Motor Trend September 2001 Issue:

Serious Sport Sedan

Make/Model 0-60 1/4 Price

Lexus GS 430 6.01 14.42/98.86 $54,411
Audi A6 4.2Q 6.69 14.97/94.22 $53,225
BMW 540i Sp. 6.58 14.59/95.13 $60,495
MB E430 Sp 6.34 14.74/97.20 $59,160

2002 Nissam Altima Tested in Same Issue: 5spd manual

6.28 14.72/96.82 $26,000 est
2002 Acura TL-S (Earlier Test)
6.3 14.7/97.6 $33.250

Now I don't know about the rest of you guys and gals. But I feel proud to be in such company. Could you imagine paying the money for these super sedans to find out that they can't seem to leave that "Oh, It's a Acura", no problem or that "I bet it gets good gas mileage, that Altima does". Can you imagine the look in their eyes when you are either in front, beside them or you j-u-s-t barely able to keep up with them. Of Course after the Triple digits are reached it's a whole new ball game. But hey, We know what matters. What do you guys think?

I am feeling really good that I made such a great purchase and very proud of my Acura and what it can do and understand the things it can't do. (Seat Ejection for that whining, *****y date that you just want to kick to the curb).

 

thats cool how the tl-s can keep up with those higher models but i still dont understand why nissan decided to put a 240hp engine in a family car like the altima.

 

why dont nissan just bring the skyline over

 

they will! The next gen Skyline will be here!!

I'm very impressed by the New Altima...But with the Luxury and size we're still a better value!

 

Next issue, the Maxima SE will be there.

I hope it can beat all those sport sedans up the list.

For value, Maxima will win over the TL-S because Maxima is japanese made.

 

Maxima is Japanese made, but its so damn ugly. Who cares about value when a car is just plain ugly? I hope Nissan has learned from its previous mistakes.

 

how much of a difference will it be with the comptech headers? I'm about to order the headers next week.........how much more oomph do you guys with the headers get? Will be able to run with the new Maximas???

 

yee- how exactly is it again that we are a better value than the new Altima?? At 26k versus our 32k, I fail to see your logic.

Damn new Nissans will be beating us on the line now.. grrr and for like 6k less too. Oh well. A WRX zooming by doesnt faze a TLS owner, so why should a punk in a Nissan?

 

You know what's kinda weird? The Altima has more interior room than the Maxima. The Max has more interior room than our beloved TLs. What the...? The Altima, especially from the rear, reminds me of the Lexus GS cars. It's a great bargain and would probably be my car of choice if I made about $20k less per year. Oh well, it's still an Altima (known as a little cheap sedan), just about anyone can afford it, shorter warranty, and you stand in line next to a kid that's buying a $12000 Sentra. Before I get flamed, I'm not an elitist but I don't want my $200k house next to a $120k house either.

 

Kinda funny reading that when new Integra's sold for 17k (I know base Rs version) and Rl's sell for 45k, what do u do then.....

I feel u about the house thing though.....

 

I was just about to say that we're a bigger size car (but someone just posted that Altima has a bigger interior???)
I think we have better interior...
Acura has better resell value..
w/ our OEM body kit, our car looks better.
we have NAV, so it's more like 26K vs. 30K

and most importantly, I THINK SO!

haha...just my opinion.

 

True, True, True

Mr.T

 

Let's see what sound better, "Oh,I have a Nissan Altima" or Oh, I have a "Acura" TL Types S. A Mustang Cobra can outrun a TLS, But which looks better on the road running hard. A Acura running a triple digits is beauty in motion. Mustang is a brute in motion and a Nissan Altima is still a economy, family sedan wishing to be a Maxima. I am a Ex Maxima/Infinity owner and as far as I concern they can drop a twin turbo V-8 in one and it will still be Altima. So be proud, stand up and rejoice because in the end which car will pull the most opposite sex? LOL.

 

A Nissan is still a Nissan with sales dropping, etc. I don't care what they come out with - I am still not convinced Nissan won't go the way of American Motors (remember them?)

 

Nissan will be around a long time to come, Lonny, although in a way, they've already gone the way of AMC by having a controlling interest purchased by Renault (37%).

Remember that Chrysler bought AMC (primarily for their Jeep division) and integrated them into their line, then Chrysler was swallowed by the larger Daimler.

Mess. Ghosn has already kicked some butt in the Nissan cost dept, and it looks like he's introduced some common sense to the product guys, too (what were they thinking releasing the '98 Altima w/o a V6??) The G35 will be the US version of the Skyline - it's slated to arrive in 2003.

Who knows, Nissan/Renault could end up part of another company - rumors in the automotive industry are that Toyota will be No. 1 world wide in unit sales and gross $$ by 2015.

As for the Maxima, this year will be a "retooling" year - to be honest, I don't see the new Max doing 0-60 any quicker than the Altima, even with 260 HP and a 6 spd. Next year, the Max will be larger, possibly with RWD, so maybe the Altima will take on the performance theme for Nissan. The new platform will alledgedly be the base for the Infiniti model to compete with the GS430 - we'll see.

As for the Maxima being ugly, that's a personal taste issue - I happen to like the unique look, but as many of you have stated here, you don't - at least we can agree on the TL-S.