TontonPoulet

...after looking at this link it sure seems like it. http://www.nissanusa.com/altima07/

I'm looking at the options on this thing. It's like the TL and then some.....just an uglier interior, in my opinion.

But yeah, it offers a 265hp V6 engine, a 4 cylinder and a soon to be out Hybrid version. But V6 & 4cylinder comes with auto or 6 speed manual. It has navigation & bluetooth. Bloody car has a push start button. It also has the keyfob thingy that the RL comes with. Comes with the regular bose option that Nissan normally offers. Don't know if it's anything special compared to the ELS system. All the Nissan Bose's I've been in were so-so. The styling is kinda like the G35 Sedan. It has a backup camera. Ipod integration. Dual-zone climate control. I think that's about it for now. Geez, that's a lot of stuff for it's category. Actually a lil more than the TL. I just don't know the price.

What do you guys think of all this? If it has similar options to the TL then I wonder what's the point of them selling a Maxima or even a G35.

Jesstzn

I'll tell you I just hope they have upped thier quality .. I detail a 04 and an 05 Altima and my daughter had an 04 Murano and all I have to say is when you do high end detailing you see things people normally don't look for .. the Nissan is not even close in the quality department compared to my then 03 Passat and my now 06 TL.

They are noisier in town than either of mine at highway speed and the fit and finish on all 3 was poor.

TontonPoulet

Yeah, it's not surprising. It's placed under a certain price bracket, so it can't be perfect. I drove my friend's Altima and I could pull out the plastic that holds the electric window controls with my fingernails. That was pathetic. But nonetheless, the 07 still has alot of stuff for its class.

CL Platano

An Altima SE-R is a quick car it will be driver's race, I think the numbers show the SE-R a few tenths of a second quicker in 1/4

TontonPoulet

Hmmm.....makes you wonder. This V6 Altima has 265hp, I wonder what an SE-R would offer?

vandido626

Well a KIA similar features to high end cars, but its still a KIA. It doesnt matter what Altima or Maxima offer they're still Nissan.

Topher707

yea, i wonder... one of my bosses has a like 05 or 06 Altima, and he wants to race... ill have to go smoke him... or not. i dont know, we will see

FAST4DR

Well I just traded my 02 Altima 3.5 auto for a 2006 TL auto and I have to say they are similiar cars, except the 02 didn't offer nav. I paid $29,400 for my 2002 Altima in 2002 and drove it for 4 years and 77,000 miles. It had all the options... HID, traction control, 6 airbags, heated leather, auto climate, sunroof, bose, trip computer, etc.

The Bose system in the Altima blows away the crappy ELS system in the TL. The TL system doesn't have any balls. The Bose system in the Altima rocks. It had two 6x9 subs that would shake all the mirrors and the highs and midrange were extremely clean and clear.

The engine in the Altima also has more low end torque and felt faster off the line and around town. Not that the TL is a slouch, just the Altima felt like it had a little more.

The HID's in the altima had a much better pattern, because they weren't a projector and also were much whiter than the TL. When I passed someone in the Altima, you could really tell a difference between halogen lights, but with the TL as I pass people the hid's are not much whiter than halogens.

The rear seatbacks in the Altima also fold all the way down to get large stuff in the trunk. Not like the crappy little pass through in the TL. The Altima also has a little more rear legroom.

Another nice thing about the Altima is that it has a 20 gallon tank and I got 29-33 mpg on the highway, so I could go close to 500 miles on trips without refilling. That was nice. The altima was only a 4 speed auto too, so I wonder why we need 5 speed autos?

Ok so I have told you all the things I like better about the altima than the TL so why did I buy a TL? Because I really like the looks and the TL was only a few thousand more and the interior quality is so much better than the Nissan and also the resale value is much higher.

Major bad things about altima are cheap interior, carpet and the interior noise is pretty high. No sound deadning in wheel wells, so you hear all the rocks, etc. Boring all orange dash lights.

