2008 Nissan Altima 2.5 SL review from North America

Dealer did not include a couple of accessories that are listed on the sticker.

I was skeptical of the CVT, but it has proven to be the best all around transmission. This is coming from someone that normally prefers manual transmissions, but the CVT is incredibly responsive. It eliminate all my complaints about automatics. The 2.5 has just enough refinement too, and there's enough sound deadening to prevent the CVT from droning.

Handling and steering feel are excellent and perfectly weighted. Firm at high speeds, very light at low speeds for easy maneuvering.

Compromise between ride and handling are ideal. Wind and road noise are well controlled, and the engine is barely heard when cruising except at low RPM's.

Nissan should consider active engine mounts or noise canceling when the engine is running under 1500RPM for economy.

The seat are the best, but are overall supportive and comfortable. The quality of the leather and interior is very good.

Bluetooth and upgraded Bose stereo should be standard with the SL package. We did not get the connection package.

The base 6 speaker stereo is pretty good. Much better than the last Altima we had. It should have a 6 disc changer standard on the SL (see Bose comment above)

The manual mode on the CVT works better than expected. Downshifts are very smooth and quick.

I like the hill descent control, and it increases RPM when going downhill to help maintain speed.

The engine has amazing bottom end power for a 4 cylinder. It can climb up a 10% grade and still lug along at 1500RPM with the torque converter unlocked. This might be the perfect transmission for a full size pick-up if they can get it to handle the torque. The wide spread of gear ratios would be perfect for towing, with less need for a low range.