good job minimizing it in this car. This guy acts like the steering wheel was ripped from his hands. Now considering this magazine is written in Detroit and has Chevy ads all over it, think maybe there is an agenda here??? I just know that I will not trust articles but trust what I feel when I drive a car.

[altim8]

and yet another reason not to trust everyday joe's who post on forums...

unless i'm just special, my altima coupe IS a 3.5 SE! if i had the first clue on how to post pictures, id show ya! dont quote me on this but i'm pretty sure the SE is the 3.5 w/ the premium package?

[ChiLLaXtodaMaX]

http://www.automobilemag.com/r...coupe/

Almost everything this guy writes is not true. First, note that he calls it a 3.5 SE. There is no such thing!! It is a 3.5 S. Second, he says when you step on the gas the wheel spin prevents you from getting all the power. Hmmm, anyone who has the 3.5 ever had it spin out? I have slammed on the gas, never have I had a spin out. Now he is talking MT so maybe he just doesn't know how to drive a stick?? Now for the torque steer. One of the things that I have been impressed with has been how minimal the torque steer has been in this car. My girlfriend has a Maxima and with its 15 fewer hp I constantly battle torque steer. Nissan did a good job minimizing it in this car. This guy acts like the steering wheel was ripped from his hands. Now considering this magazine is written in Detroit and has Chevy ads all over it, think maybe there is an agenda here??? I just know that I will not trust articles but trust what I feel when I drive a car.

Uhh...there's a 2.5S and a 3.5SE... I dunno where you get the 3.5S from.

[hattrix]

Ok, so I made a mistake on the 3.5 S vs SE part but other than that, the article was a joke

[Carlosf22]

All magazine articles are jokes.

[AZhitman]

Good stuff, hattrix.

I smell a good article coming from this!

Carlos, your signature pic makes me squint, hahaha!

[Jaeger]

As a general rule, I'll trust professional automotive journalists who stake their reputations on their written word before I trust anonymous internet fanboys. But that's my choice.

With one exceotion, I don't see much wrong with the article. I haven't noticed wheelspin to be a probem in my sedan, but I do recall when Motorweek did their video review that there was MAJOR wheelspin at launch - which no doubt contributed to their poor 7-second-ish 0-60 time.

I disagree with the author's report about torque-steer, though. I think that the definition of the term has become somewhat muddled and now ANY slight tug at the wheel on hard launch (which the Altima has) is incorrectly labeled as torque-steer, as opposed to the hard pulls which require actual steering correction, which the Altima does not suffer.

About the only other negative thing in the atricle is the comment that the steering is overboosted at low speeds. I absolutely agree that this is true of both coupe and sedan. It's not terrible, but it could be better. The author also said "but as you wheel the Altima down a winding two-lane, the steering tightens up considerably, and it's easy to carve an accurate line." I agree with that as well - steering feel improves the harder you push it. Better than the reverse, to be sure.

I disagree with the author's report about torque-steer, though. I think that the definition of the term has become somewhat muddled and now ANY slight tug at the wheel on hard launch (which the Altima has) is incorrectly labeled as torque-steer, as opposed to the hard pulls which require actual steering correction, which the Altima does not suffer.

You know what's preposterous? Suggesting that the magazine is pro-American-car biased because they are based in Detroit. I'll believe that when they start having Faord Tauruses winning comparison tests with Japanese and American sedans. Please. You are actually suggesting that they did a hatchet-job on the Altima to appease their motor-city advertisers? I don't suppose you have anything resembling - say - proof, do you?

But one thing we agree on - I form my own opinions based on my own assessment of any given vehicle. I'll consider the opinions of others depending on just how informed those opinions are. I don't go looking for Machiavellian conspiracies behind any negative comment that an automotive journalist has to make, though.

Jaeger

PS - You're a Coupe owner and you didn't know there was such a thing as a 3.5 SE???? Most strange.

[audtatious]

In general, articles are only good if you agree with what they are saying

[Cali 2 Balti G]

Good one!! -