Other than that I really enjoyed the altima and would consider another. I looked at the Maxima, which you know is the same as the altima, chassis, etc, and offers more features like heated steering wheel, etc., but I just couldn't get over that huge tooth in the grille and I don't really like the overall look.

Will

CL Platano

I suppose you are racing your bosses 4cyl Altima because if he has the 3.5 V6 version he will smoke you badly.

F23A4

Good post. One of the reasons I did not roll the lease of my 02 Maxima into an 05 Altima SE-R was that the interior felt terribly cheap (although MUCH improved from the 02 Alti) compared with my 02 Maxima, let alone a TL or G35. (The performance of the SE-R sort of felt like my 02 Maxima on steroids.) In the end, I just bought out the Max.

That said, if the TL had the RL's motor (w/ 290hp/256lb-ft) then I would trade into a TL tonight (disregarding my own personal 'frugality' ;tongue: ).

As with the 3G Alti, the 4G will have some competetive similarities with the TL but the TL will still clearly be a step above the Alti.

TontonPoulet

You're definately right about that. The quality of the TL far surpasses the Altima. But damn, all those toys in a regular family sedan?? Makes you wonder what Acura will offer for the next gen TL cuz they have to go a couple of steps above this. Any ideas? Remote control keyfob? lol

vandido626

the new TL will come with a chauffeur

TontonPoulet

Yeah, and just like the navi. You can choose between a male or female.

ding069

I have never driven a 6 cyl altima, but the 4 cyl IMO feels like crap. they are loud, plasticy and the interiors are something youd see from a ford taurus. one BIG thing that wasn't mentioned in post #8 was the voice activation. i believe acura/honda, lexus/toyota are the only two with that. plus, the navi in the nissans sucks compared to the acura.
i test drove the top of the line maxima before driving my tl, and didnt like it nearly as much. i can't even imagine trying the altima.
jsut my

gotjesus

Well, i see there is a lot of stuff plugged in to the new altima. If they do that, what is going to happen with Maxima, i wonder. I thought the competition was between TL and Maxima. Suddenly, they are making the Altima more like a Luxury Sedan. I know that Nissan is always on top of Honda in regard of Power, but in my opinion the overall rating Honda/Acura is better. Well, it impress me the touch on Starter. Well, i guess 07 TL will have that, i believe. Probably the civic or even one of those compact cars will have that in a few years. So, let's be happy with our cars because in the first place you bought it because you really liked it. Let's continue to support our TLs.

iLL TL

My cousin has a 05 Altima SE-R and you cannot compare how different the both drives and feels... We traded cars for a day and personally i couldn't wait to get back in my TL... The SE-R is fast but not much faster than the TL. It feels very rough the ride... I thought my TL pulled to the left... This thing felt like it had so much power when I punched it that i had to hold the steering wheel tight to keep if from going to the side, but at the same time my TL does the same but alot smoother and less pulling but almost the same power... maybe it's because of how it's distributed i don't know... The radio that came with it is weaker than the TL and the stick shift box feels soft almost kinda loose... i don't know how to explain... What i'm thinking is my cousin 17yo already beat the shit outta the car cause i know at his age i had a 5.0 and i was crazy, but I think this kid beat the hell out of it that's why the car felt loose

Topher707

na i think he has the like 279 HP V6.... so guess i wont race and get smoked LOL

Ibn Rushd

Take the race, lose then grab a promotion out of it saying that you need a car to keep up with that so you need to grab something with a bit more oomph. Yes i said "oomph".

F23A4

Welcome to my world!!

Raheel

Hopefully the TL has it, the G35 already has it, and even the Toyota Prius has had it lol

Sclass88

The interior of the Altima is

It's a nice little car but if I were in the market for something like that, I'd go with an Accord EX V6. The Altima isn't in the same territory with the TL.

SouthernBoy

The September 2005 issue of Car and Driver contained a road test of the Altima SE-R. The 0-60 times were 6.1 seconds and the quarter mile turned in a 14.8 at 97 MPH.

The best this same magazine managed with the TL was 0-60 in 5.6 seconds and a quarter of 14.3 at 99 MPH. A half a second is a HUGE difference in drag racing.

