2002 Nissan Altima Review

Prices:
$16,349-$23,149
Likes:
Deftly redesigned to challenge top rivals. Strong engines. Roomier. Nice ride and handling.
Dislikes:
Rear windows don't lower all the way. Space-eating manual trunk hinges. Rear seatbacks don't fold completely flat.

Nissan probably lost count of the hours it spent studying the rival Toyota Camry and Honda Accord before redesigning its larger, more-powerful 2002 Altima, which has become the most important car in the Nissan lineup.

All that effort shows. This slick, third-generation Altima is much different than its predecessors and finally is good enough to take on the Camry and Accord, which dominate the huge mid-size sedan market. (The solid Ford Taurus sedan also is a rival there, but many Taurus models go to fleet customers instead of consumers.) The old compact-size Altima was decent, but too small to be anything but a distant third to the Camry and Accord. The new Altima is a mid-size sedan, larger in most dimensions than those two sedans. It's built more rigidly off a new platform that will be used by Nisan for other models. It's boldly styled, with taillights reminiscent of those on the Aston Martin DB5 used in James Bond movies.

Indeed, the front-drive Altima is destined to steal sales from the costlier, top-line Nissan Maxima sedan, which is about the same size but positioned as a more upscale car.

The Altima's wheelbase is up fully 7.1 inches to 110.2 inches for a smoother ride, and overall length has been increased 5.7 inches to 191.5 inches for more occupant and cargo space. Also, the body is significantly taller and wider, with a wider stance for better stability. Thankfully, the weight hasn't increased much. The Altima also gets its first V-6, which is the largest, most-powerful engine in its class.

The smooth, 3.5-liter, 240-horsepower V-6 whisks the aerodynamic car to 60 mph in about seven seconds--making it one of the fastest mid-size sedans. But the Altima's new four-cylinder engine is a bigger deal because Nissan expects that 80 percent of the car's buyers will want it. Nearly all Camry and Accord buyers get a lower-cost four-cylinder model, largely because most mid-size family sedan purchasers are on fairly tight budgets.

The Altima 2.5-liter four-cylinder produces 175 horsepower, far outdoing the redesigned 2002 Camry's 157-horsepower four-cylinder and the Accord's four-cylinder engines, which generate 135 to 150-horsepower. (The Taurus only has a 155-200-horsepower V-6.) The Altima V-6 is smoother and quieter than the less-potent four-cylinder, which has 20 more horsepower than the smaller 2001 four-cylinder. But the V-6 comes only in the top-line 3.5 SE, which costs $22,349-$23,149. In contrast, there are four-cylinder Altimas in base 2.5, mid-range 2.5 S and high-line 2.5 SL trim that are priced from $16,349 to $22,699.

If you're a typical mid-size family sedan buyer on a budget, which Altima would you choose? Most buyers are expected to get the well-equipped $17,999-$18,849 2.5 S. Its standard items include air conditioning, AM/FM/CD, cruise control, remote keyless entry, height-adjustable front armrest, split-folding rear seatbacks and power windows, locks and outside mirrors.
The V-6 provides an estimated 19-21 mpg in the city and 26 on the highway, while the four-cylinder delivers 22-23 in the city and 28-29 on highways. Both engines come with a standard five-speed manual transmission or optional, responsive four-speed automatic, which has a gated shifter for improved control. The higher economy figures are gotten with the manual gearbox.

The V-6 is quite sophisticated. But so is the 16-valve, dual-overhead-camshaft four-cylinder, which has variable valve timing for better response and balance shafts to cancel four-cylinder vibration. The four-cylinder provides such lively performance that some might think a six-cylinder lurks under the hood, although it's noisy when pushed hard. Just don't compare it with the Altima's awesome V-6.

The 3.5 SE has larger 17-inch wheels and a firmer suspension, so it has slightly sharper steering, handling and braking. But four-cylinder models also are fun to drive; they're a bit lighter than the V-6 model and have the same supple all-independent suspension that provides a smooth ride. They also have fairly large 16-inch wheels and strong brakes--although the pedal is rather soft.

Too bad the $299 traction control system is only offered for the 3.5 SE with an automatic transmission. Other extras include an $849 power glass sunroof for the 2.5 S, 2.5 SL and 3.5 SE and a $749 option with anti-lock brakes and side air bags for those models. Four 6-footers easily fit in the quiet, well-designed interior, which has a tilt-telescoping steering wheel and supportive front bucket seats. Recessed, backlit gauges are easy to read and large, well-placed controls work smoothly. Cupholders are big, but rear windows don't slide all the way down.

The spacious trunk has a low, wide opening, but its lid's manual hinges eat into cargo space and the underside of the lid is roughly finished. Rear seatbacks flip forward to increase the cargo area, but don't sit entirely flat. The opening between the trunk and rear seat area is only moderately large. Nissan lacks production capacity to allow the Altima to match Camry and Accord output, but the new Nissan promises to attract a lot more buyers.