The exterior looks nice in the front. In interior is the best I have seen in a car.

The four cylinder engine. It should have a v-6 for the se model. The rear of the car does not look good without the spoiler.

Paid $21000 for it and it handles real good. I recommend it for the money paid. I handles like a expensive sports car.

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I have personally seen several Altimas with 150k+ on them. However I don't
know if they have original engine/trans.
I have heard on message board about people putting 150k+ on the original
engine/trans.
I have seen 3 Altimas in the classifieds 96/97 over a year period being sold
AS-IS needs transmission for 4.5-6k. They only had 60-75k miles. Go
figure.


PROBLEMS:
I sold my 97 Altima with over 50k miles because the car didn't seem to run
as well as it should. Nissan dealers are absolutely the worst. If it isn't
them ripping you off, they don't fix your car, and then they break something
else. It just wasn't the hassle. Resale value is horrible. I was
advertising for about 6 months and finally had to sell for under 8500
because I was sick of looking at it. 97 Accord LX would probably fetch well
over 10,000 faster. I've seen 99 Altimas for $10995 with low miles. Be sure
that the drivetrain ESPECIALLY the transmission is 100% OK. I was having
annoying problems with the transmission. ROUGH shift 1-2. Dealer tried to
fix it and replaced valve body under warranty (plus my 50 dollars, jerks). They managed to not fix the problem and make another problem
with a ROUGH downshift from 2-1.
Among other problems. A replaced valve cover gasket (also wasn't done
correctly still leaks a little), replaced wheel bearing (this quality
Nissan repair messed something up and the car never went straight again,
despite an alignment afterwards), finally they replaced the Airbag computer
under the center console because SRS light went on(also under Nissan
warranty, and this allowed them to not put the panels back together
correctly which did not allow the shift lever to get out of park and warped
the panels, 3 visits to fix this simple repair). I tried different dealers
for this stuff.
You also have to floor it when you need a downshift down. Placement of
cupholders is STUPID.
I did write a letter to Nissan Customer relations along with filling out the
survey unfavorably. NO RESPONSE.

STRENGTHS:
With the good aspects of the car, I do believe overall the car can be fairly
reliable and fun to drive. The engine had some balls for only 4 cyl.
(Transmissions are garbage in Altima/Maxima.) The car is fast and the
suspension is very stable on curves, turns and anything you do. It can look
good also. The car is cheap to buy but if you buy new, you will be screwed
the first couple years. Seats are fairly comfortable.


YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. I'm now buying a Lexus ES300,
that better be trouble free. I hope Toyota still remembers how to build
good cars.

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The car has the best performance/cost ratio in its class.
It has good mileage... good acceleration, strong power when needed, great overall fit and finish, ample interior space for a young small family, great upscale feel and looks and great price.
Dealer (contacted thru Netscape and Autoweb) was very easy and pleasant to deal with (no haggling, no sales talk). They just gave me one unbelievable low price...
- Great price
- Great dealer sales staff
- Great available power (low to mid end torque)
- Excellent fit and finish
- Nice stereo and CD
- Good placement of cupholders
- Quite interior
- Good comfortable seats
- Nice overall view

I wish I got my preferred color (dark green). The stereo controls should be higher... where the aircon controls are. The illumination/lighting of the controls/dials is a bit dated... why not red on black instead of white on black. Red on black makes it more upscale... and European.
The trunk interior ought to be improved... a little of cost cutting is evident... but good space.
I am not too sure of the mileage yet... but so far, it is giving me good mileage (car is only one week)... about 24-27 mpg (mixed).
- Illumination on instrumentation is dated
- Placement of stereo controls should be higher
- Center console/armrest interferes with my shifting
- Trunk interior does not reflect higher quality build

I paid $ 15230 (excluding taxes). I would definitely recommend the Altima. My Japanese friends said it should be Nissan, Toyota or Honda only. Toyota makes great cars but you have to pay for every conceivable option (even something standard as A/C!). Same goes for Honda. The Camry and Accord is expensive compared to the Altima feature-by-feature. From within the same price range, what you would get from Toyota or Honda is a stripped down/bare Accord or Camry (no aircon, power windows & locks, auto trans).
The Honda staff are also quite ARROGANT! When I told them I was choosing between an Accord and an Altima, she scoffed at me! She said it is simply no comparison! (such arrogance does not deserve any business - serves her right!).
Nissan offers us wise shoppers the power of choice.
If you have money to burn, go ahead and buy a BMW/Lexus/Infiniti.
If you act like you have money to burn, go buy a Camry or Accord.
If you want to burn your money, go buy a Malibu.

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Sentra 2000
- really quiet (couldn't hear much... swear it is more quiet than the Altima)
- small trunk
- great engine (power and pick-up)
- tight rear room
Sentra 1998 (Japanese version)
- great space but still a step below
- power is weak on the low end torque
- better mileage
Corolla 1999
- tight rear space
- great mileage and acceleration
- power (torque) available overall
- quiet
Honda Civic 1995 and 1998 (VTEC engine)
- great mileage!
- power(torque) is abundant
- noisy!!!
- ultra-dependable but bare and expensive.
Honda thinks we should pay a LOT just for the use of their name.
Taurus 2000 SE
- roomy interior
- big car... feels like I am driving an aircraft carrier on wheels... plus, makes me feel old!

