Topic: Test Drive: 2010 Nissan Altima 3.5 SR sedan

[Mozeby]

The Altima has come a long way?  It's been basically the same car for several years since the major redesign in the early 2000s.  Nissan has just restyled and improved it along the way.  But the platform and engines are mostly the same.  It's the rest of the class that have come a long way like the Mazda6, Fusion, Malibu, and Sonata.  I disagree with the CVT though.  Audi had a CVT in the A4 with a 3.0 V6 several years ago and then abandoned it, I'm guessing because of drivability and reliability reasons. The top cars in the Family sedan class are a toss up.  There really is no clear cut winner or best car.  It's mostly down to taste since all of them perform within a whisker of each other.

The 06 Altima and the 07 Altima are completely different cars, they only share similarities in looks.  Nissan has proven it was a wise move and the Canadian sales are there to prove that, what? 1500 units less than the Camry?  In the US it is in the top 10, 5th 6th I forget.

The next one will definitely be a bigger change.

Nissan has kept the engines the same since 2002(?) only changing the trannies along the way.  Park a 2002 next to a 2010 and it's easy to see the resemblance to one another.  Now take any other sedan from those 2 years and do the same and it's a night and day change.  Most for the better (Malibu, Sonata) and some for the worse (Camry).

[Frontier1]

The Altima has come a long way?  It's been basically the same car for several years since the major redesign in the early 2000s.  Nissan has just restyled and improved it along the way.  But the platform and engines are mostly the same.  It's the rest of the class that have come a long way like the Mazda6, Fusion, Malibu, and Sonata.  I disagree with the CVT though.  Audi had a CVT in the A4 with a 3.0 V6 several years ago and then abandoned it, I'm guessing because of drivability and reliability reasons. The top cars in the Family sedan class are a toss up.  There really is no clear cut winner or best car.  It's mostly down to taste since all of them perform within a whisker of each other.

The 06 Altima and the 07 Altima are completely different cars, they only share similarities in looks.  Nissan has proven it was a wise move and the Canadian sales are there to prove that, what? 1500 units less than the Camry?  In the US it is in the top 10, 5th 6th I forget.

The next one will definitely be a bigger change.

Nissan has kept the engines the same since 2002(?) only changing the trannies along the way.  Park a 2002 next to a 2010 and it's easy to see the resemblance to one another.  Now take any other sedan from those 2 years and do the same and it's a night and day change.  Most for the better (Malibu, Sonata) and some for the worse (Camry).

....again the Altima is still selling well.....get yourself a Malibu or Sonata, they are both very nice cars, I truly enjoyed my time behind the wheel of the Malibu in Washington last fall.

[Mozeby]

The Altima has come a long way?  It's been basically the same car for several years since the major redesign in the early 2000s.  Nissan has just restyled and improved it along the way.  But the platform and engines are mostly the same.  It's the rest of the class that have come a long way like the Mazda6, Fusion, Malibu, and Sonata.  I disagree with the CVT though.  Audi had a CVT in the A4 with a 3.0 V6 several years ago and then abandoned it, I'm guessing because of drivability and reliability reasons. The top cars in the Family sedan class are a toss up.  There really is no clear cut winner or best car.  It's mostly down to taste since all of them perform within a whisker of each other.

The 06 Altima and the 07 Altima are completely different cars, they only share similarities in looks.  Nissan has proven it was a wise move and the Canadian sales are there to prove that, what? 1500 units less than the Camry?  In the US it is in the top 10, 5th 6th I forget.

The next one will definitely be a bigger change.

Nissan has kept the engines the same since 2002(?) only changing the trannies along the way.  Park a 2002 next to a 2010 and it's easy to see the resemblance to one another.  Now take any other sedan from those 2 years and do the same and it's a night and day change.  Most for the better (Malibu, Sonata) and some for the worse (Camry).

....again the Altima is still selling well.....get yourself a Malibu or Sonata, they are both very nice cars, I truly enjoyed my time behind the wheel of the Malibu in Washington last fall.

I did get a Malibu, an '09 LTZ 4 banger.  Like it a lot. I'm not knocking the Altima, I'm just saying I'm not a fan of the CVT.  That and there's no real clear winners anymore.

[Jaeger]

Nissan has kept the engines the same since 2002(?) only changing the trannies along the way.  Park a 2002 next to a 2010 and it's easy to see the resemblance to one another.  Now take any other sedan from those 2 years and do the same and it's a night and day change.  Most for the better (Malibu, Sonata) and some for the worse (Camry).

