Eskimo

Just read more on the new Altima. 0-60mph in a pre-production model clocked in at 6.3s for the 5spd equipped V-6!!! 7.2s for the 4 spd automatic.

Why oh why does Honda refuse to offer a 5spd with their V-6s. I bet the TL-S or CL-S would have been taken more seriously by automobile journalist if they were available in a manual transmission.

Shyne

Who cares about the new altima ??? I could give two $hit$ on how fast it hits 0-60... All I know when I seez one, itz on... This is the TL discussion, right??? Seems pretty OT to me ...

Eskimo

err, Shyne, yes this is TL forum and I am discussing the rapid decline our TL's performance and value edge

redeye

yo guys, i hate to say this.. but honestly.. in the future...if i had to buy a car and didn't have enuff $$ to spend on a serious driving automobile... (ie. M3, S4, C43), i'd seriously consider getting the altima... and why not? great engine roomy interior...
it looks waaay better than the current model..why not?
plus it costs just about as much as a 200HP accord... again i say.. why not?

SinnedTL

I dont know about the looks waaay better than the current model, the new ones looks kinda fishy...no pun intended!!!

Xtrema

It's kinda a cross between LS430 (front), GS300/400 (side) and Monte Carlo/IS300 (rear).

But strangly enough, it works for me.

Shyne

Look Eskimo, I wasnt railing on your thread or anything ... The point is, our TL's are no comparison to a cheap wannabe maxima, the TL is better in more ways than one... Who gives about the nasty engine they put under a cheap ultra light frame... The TL is going to be out beat on HorsePower by a lot of cars, the question is: do any of these cars have every thing COMBINED together in one aspect, such as the TL... Does the altima beat the TL on style, *nasty fart*, NO!!! Subaru, has a new car, the WSX, I believe , at any rate, the car has 225 HP... Point being, Does subaru craftsmanship and styling give anyone piece of mind when compared to Acura or any other fine automobile, hell no ... Give me a break, these cars are merely toys when comparing them to Luxury... The TL was built on piece of mind, comfort, quality, craftsmanship, and along with some of these aspects comes speed, agility, and manuverability... Im sure a sixteen year old is the only one who could get all of that out of an Altima ...

S.Holla ...

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2001 Acura TL/Nighthawk Black/Einkei AKA 17's/Nitto Extreme 450's (225/17/50)Type-S Shifter/Spoiler/AEM CAI w/Bypass Valve/Custom Grizalle/ Riceboy AcuraPads/ SuperSonicSpark$/*TL-S Tailz*/Pix real soon!!!

SL1200MK4

Well... styling is just a matter of personal taste.... But I like what they are offering... And I am sure people will go for it. Look at the Subaru WRX.... Sure it is ugly...... but it still sells like CRAZY... why because it got the performance....

BlackShadow

I just came back from the autoshow at the JJC in NYC. I saw the new Altima. IMO, the front end looks TOO much like the current civic. Yes it is bigger then the current model but the rear-end is another disaster from Nissan. The few good things is the 240 hp engine and side curtain airbags.
BTW, I finally saw the Q45 in person and it is unbelievable. The headlights are amazing and so is the interior. But that engine, what a piece of machinery! Damn, Acura better wake up soon with the new RL.
It is getting kinda late so I will finish telling my experience tomorrow. A few other guys came with me (Bdimc2001 and brother, SlickTL and his boy). We had a blast.

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CBS

I agree with Shyne. Who cares about what the Nissan company is saying. I mean, for example, what would you pimp in? A altima or TL? C'mon! Also, it is not only about the horsepower but torque, etc,. Altima is not known for their luxury either. You guys can't tell me that you would pick a Altima over a TL cause of 240hp! Gimme a break!



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01' Acura Nighthawk Black Pearl Non-nav.

Mods have in garage:
-Comptech springs
-WW flush mount spoiler
-3M Paint Protection system

RAdams

They just released the TL Type S. A 6-speed is on the way. It's STILL the best buy in this class, bar none. Decline my @ss... I say bring on the competition.

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2000 WDP 3.2TL non-NAV
AEM CAI

BarryH

At least you'll never be able to rent a TL from Hertz or Avis. Altima is a volume leader for Nissan and they'll probably sell 250K of them. Acura sells about 75K TL's. The TL competes in the near-luxury category while the Altima is positioned as a family sedan. If Honda is worried, it's probably about Accord sales, not the TL. The 2003 Maxima and I35 may be another story though as Nissan makes them larger and more competitive in the near-luxury class.

Turboara

A car is not about 0-60 times. Unless your only concern is to go hotrodding and dragracing, 99% of the time you are not blitzing from 0-60. If you do really really go 0-60 ALL THE TIME b/c you don't use the car to commute, travel or go cruising you can get a Z-28, Mustang SVT, a used toyota supra turbo or nissan 300zx turbo or corvette or another real sports car, not a cheezy altima. No Offense to altimas, I do like them, but I would not get one only b/c of the new accelaration.