Engine, handling, fuel mileage.

Poor, poor Firestone tires (same as what came with the Contour). Terrible in the snow (dangerous) and rain, so-so in the dry. Audio system is just ok. Both of these problems are easy to fix.

Great car at a great price. Peppy engine with a manual transmission. Build quality is very high. Very good experience (so far) at the dealer. Surprisingly pleasant car to drive. Nissan has to be better than Ford (cannot be worse). I would highly recommend this car to someone looking for excellent value.

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1995 Ford Contour SE. Nice car to drive. Tired of fixing it. Ford is the worst manufacturer and dealers. They do not care about the customer, just making money.

I really like the sporty look of the car. My GXE has a spoiler, which covers up the otherwise weird looking back end. The 150 hp is nice too. The other cars in it's class don't come close. Very nice interior.

Well, just like everyone else, I'm going to have to complain about the cup holder position. What were they thinking there? I keep change in my ashtray too, and with the cupholder out, you can't even open the ashtray. So much for smokers who like to drink! ;) Other than that, I really like the car. And these are very minor weaknesses.

I was very lucky to get my Altima for $8,500 with just 38k miles. It was a steal!! I'm actually trying to sell it now though, so I can step up to the Maxima. I just really miss the hum of a v6 under the hood!

Nissan makes great cars. Don't hesitate to purchase one. You won't regret it.

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Well, I can't say I've ever owned anything similar to this car. I had a 93 Lumina for a while. It had a v6, but less hp than my Altima!!

Sporty and a four door! Interior blows away that of it's competition. 150 hp out of a 4 cycinder...can't complain about that. Love the manual transmission.

CUP HOLDERS!!! I can't imagine putting them in a worse place. I can't touch the radio if a cup is in there!

Paint- I have a black Altima (as do two other ppl in my neighborhood) and all are fading. I wax it regularly and it cleans up well, but after two weeks back to the fading. Lots of paint chips in the front. It can't take any kind of "parkinglot dings".

I bought my SE for 10,000 with 55,000 miles on it. I drove the 626 and Camry the same day. Both the Camry and 626 seemed cheap when you got into them. The interior was all plastic. Altima has a very nice interior and the wood makes it look classy. I could have got the bottom of the line Camry or a fully loaded (mags, power windows/locks, power roof, CD player, tinted windows, great A/C, cruise control) Altima and I saved about 2K!! Beyond the paint, I have no complaints.

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Camry, 626

bought the car in feb.2000 and loving it! it's a 96 GXE and i bought it used for 13G. i love the handling, the 150hp engine, the black beauty sleek style (although my girlfriend found it weird at first).

cup holders very distracting! other than that all's well for now

definitely recommend it! two thumbs uP!

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Camry - i was actually looking for this car, but i found it expensive.
Accord - same as Camry
-both don't compare with altima in terms of price and reliability.

Great car. Very good gas mileage. Also has pretty decent torque to it. Pleasing to the eye as well.

The only thing I find a little annoying the is the engine fan staying on after the car is off.

Around $15,000 when 2000 models were out. A very good car, would definately reccommend to someone.

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First love was the design -- simply gorgeous to look at, and has stood the test of time very well. No clunky side-mouldings, as was popular with many other vehicles of that time. Very powerful engine for a 4-cyl, and it's gotten better with age. Excellent seating, very comfortable fabric and support for my 6' frame and my wife's 5'4" frame. Very nice standard audio system, plenty of oomph, though a separate set of tweeters would have been nice up top. Super smooth ride and spacious trunk. 160,000 km on it, and the engine still runs as smoothly as day one.

Paint chips easily. Door dings common, as side guards are not placed in an optimum spot to protect! Occasional "check engine" warning. Terribly placed cupholders.

Very much worth its price, I would highly recommend this automobile! It's proven to be extremely reliable, smooth, and rattle-free (no crazy squeaking ANYWHERE inside this car!). It's good on gas, spacious inside, and a very tastefully decorated interior design. Faux-woodgrain trim adds a touch of class that's found nowhere else in this price range. All the controls are placed strategically (except for power controls for side mirrors). I've been driving it since 1995, and have loved every trip I've ever taken in it.

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Mazda Protoge and 626. It is a vastly superior car to these two.

My 93 Altima has 187,000 miles on it with no hesitation in power. The interior is still beautiful and it still feels new. No major service problems to date.

Rust developed around the back wheel rims in my 6th year and is spreading fast. Paint chips easy. Cupholder is inconveniently located and does not accomodate large cups.

I will be purchasing a new Alitma this year. Definitely recommended.

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Camry which was a beautiful car to drive, but overpriced and plain on the inside. Upgrades expensive and does not compare to Altima.