MotorWeek TV magazine managed a 0-60 in 5.9 seconds and a quarter mile of 14.4 seconds at 100 MPH in a 2002 Altima SE. I had a 2002 Altima SE and traded it in for my -04 TL. I had modded my Altima with a Frankencar intake, a UR UDP (Unorthodox Racing Under Drive Pulley), and a Mossy full catback exhaust system. The car was quick, but I'm not so sure that it was as quick as my TL.

SouthernBoy

Oops, left off the rest of my post.

As for the Altima vs the TL, I say the TL hands down. So many reasons for this decision. It's far better looking - more classy and upscale. The interior is MUCH better. It handles better. It feels a lot more solid and has a "carved from stone" feel. Classy is a VERY good word. The Altima looks too "boy racer" and I don't mean serious good stuff like the Mustang or the Corvette.

I'm very pleased with my decision and have never looked back or wished I had kept my silver Altima SE. AND.. my TL has a LOT more throttle response than did my Altima SE.

gqchicago

Hehe...I traded in a 1998 Altima SE for my 06 TL...big upgrade. Although, for the $19k I paid for the 98 Altima it was a hell of a car value for the $$....just like I feel the TL is now albeit on a higher level.


That being said, look out Acura and Lexus...the value Nissan is still offering for the $$ seems to be outstanding, this is only going to force Honda and Toyota and everyone else for that matter to up the ante.

Competition is a good thing for the consumer, so let them do it I say!

SouthernBoy

"Competition is a good thing for the consumer, so let them do it I say!" I couldn't agree more. Pure free market system only improves the breed and benefits the consumer.

mrdeeno

I doubt the top model next gen Altima will be at the level of the TL, but it may be closer than you think.

Consider that the Altima is in the same segment as the Camry and Accord.

The current Accord, when it was introduced, was VERY close to the previous generation TL, especially the non-type-S model. The current Altima was a good alternative to the current Accord, but not at the same level so of course it wouldn't be good competition to the TL.

With the next gen. Altima, it'll probably narrow the gap between it and the current Accord and also the TL, but that's until the next gen. Accord and TL are introduced. But all this is speculation until all these models are actually on the market.

fast-tl

YOu guys realize this thread is about the as yet unreleased 2007 model, right? You're all talking about previous Altimas, but hardly anyone is commenting on the car in the link provided, and how IT will compare to the TL. Clearly, the next one takes t seriously to the next level, with features not even available on the TL like a more powerful engine, cool key, CVT...
If I wasn't so ready to go BACK to RWD, it'd be on my must-test list.

Russdaddy

The wife and I were turned off at the dealership.

My wife gave me the "hell no" look when we looked at new Altimas the other weekend while car shopping. The only Altima that sparked my interest was the SE-R, but those ugly rims would get swapped out in a heartbeat.

ding069

HAHA, your right I didn't even look at it. I went back and did look and I must say that I am impressed at all the features that the car can be equipped with. HOWEVER, i still am not a fan of the exterior styling, the interiors are looking a little nicer. It comes with alot of the options on the infinitis. IMO i think that you really can't compare the TL to the Altima because they ARE two different classes. It is like a midbreed that honda used the TSX for, and the 07 altima seems much nicer than the TSX. I think honda/acura has a leg up on the asian import market for now, but competition is getting tougher. Look at the new camrys......pretty smooth for grandmas next buy

iLL TL

If the front wasn't soooo ugly and big i'd consider getting one... so till then can't wait for the 4G TL... only this time i'll be getting the 2nd or 3rd year it's out let you guys be guinea pig this time

fast-tl

I tend to agree with this. When the new Altima comes out (which WILL be before the launch of the next TL) it will be a worthy competitot in performance AND features.

F23A4

Indeed. The 4G Altima (not unlike the Accord V6 and Camry V6) will offer itself as a cheaper alternative to the TL. As deeno indicated, I also doubt that the next generation Altima will be near the level of the TL. (For that matter, the 2006 Altima 3.5SE is not at the level of the 2003 3.2TL Type S IMHO.) ....and also implied by deeno, the line between the TL/G35/ES350 segment and AV6/AltiMax/Camry V6 segment has definitely blurred over the last few years.