You're right - the 240hp V6 in the 2002 Altima is "the same" as the 270hp V6 in the 2010 Altima, and for the that matter, "the same" as the 290hp V6 in the 2010 Maxima.  I mean, they are all 3.5l VQ series engines, right?  What possible difference could an extra 30hp make?  Or an extra 50?    Yep, Nissan has kept the engines the same all right.  Here's hoping they continue with more sameness going forward.

Jaeger

[Jaeger]

Edmunds.com just posted their new review of the 2010 Altima 3.5SR. They don't seem to mind the CVT as much as might be expected..??

http://www.edmunds.com/nissan/altima/2010/testdrive.html

More than not seeming to mind it, I'd say they quite liked it:

"The 3.5 SR's powertrain is quite simply one of the best in the business. A CVT doesn't have gears, so there's none of the occasional thumping and lurching while the right cog is selected. Instead, opening the throttle in this Altima sends the engine speed zinging up to 4,000 rpm — the beginning of the V6's sweet spot — at which point it slowly progresses toward the 6,500-rpm redline.

Nissan also provides a manual mode with six simulated gears, but we usually just left it in Drive and let this preternaturally smooth transmission work its magic. As for the VQ-Series V6, it pulls hard and sounds great here, with none of the coarseness that plagues the 370Z's 3.7-liter version."

A very positive review overall:

"Yet there's much more to this Nissan's appeal than its appetite for tight corners. The powertrain is a revelation, a blissful marriage of broad-shouldered V6 thrust and seamless CVT (continuously variable transmission) oversight. The interior materials are Infiniti-grade — few cars in this class can compete. And the technology is top-notch, including updated optional navigation and sound systems with real-time traffic and Bluetooth streaming audio.

There are still nits to pick with the Altima 3.5 SR. The relatively low rear-seat cushion, for example, forces longer-legged passengers to ride with their knees in the air. Also, Nissan makes you pay through the nose for desirable option packages. But if you appreciate the Altima's sporting character, these burdens will be easy to bear. The 2010 Nissan Altima 3.5 SR is proof positive that family-minded consumers still have the option of enjoying the drive."

Jaeger

[Mozeby]

Nissan has kept the engines the same since 2002(?) only changing the trannies along the way.  Park a 2002 next to a 2010 and it's easy to see the resemblance to one another.  Now take any other sedan from those 2 years and do the same and it's a night and day change.  Most for the better (Malibu, Sonata) and some for the worse (Camry).

You're right - the 240hp V6 in the 2002 Altima is "the same" as the 270hp V6 in the 2010 Altima, and for the that matter, "the same" as the 290hp V6 in the 2010 Maxima.  I mean, they are all 3.5l VQ series engines, right?  What possible difference could an extra 30hp make?  Or an extra 50?    Yep, Nissan has kept the engines the same all right.  Here's hoping they continue with more sameness going forward.

Jaeger

It's still the same engines from 2002 to now.  A 2.5 and 3.5L engines.  Because Nissan has tweaked the power in the cars to keep it competitive with the rest of the class doesn't make this a new engine.  And what other companies haven't incresed HP over the course of 8 years with the same motor?   It still has the same engine, just tuned differently.  That's like saying the small block V8s in the Chevy pickups aren't the same as those in a Camaro or Vette.  By your reasoning GM makes about 10 different V8s because their power is different based on where they're installed.  It's the same architecture.  In the Altima's case boosting HP by 30 doesn't make it a different motor.

[CatsEye68]

Edmunds.com just posted their new review of the 2010 Altima 3.5SR. They don't seem to mind the CVT as much as might be expected..??

http://www.edmunds.com/nissan/altima/2010/testdrive.html

More than not seeming to mind it, I'd say they quite liked it

Bolt that trans into a Buick and see what they say. I bet it would be quite a different story coming from Edmunds.

[ovr50]

Edmunds.com just posted their new review of the 2010 Altima 3.5SR. They don't seem to mind the CVT as much as might be expected..??

http://www.edmunds.com/nissan/altima/2010/testdrive.html

More than not seeming to mind it, I'd say they quite liked it

Bolt that trans into a Buick and see what they say. I bet it would be quite a different story coming from Edmunds.

 

Not everyone is as biased as you, Catseye. 

