The
Nissan Altima 3.5SE was not bad looking for a Nissan, despite being a four-door sedan. Fact is that Nissan's styling department has thrown up a lot of dull looking cars in the past decade. Since Renault got involved, Nissan cars look better, but are still rather pedestrian.
This Altiam has a combination of a sloping front with a wide grille, and the fastback coachroof, which give this fast car a strong, aggressive look. It is also the quickest Altima, and is quite different in character from the popular base models. Performance is not bad, as the Altima 3.SE takes only 6.3 seconds to get from zero to 60 mph - quite a hot sedan.
A solid car both inside and out
The interior work is solid, maybe a bit too much plastic especially on the door panels and dash. The three pod cluster is almost a family staple but fits the semi-sporting image of the new Altima.
Sporty performance
With 245 bhp at 5,800 rpm and 346 lb ft torque at 4,400 rpm, this is a pretty sporty engine. It is basically the same as the engine of the 350Z, but doesn't develop so much power. Although a lively unit, it develops maximum torque too high to give the mid-range muscle you need with a fairly heavy four-seater sedan.
A four-speed automatic transmission handles power delivery. You may not be a fan of the slushbox, but the Altima's four speed is not too bad- it doesn't hunt from gear to gear as much as some other transmissions out there. Of course, these days, you need five-speeds and preferably six in an automatic. On the streets, acceleration is smooth and painless, but lacks bite. Would do better with a good manual box.
Power and refinement
As powerful and happy to speed as the compact V6 is, it's also fairly good on fuel. Most fast cars of this size with a 3.5 liter engine won't get nearly as many miles as this baby. Whether you're a granny behind the wheel or a roadside racer, the Nissan Altima 3.5SE could suit you.
The steering is equally balanced. On the other hand, the turning radius is just shy of 40 feet so you'll need a good three lanes to perform a U-turn.
Despite having front-wheel drive, which limits ultimate performance, the Altima 3.5SE gives a good combination of performance and handling. It doesn't suffer from too much understeer during cornering unless you press hard, or from torque steer when accelerated hard from a T-junction, or on bumpy roads. Costing around $23,000, this car is good value.
