F23A4

ok, I finally drove the Alti SE-R 5AT today and here's my take:

Pros:
Acceleration - Rated officially @ 260hp/251lb-ft, my SOTP impression is that there's more than that under the hood
Braking - The stock Brembos close up shop EXTREMELY well
Handling - I didnt do too much on the curves but it definitely felt at least as good as the G35S IMO
Ergonomics - Dashboard layout is definitely Z-inspired; clear and legible. Seats are definitely derived from the Z with its embroidered 'SE-R'--nice touch. The steering wheel is small and thick (i.e.: G35 and Z).
Exterior - Forged Aluminum 18" wheels are sharp and the OEM body kit is very understated but nicely executed **Nice exhaust note, a la G35C**

Cons:
Interior - light years better than the 02-04 Alti but it still feels VERY CHEAP. I.E.: Very flimsy center console cup holder lid, flimsy center armrest with very thin padding, no padding between the door fabric and door panel, door handle seems cheap as well
Other - no hood struts, exhaust note (though nice) does begin to drone a bit after a while, rough/loude ride due to the performance suspension tuning.

Summary:
Being the driver of an 02 Maxima SE (4AT), I have to say that the SE-R (5AT) felt measurably quicker than my Maxima from a standing start. As a matter of fact (or experience), the SE-R felt quicker than the G35X and TL by far BUT felt about the same as the G35C 5AT. IMHO, I think the SE-R has more like 270hp+. i.e.: Under PT, the 1-2 shift elicited some serious wheelhop. (And the TCS was ON.)

Nissan did a GOOD job with tuning the throttle body on the SE-R (and probably the other 3.5L Nissans as well) as the throttle respond had ZERO lag and midrange kickdown was instantaneous and strong. (Granted, I think my Maxima can pretty much match the SE-R here given that I have a Cattman Y-Pipe. )

That said, Nissan still needs to do something about the cheapness of the Alti. It doesnt touch the 5G Maxima when it comes to quality. (And the 5G Maxima isnt exactly the pinnacle of quality either.)

If I were coming from something like a Spec V or Civic Si, I'd definitely consider it. $.02

MaximaPower

i thought the SE-R would be manual tranny only

how much was the sticker price?

Time For Sleeep

SE-R sounds great.

F23A4

$30,830 6MT or 5AT. Correction: The brakes arent Brembos; but they still have some good stopping power.

Dem1K

iTrader: (1)

wow, I didn't know it was even out yet...I wonder how I'd fare against one

nice review, btw

Infamous425

i'd rather get a base g35 for about the same price. 280hp, better warranty, better service, infiniti>nissan

F23A4

Chaptorial

I was waiting to hear some impressions on this "new" Altima.

Looks like a winner.

Montez

5G Especially the 5.5G interior (GLE) is great it was the last of the good interiors quality wise from Nissan the 6th gen or 350Z(ours is just ok) isnt as good and the Altima with its 05 improvements is still no where near 5.5 gen quality. I too drove an automatic one the other day and I was hard pressed to feel any noticeable gain in accelleration vs my 03 Max, bu then again I have one of the stronger 03's stock.

95gt

Damn 30k for that though? Hard not to just move into a STI or EVO for the same or a little more money.

F23A4

I see where you're coming from. But I guess its a matter of how much "utility" one needs. The Altima obviously is larger than the Impreza/Lancer and IMO, you're probably less likely to "grow out of it" (like a number of STi and Evo owners have). (Personally, I'd rather get the 3.5SE w/Leather Sport pkg & Navi for $28G and be done with it; that's if I really wanted an Altima.)

But yes, $30.8G kind of puts the SE-R in TL territory. In general, loaded Nissans are MSRP'd pretty high anyhow. (i.e.: a fully loaded Maxima costs a couple grand more than a TL w/Navi and a loaded Murano costs about the same as an MDX.) Nissan needs to rethink their pricing strategy IMO.

Peace.

MaximaPower

that SE-r is one sporty sedan!! but i can't see anyone paying $30k+ for an alty.....no matter how good it is. I think nissan's been pricing the V6 alty out of it's range, but ppl still buy them so i guess nissan thinks why not price it high...i believe when the alty V6 jus came out, the local dealer had it stickered @ $29k+
that's jus insane! i say keep it round 25-26k fully loaded and mayb 28k for the SE-r

car looks HOT tho

F23A4

I chose the 02 Maxima over te 02 Alti 3.5SE because of the Alti's poor materials. Even though the 05 Alti is somewhat upgraded from the 02, I'd still pick the 5.5G Maxima over the Alti. (If I had to do it again, I'd get a loaded 03 SE w/Navi & 6MT.)

phipark

I'm still not a fan of these rear ends though.