2004 Nissan Altima 2.5 SL review from North America

The driver's seat back came unstapled and was fixed under warranty.

The driver's side tweeter in the A-pillar went out and was replaced under warranty.

Both minor problems at best!

This car is very comfortable. Being the SL model, it has leather, the Bose sound system, and all the trimmings. Both front and rear seats can fit almost anyone and that's saying a lot since this is a "mid-size" sedan! It has nice manners on the road and handles well for an SL model (as opposed to the SE).

The performance is OK from a 4-cylinder (which is the same as in the Sentra SE-R Spec V, by the way!) but the gas mileage leaves something to be desired. The previous car to this was an Olds Intrigue (plagued by problems!) with a 3.5 V6 with 200+ HP and got better gas mileage. This car averages a bit less than 30 on the highway whereas the Olds averaged 31+ on the highway. Its not too bad for a mid-size car, but its got some room for improvement. I guess that's why it has a 20 gallon tank!

Overall, the car doesn't leave much to be asked for. It has good looks, plenty of passenger room, enough get up and go, and the quality of the interior is great.

I would recommend this purchase to anyone in the market for this type of car.