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- Nick, still shopping for an 02, w/ or w/out nav

RAdams

Amen!

FTM-1

They can put an engine in anything the Altima can't compare to the TL.If Nissan is trying to do all this stuff with that car what is that doing to Maxima & I30 sales.
Nissan will have to do alot more than slap an engine in that car to compete with any TL.
The interior of the Maxima does not even compete with the TL.

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

I currently own a WDP TL-S, and all I have to say is that all of your trolls who love to come on here an post these "new maxima. i dunno guys, more competition!!" or... "New Altima will kick TL butt!!!"... you all need to seriously go back to your ricey Max and altima forums and join ranks w/your nissan compatriots. Cuz Acura's RSX Type S will blow the Altima outta the water in terms of handling, and quality. The straight-line performance outta the i-VTEC inline-4 @ 200 hp will RIVAL and seriously BECKON the Altima to hold its own in a straightline drag race. Acura doesn't "compete" with cheesy Altima's or even Nissan Maximas. Last I checked, every issue of Motortend, Car&Driver, Road&Track compares apples to apples -- i.e. they compare the luxurious aspects of the TL and TL-S to BMW's, Lexus', and Mercedes and Volvos. Ummm... hm.. what do they compare the Altima and Maxima to? ...Um the Camry, the Accord, the ulta-cool "yeah right" Mazda line-up.. like the stunning 626!!! I think there are 626 horses under the hood!!

If ya want the new Altima.. go get it. You ain't gunna turn any heads. and when and if you peel out and smoke a TL Type S or a TL-P, you'll only look the like the 16 year old from the market segment they were targeting that car for anyway! Good luck and enjoy your riced out Sentra... I mean Altima.

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2002 TL Type S
White Diamond Pearl
Parchment


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slickTL17

Once again we stopped by MD

ken2000ac

Eskimo...thank you, i needed a good afternoon laugh.

Eskimo

Only the market will tell what kind of success the new Altima will be. Judging from the rich content offered it will shift the value quotient in the present mid-size sedan segment. The TL offered alot for the money when it was introduced in '98 and that is why was such a sales success.

I can't believe some of you here are so easiely offended by a discussion about a new automobile?! Was your pride hurt? It takes more than a car to make a man/woman ya know.

BTW PeterUbers, I own a 2000 TL not a Nissan.

AC

Take it easy guys, I think Eskimo had a good point. I remember a while back there were many concerns about this car and that car was going to be better than our beloved TL. The bottom line is, our TL won't stay on top forever and that's something we have to deal with. Personally, I could give a rat's ass what car is better than this or that. I love my TL and Bimmer and that's that. Hats off to Nissan with their new Maxima and Altima, but hey, I still own a TL.

elvis46018

If you keep comparing, you won't be satisfied in your life time.

Eskimo

Thanks AC.

I am abit of a car nut on a personal and professional level so I keep an eye out on developing trends. Of all the new products coming down the pipeline in the mid-size sedan mass market this new Altima is the only thing that is worthy of even discussing because it appears to have the potential of make a big impact in middle and upper middle market segments just like the TL did to the entry level sedan segment when it was introduced.

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

Eskimo --

You clearly -- as your topic suggests -- make reference to the Altima as some metaphorical automobile adversary to the 3.2TL. It's not even in the same class for Pete's sake! Am I easily offended? No, I own the Type S and a '99 Benz -- don't give a rats ass about the 0-60 mph of the Benz cuz I didn't buy it for the performance aspects of it -- I bought it strictly for the name and the luxury. Am I less of a man for enjoying my hard earned money by purchasing and "flaunting" (as you may suggest) my Benz -- no. I like that car, and I love the performance of the TL Type S.. But the Acura certainly falls short of the craftsmanship and quality of the E320 4-matic. It's like someone mentioned earlier. If you wanna give the TL a run for it's money and spend less money -- um, go buy a Camaro, Firebird, Mustang GT, or any other number of $25K sportscars that'll be "..no match" for the TL. If YOU are an avid auto enthusiast as I, and strictly on a personal and "professional" level, you should re-consider comparing apples to oranges. I respect topics like "2002 Altima SE a serious machine" .. but what's the "TL is no match" all about? I'm merely responding to your initial proposition about the Altima

Oh -- and isn't the new Subaru WRX "worthy" of your attention -- I mean, it's in the same class as the Altima -- I believe Motortrend's first test put the 0-60mph time (which seems to be the only feature that drove your initial topic choice) at 5.8 seconds and some other's have put it as high, but no higher than 6.3 seconds. I'd say all that for under $25K??? Wow, i'm in -- oh.. but then you tell me it's a what??!!@#$@ A Subaru???? ugh, no thanks, I'll take my "slow" Type S for $4000 more. Sorry, I guess I'm the big loser.