TontonPoulet

Fast-TL is on the money with this one. You guys are making comments based on the current model. Everyone knows that it sucks compared to the TL.

Despite it being a lower class than the TL, the new model offers a TON of goodies. It's not as classy or as beautiful as the TL. But it's quite a big step up from the current model. It follows the lines of the G35 and if I remember correctly, a good number of TL owners on this site did like the G35 exterior lines. Looks are subjective but from what I'm reading here, there's a general consensus that the current Altima is fugly. If the new Altima is trying to look better, hence trying to be like the G35, then it's not soo bad.

But here's the real issue, alot of you guys got the TL because it was a great bang for the buck. It had a whole bunch of options and it was cheap.....well cheaper than most. That's why you didn't opt for the BMW, or a Lexus or an Infinity for that matter. Price is a major issue. The Altima is a lower class car, and we don't know the price as of yet. It has to be at a certain range to compete with the Accords and Camrys. But most of those options are TL category and a lot of people on this site are proud to say that they payed so little for their hooked up TL. Do any of you guys feel that this might steal away some TL customers in the process?

I love Acura and I love the TL. But in the long run, I love what Nissan is doing with the Altima. What Nissan is doing will force Acura to push the envelope. I can't wait to see what the next gen TL will be like. It has to offer a whole lot more than this in order to warrant a purchase or else a lot of people might not find as much value in it. Just like alot of guys don't find as much value in a BMW.

weedeater

This new Altima looks like a cloned Camry or ES350. Must use the same design guys.

I got a survey the other day from Honda where they asked about new features that were to go into the new TL. The two I remember are the push-button start and something like 12-way power seats.

TLBlanco

I just bought an '06 TL 6MT non Nav. while I'm still trying to sell the '05 Altima 3.5 SE w/leather, HIDs, Bose, etc.. The Altima is automatic and it pulls hard. That was the only reason I chose to have a 6MT TL over an automatic TL; the TL felt too slow compared to the Altima; Other than the strong V6 and the roomier interior, the TL is far far superior car. Better seats, much more quality plastics; better design; much more overall solidity/rigidity. Better dealer service, better warranty, and better resale value. It is really in a different class. In my personal experience, the Nissan service department is not up to par either. Just my .02

fast-tl

^^ But what are your thoughts on the NEXT Altima?

youngTL

I think Nissan better not do what Toyota's done with the Camry. A fully loaded XLE here is stepping on the price toes of an Acura TSX and the current IS250.

Right now, as it stands, the top Accord is $34900, and the top Camry is $37900. I don't think it's worth $3000 over the Accord or Altima.

The next generation of Altima better not be even more expensive. If you actually include all those options I'm sure it'll nip at the TL's and G35's heels pricewise.

I don't know, it just doesn't seem worth it.

TLBlanco

I'm sure the next gen Altima would be an interesting deal. But I don't think nissan will built an altima that is much better than the g35 which is the real competition market for the TL. The next gen altima will be faster than the current gen TL. It will probably have great looks and carisma. But it will still be a nissan; and that means reliability issues, still lesser warranty, and cheap plastics; that is the only way they can offer a great engine and still be competitive in price. I don't really see that people would trade a TL for an altima even if it has bluetooth; for me is like trading a plasma for a new flat screen tv just because it has picture-in-picture. now, that is just my opinion. whatever makes you happy.

pettydw

The Altima is two classes below the TL, Maxima one below, and the G35 on par. It may go fast, but the body integrity, material quality, etc. are all sub-par compared to the TL. Not a bad car, but not in the same class unless all you want is straight line speed. I took an honest look at the Altima (I like the exterior style) before buying the TL, but the materials and construction appeared to be worse than the '99 Civic Si I had at the time.

Actuary

I can guarantee two things
1) it will be ridiculously priced when all features are included - just like Lexus or BMW
2) majority of altimas will be ordered without those options