[Jaeger]

It's still the same engines from 2002 to now.  A 2.5 and 3.5L engines.  Because Nissan has tweaked the power in the cars to keep it competitive with the rest of the class doesn't make this a new engine.  And what other companies haven't incresed HP over the course of 8 years with the same motor?   It still has the same engine, just tuned differently.  That's like saying the small block V8s in the Chevy pickups aren't the same as those in a Camaro or Vette.  By your reasoning GM makes about 10 different V8s because their power is different based on where they're installed.  It's the same architecture.  In the Altima's case boosting HP by 30 doesn't make it a different motor.

Well, it's basically "the same architecture" in the 3.7l motor that puts out 330hp in the Z and G.  You may be as contemptuously dismissive of that as you please - it's an open forum - but your underlying suggestion that Nissan is somehow trotting out the same old tired mill year in and year out is starting to look a bit absurd.  Even the jump from 240 to 270 in the Altima is nothing to sneeze at.  Aftermarket tuners spend thousands chasing less of a quantifiable gain in power than that. 

And also consider: 1) most manufacturers DON'T introduce a brand-new ground-up motor with each generation of their midsized family sedans, and 2) it was Nissan's Altima that we have to thank (or curse, depending on one's view) for the phenomenal power available in this class today.  It was the first shot fired in the midsize import HP wars and positively SMOKED everything in it's class when introduced. 

I'm not sure what your particular agenda is in attempting to characterize the 2010 Altima as a barely cosmetically altereder version of the 2002 model, but as I said, it doesn't accord with reality.  I think the Edmunds review sums up the nature and status of the current vehicle quite well.  You'll understand, of course, if I place slightly greater weight upon their editorial opinion than I do upon yours.

Jaeger

[Sir Osis of Liver]

The 3.0L Ford has been dismissed as a "tired old motor" even though it's output has jumped a few times (it started in 1995 as the 170hp 2.5L, it's now 3L 240hp). I see this as no different.

Personally, I have no problems at all with using updated versions of existing motors. Less chance of getting it wrong. But these are the same motors Nissan has been using since 2002, HP not withstanding.

The rest of the car has been nicely updated, especially the interior.

[Mozeby]

It's still the same engines from 2002 to now.  A 2.5 and 3.5L engines.  Because Nissan has tweaked the power in the cars to keep it competitive with the rest of the class doesn't make this a new engine.  And what other companies haven't incresed HP over the course of 8 years with the same motor?   It still has the same engine, just tuned differently.  That's like saying the small block V8s in the Chevy pickups aren't the same as those in a Camaro or Vette.  By your reasoning GM makes about 10 different V8s because their power is different based on where they're installed.  It's the same architecture.  In the Altima's case boosting HP by 30 doesn't make it a different motor.

Well, it's basically "the same architecture" in the 3.7l motor that puts out 330hp in the Z and G.  You may be as contemptuously dismissive of that as you please - it's an open forum - but your underlying suggestion that Nissan is somehow trotting out the same old tired mill year in and year out is starting to look a bit absurd.  Even the jump from 240 to 270 in the Altima is nothing to sneeze at.  Aftermarket tuners spend thousands chasing less of a quantifiable gain in power than that. 

And also consider: 1) most manufacturers DON'T introduce a brand-new ground-up motor with each generation of their midsized family sedans, and 2) it was Nissan's Altima that we have to thank (or curse, depending on one's view) for the phenomenal power available in this class today.  It was the first shot fired in the midsize import HP wars and positively SMOKED everything in it's class when introduced. 

I'm not sure what your particular agenda is in attempting to characterize the 2010 Altima as a barely cosmetically altereder version of the 2002 model, but as I said, it doesn't accord with reality.  I think the Edmunds review sums up the nature and status of the current vehicle quite well.  You'll understand, of course, if I place slightly greater weight upon their editorial opinion than I do upon yours.

Jaeger

There's no agenda here.  Just a disagreement with what you're saying.  My opinion is that Nissan has made the most minimal changes to the Altima while the rest of the auto world has almost thoroughly changed what they're introducing.  Nissan got caught in that old catch 22 where when you introduce a model that is such a big hit, you become afraid to change too much when it's time for a redesign.  Like I said before.  Look at a 2002 next to a 2010.  You would never guess these models were 8 years apart.  And both engines in the Altima are still the same size as they were in 2002. I think the 4 cylinder still makes the same power too.   I can't think of single other car that has gone through what, 2 "redesigns" yet still looks that much the same.  Nissan is afraid to change the altima because they might screw it up the way they did with the Maxima a few years ago. And it's not just the Altima. The Murano, G35/37, FX, Z350/370 all were slight redesigns that looked  90% like the model before it.  You can trust Edmunds but I trust my eyes.