And as far as questioning my manhood, hmm.. sounds like you should visit WebMD for that one pal, this is a car enthusiast forum, and it's a venue to discuss automobiles. Much respect,

Peace

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bdimc2001

It's Micky D's. Not MD, I thought you were saying we went to Maryland and not NYC, scared me for a second.

Altima doesn't have Navi or leather seats, nuff said.

Guest

Wow, that was very well stated. You surprised me, Shyne. hahaha.

Inspire

I never have regrets of getting my TL and never will, next gens altima? NO WAY! maybe the next gens M5.

Eskimo

PeterUbers, just to put two and two together for u so you won't be offended what the comment "TL is no match" refers to specifically is the 0-60s time reported on the 5 spd. Altima V-6 prototype. It is just one of a set of many standard specifications used compare difference cars. This topic is about the 0-60 performance as compared to the TL. Yes, some folks do not care about this number and that's is fine. Nobody has to respond to any topic they do not care about.

It just amazes me how far off a simple discussion on a topic about a new car that may or may not challenge TL's value proposition can get so out of hand?!? Relax. Peace bro.

liutang

Not to mention it'll feel like a piece of junk after 3 years. My dad's altima feels like it's going to fall apart already.

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Guest

i think this is the most hilarious discussion ever!!!....a Nissan Altima VS Acura TL...what in the hell is wrong with you people? that's not even a match...i used to own an altima and they are very good cars and nice especially for the price...but it's ridiculous to have this disscusion in the first place...an acura is a topline car..enough said...and who in the hell cares about how much horsepower an altima has...people who are so obsessed with speed and horsepower are really missing out on all the combined components luxury cars have such as the Acura! i'll take a luxury car over a sports car anyday...who wouldn't?..just so you could say...hey my stang has 400hp! who gives a shit...what in the hell is that 400hp going to do for you? NOTTA!!

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

Eskimo,

Honestly, no harm no foul -- I mean no disrespect. I am curious STILL, however, about people such as yourself and others that project that the Altima may in some way challenge the acceleration "superiority" of the TL -- why not consider the WRX?? I think this car is head over heels better in terms of handling vs. the TL -- for one, it's got full time four wheel drive, and two, it's turbocharged w/ a 5-speed automatic. I truly believe this car could outrun the Altima in the turns -- even the Maxima due to its AWD enhancement. And what about the new RSX Type S? With the 200 hp i-Vtec that'll run the 0-60 in about 6.1 (projected)? Just wanna know your thoughts.

But I do agree w/ Wbuch:

The Altima can come out w/ 300hp -- but it's still gunna be a compact car. And I've seen the interior on the Motortrend site -- it's by far and a way more in-line with the IS300 "cheese" interior -- w/ that youth flare -- rather than the more mature stylings of the TL/ES300. I believe the word different target markets is to be considered -- also -- I think the new Altima will be faster (0-60) than the following cars, but I don't know if it will make these people reconsider their choices:

MB E320, C320/240, S430
BMW 528/530i 323i
Jaguar X-type
Cadillac STS
Lexus ES300, IS300, GS300




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AC

I think Peter has a great point, "no match", I understand that Eskimo meant "no match" 0-60, but hey in that case, our TL is no match to a lot crap out there. Consider the overall package, if not, look at what you said. In that case, the GS300, BMW 528i, Audi A6, and so on and so on are no match to our TL. Now is that a fair statement? No, cuz you have to look at the overall picture.

Peter, E320 4Matic, huh? Great Choice! I was thinking about that for my significant other, but she insisted on the next gen E430. Man, like 320 ain't enough power. Hell, she figured if I can buy an M5 in 4 months she damn sure deserved a new E class. Relax guys, I'm still keeping my beloved TL. BTW Peter, I no longer own the M3...overall take on it, to me it was just a beefed up 330Ci. Don't flame me guys...I was never a big fan of any 3 Series (just too damn small for my taste). Aside from that, the M3 is a hell of a rocket that can handle great, but you inherit A LOT of noise with it.

UHEARDME

The Altima is still gonna be a compact car???? The Altima's interior volume will be 103 cu feet. The TL is 96.5 cu ft. The trunk will be 15.6 cu ft, the TL 14.3 cu ft. Hardly compact, but a mid size with more room in every dimension than a TL!

Eskimo

It really is a package that could be positioned as a entry level luxury car if that is what Nissan want to do just as what Honda did with the V-6 Accord. The Altima already has a powerful V-6 available. To make an entry luxury car out of the Altima all Nissan has to do is beef up the sound insulation, suspension and offer a fancy leather interior, new name marketed under the Infinity badge and they're there. I think they will base the next generation Maxima on this same platform when the Max goes in for its next redesign. They'll probably stretch it out. It should be very interesting to see what Honda/Acura will offer to counter this move by Nissan.

