Just finnished reading an article on the SE-R over at Canadiandriver.com.

http://www.canadiandriver.com/articl...altima_ser.htm

I have to say, if this car was available back when I was buying the TSX I really might have gotten it instead. At the time the Altima's interior was a non starter for me but I sat in a SE-R in Detroit and I thought the interior was pretty good, in fact alot better than the G35's.

Handling is apprently good and god knows it has plenty of power on tap.

But the kicker, the $35,398 CAD MSRP is only $500 more than a 6MT TSX and about $700 less than a AT TSX (SE-R offers a AT at no additional cost)

Although the SE-R does look a tad ricey for my tastes.

 

It's a pretty nice package from an equipment standpoint but you're right, it's a little ricey. I like the interior though.

 

I'll have to try the SE-R to be sure, but the Altima never appealed to me after I drove it once. It was just terrible. Even with the updated interior (I drove a rental one for a few hundred miles) and it was uncomfortable as hell. I just don't like the Altima, VQ motor or not.

 

$29,300 US without Navi. Looks like we get a better deal in

 

It's because of that funny money you guys use...

And at that price, might as well get a G35.

 

I almost got an Altima (2004), but the Nav on the TSX was cooler.

 

so far I've seen exactly 1 SE-R on the roads. I'm interested to see the inside, I absolutely hated the interior of Nissan's as of last year when I was car shopping (maxima, altima, g35, 350z). The exterior is pretty good, I hate the wheels, but in general, not bad. Not a fan of the euro-ricer lights in general on the Altima.

 

Does Acura charge more for the AT in 05? The 04 TSX was the same price whether AT or MT.

 

domn = traitor

:troutslap <-- domn



jk. the altima se-r is pretty pimp, well the motor is anyway, the exterior is so ugly i still woudn't buy it.

i wish they made a "R" version tsx, that would be sweet.

 

Sorry, I should have specified that they do in Canada only. $1100 more than the MT

 

Wow. You put your money where your avatar is.

 

Thats new for 05 BTW. Prices were the same in 04.

 

The TSX is the traitor. If it wasn't for all the damn problems I've had, my mouth would be shut.

 

^^
Best use of smiley this year.

 

I have to agree with Domm about the interior. I like the updated interior on the Altima better than the interior in the Maxima and G35. Much cleaner looking.

And, I love the Nissan 3.5. Slightly rough engine, but oooooh that low-end torque is fun.

 

I had no complaints sitting in the SE-R's interior. The G35's had me nit picking and pointing out flaws. That extra back seat space would have come in handy too.

 

I was choosing between 2004 Altima (245 hp) and the tSX as my last decisions.

took them both on a test drive, only got to drive the TSX myself, but my dad drove them both on a race course hed thought up using roads around the dealership. the altima was pretty intense fo performance, overall amazing. i ahd a hard choice but the TSX just called out to me.

The guy came with us in the Altima, thats why i didnt drive, but i think he crapped himself in the back seat cuz my dad is a crazy driver, we were redlining every gear, and heel toe downshifting to ensure that it stayed in the redline. we got up to a 100km/h then he just slammed the breaks on a turn to see how it held up. pretty quick stop, kept its line without traction control. and the guy in the back was hyperventilating.

 

???????


I would think I would know a little something about that.

So, does the SE-R put the nail in the coffin for the Maxima?

 

The Altima SE-R is the number 2 (Number one being the Pontiac G6) car that makes me wonder WTF kind of crack some carmakers are smoking. Who in their right mind wants to pay $29-ffin'-k for a warmed over Nissan, without even the benefit of an upscale badge? If I wanted a $30k Nissan, I'd get a Max. The Altima (and the G6) would probably be real nice cars at $24k. At $30k, I'm looking at TSX-Nav, A4, 325i, IS300, Evo, STi, G35, etc etc. Forget a riced-out 18k car, and really forget a shitty Pontiac.

 

i know buddy. i've read your posts about the problems that you have had.

:troutslap <- honda, for

 

if you are willing to spend 30k just for a damn badge, you got issues yourself.

what's the diff between a souped up altima (the se-r) and a souped up lancer (evo)



i'm not even goin to use troutslap to reply to that post

 

The difference between a souped up lancer with AWD, turbos, 275+ hp, FUNCTIONAL aero enhancements, rally heritage, etc etc and a mildly warmed over, 245 hp (5 hp more than a $24k Accord), decorative-bodykit fitted, riceily-(new word)badged "SE-R" should be obvious.

As far as the badge goes, my point is not the badge itself, it was that Acura, Infiniti, and Lexus at least make the attempt to add some value for the money with a better ownership/dealership experience, some more luxury features, and yeah, some added prestige. Let's face it, for a lot of people, there's a difference if their neighbor thinks they have a $40k (what most people assume the TSX costs when they see the nav) TSX or a $20k Altima in their driveway, even if they both cost $30k.

Do you think Joe Schmo would rather have a Pontiac, an Altima SE-R, or a TSX/A4/325i/G35 for the same money if he went and sat in them? The reason companies like GM have to discount their cars so much is because they price them obscenely high, and then with rebates, people pay about market price for them. My parents bought a 4cyl Accord EX-L for $23k. The V6 (which they don't care about) would have been $25k. Why would they pay $30k for a car with a similar feature set but much less resale value and unproven reliability? I bet GM intentionally hikes these prices up so they have room for the rebates those buyers expect.


Sorry, I know this discussion was not about the G6, but it has been chapping my ass for a while, seemed like a good place to toss the comparo in.

 

Not a huge jump but more than the 245 you quoted. And BTW a regular Altima made 245 for 03,04 and now 250 for 05.

 

I wonder if it would have better reliability than my Sentra SE-R? I swear the mechanic drove it more than I did!

 

From what I've heard the horsepower isn't what was lacking in the 03 and 04 Altimas, it was the handling. A buddy of mine has one of the those two years and says the best word to describe the Altima's handling was vague (he's also used the words boat and floaty).

After driving the TSX he was quite upset, felt that he would have been better off and would have had more fun with the TSX. Although they weren't available when he bought the Altima (end of 03 I think).

 

The rental altima I drove only had 9k miles on it and it was terrible on the highway. Floated all over the place (and there was no crosswind to blame it on either) and never settled down.

 

I got my TSX in July of '03...

 

They were available April 03.

 

I'll rather drive something that's made in Japan than Mexico.

 

 

I said "I think", I don't remember when he got his. . . and I hadn't even seen a TSX until November/December 03. . . I even said I don't remember which year Altima he has 03 or 04. . .

Is it that big a deal?

 

Of course not! Just messing with you!

 

At the risk of hijacking this thread. . . what the hell is Dr. Doom saying in your Avatar? It's too small for me to read.

 

If you look real close it says. "I love 5 AT. I wish I had an Automatic. My stick sucks, I can't drive it. I lost a race to TRU. I suck. Domn was right."

 

 

It says:

"But how could they suspect... that while they slept... I have hypnotically drained them of their powers!"

"Whenever they may want to use them... their hypnotized brains will instantly reject the notion!" [referring to the Fantastic Four, IIRC]

The avatar size limit was hurting me.

 

You could try to resize it. Yours looks smaller than Dan's. Now that you're a mod you may have larger avatar privilidges.

 

You could try to resize it. Yours looks smaller than Dan's (or mine for that matter). Now that you're a mod you may have larger avatar privilidges.