Did anyone here anything about pricing?

BarryH

I saw the new Altima today at the NY Auto Show. It's a nice car, not a luxury car. I wouldn't compare the Q45 or LS430 to the TL nor would I compare the Altima. A true comparison should be based on features, content, and the cars intended mission. I do think the new Infiniti I35 is a much more comparable car to the TL. I'm not TL prejudiced, I just don't get why people pick a single feature, in this case horsepower, to make comparisons between incomparable cars.

acuraguynj

NEW Nissan Altima -

GOOD CAR, GOOD PERFORMANCE, GOOD PRICE

Low to Middle of the line subcompact car.

It's just an Altima, not even a Maxima. JUST AN ALTIMA, that's it.

IT'S nowhere near the higher class of an ACURA TL.

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

AC --

next gen. E-class will be dynomite! Can't wait to AVOID hearing about how awesome it is so I can avoid regretting still owning a '99. The 430 is oodles more power than the 320 -- not enough oomph outta that V-6. 4-matic is a german charm in inclement weather. Gotta love that M5 though! There really is no competition for that machine other than the E55 -- and that car can't match its handling.

Since when was the Accord entry-level luxury?? That's what the TL was introduced to be. Sorry, your dollars don't make any "sense," Eskimo. Infinite certainly needs to bridge the gap between the floor and the I35-- cuz that G20 piece o' **** ain't doing the job -- how many of those have they sold to date .. 4 or 5, I can't remember. I think a luxurious version of the Altmia would be quite fitting in that line-up -- but that's the "luxurious" version of the Altima -- not the Nissan Altima itself.

Guest

Let's look at both sides of this interesting discussion: On the one hand, Eskimo is comparing an Altima, which is currently a mediocre car in a completely different class than a TL, to the TL. Can kind of send the shivers up your spine--particularly since this is the home of the TL.

On the other hand, the UPCOMING Altima is designed to move up in class--it has more room, power, features, etc. than either Camry or Accord, if not the TL. In fact, it will offer some things the TL doesn't have, such as more torque than either TL engine (246 lb-ft), more interior space, longer wheelbase, aluminum hood and trunk to keep weight low, data radio, side curtain airbags, more headroom, bigger trunk. There will also be a wide availability of interior designs (blonde, frost, etc., w/wood available). On the other hand, I imagine that the experience of going to a Nissan dealer for service will be as good as Acura-NOT! And since it will be priced much lower, I want to see if they can really deliver a classy interior or not--we'll see. Navigation is not available, and the fact that it's cheaper would probably mean it won't be as exclusive as the TL. But damn, it is aggressive and sleek looking--roughly a match for the TL to my eyes.

Check out the following links and decide for yourself on this provocative argument: http://www.nissannews.com/nissan/pr_...ima/index.html http://www.freshalloy.com/cars/nissa...treport01.html

Also, the following is from the caranddriver coverage of the NY auto show: " Nissan Altima
The 2002 Nissan Altima is probably the single most significant vehicle to be introduced so far at this year's show. It doesn't have the flash of a concept car or the passion of a sports car, but it is the most important car to Nissan's future success. The previous Altima was the auto equivalent of the shrinking violet. It was small, unassuming, and underpowered. Well, times have changed. The 2002 Altima is bigger in every dimension, with an additional 9 cubic feet of interior space. And, thank goodness, Nissan has ditched the bland, droopy-butted look of the previous model. The new one looks more expensive, has a more angular, muscular visage and is detailed more cleverly. And it's not just show. The new Altima looks to be a serious performer too. The standard engine will produce 180 horsepower and the optional 3.5-liter V-6 will make a whopping 240 horsepower. That's about 40 more than competitors and 18 more than Nissan's own Maxima. The chassis should be able to keep up with all that power too. The rear suspension shares its basic design with the wicked-fast, Japanese-market Skyline GT-R."

UHEARDME

Are you guys in denial or just do not believe that the 02 Maxima is a mid-size car, over 103 cu ft interior volume, 15.6 cu ft trunk, more legroom, shouulder room, etc... than the current TL. To say it is a subcompact or a compact just simply is not true. Please go to Nissan's site to get the facts.

Eskimo

Well, i can't agree more with caranddriver. This new intro by Nissan ups the ante considerably in the mid size sedan market. It'll provide them a platform to go after the Accords & Camrys and even the entry level lux market if they chose to mod the V-6 model. The engines alone are pretty much state of art with, variable induction, continuously variable timing, lighter pistons. But how successful this car will be is unknown until Nissan announce pricing and release production models. Only then will we know how they intend to position this product.

What does Honda and Toyota have up their sleeves for their next redesign in this all important mid size market??

UHEARDME

Make that the 02 Altima........
See, we can all make errors!