2008 Nissan Altima S 2.5 from North America

Summary:

Fast, reliable, fun

Faults:

No problems with the car whatsoever.

General Comments:

This car is great! It replaced a Volkswagen Jetta, which was a money pit and needed major repairs every week it seemed.

The Altima drives really well, the ride is smooth but handling is still exceptional. Steering feel is far better than the Jetta, and so is handling despite it being a larger car!

Interior room is excellent, unlike the useless Jetta. I love the telescoping steering wheel, as I have plenty of room and it's easy to get comfortable. I'd like an adjustable lumbar support, but the seat comfort is still terrific. I also like the high quality suede Nissan uses - I definitely don't miss the leather.

The sound system is pretty good, too, though I wish it came with either Mp3 playback standard or a CD changer. At least it has an AUX port (really all you use), and for having just 6 speakers it's better than the "premium" Monsoon system I had.

This car has a ton of power for a 4cyl - even when the car is full of passengers I've never had to floor it to get up to speed. I've been averaging about 31mpg based on my calculations (the fuel economy gauge tells me 32.)

The A/C / Heat works really well. Seems like a minor thing, but given its all-black interior, I haven't felt the need to get tinted windows. It's really quick at cooling the car.

The glove box is huge (I keep my laptop in it), and the cup holders are great for storing lots of little things.

Definitely get the CVT - it is smooth and its tiptronic mode works way better than just about everything else I've encountered - including Volkswagen's DSG.

Best of all, not a single thing has gone wrong or malfunctioned.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 23rd October, 2008

2008 Nissan Altima S 2.5 from North America

Summary:

Great car.. looks good too

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong, but there are a few scratches in the paint.

General Comments:

The only bad thing I can say about this car is it doesn't have a lot of ground clearance. We have scraped the bottom over speed bumps when the car is loaded up with passengers.

The CVT transmission is smooth, and the power is impressive for a 4 banger, as is the fuel economy for a fairly big car.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 6th October, 2008

19th Oct 2008, 20:14

I have an Altima 2.5SL. I've been getting 29 mpg in mixed driving (about 70% highway, 30% city) We've had some tanks where we got 36 mpg because we were driving on 55 mph roads with few towns. Winter driving has a definite impact on our mileage. We've seen as low as 24 mpg on some tanks due to cold and longer warm-ups. But in normal driving we see 28-30 mpg. What do you see for mileage? Have there been any unexpected repairs that you didn't mention?

31st Jan 2010, 22:56

We had the car until it had 100 000 kms, then it was replaced as it was a company car. In that time nothing went wrong with it. I didn't really pay too close attention to the exact fuel consumption; it just seemed like it had amazing range between fill ups. Drove from central Oregon to southern interior BC on one tank.

2008 Nissan Altima S 2.5 Gasoline from North America

Summary:

The car is an overall great value

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong so far, everything is still in the same condition as when I bought it, almost.

General Comments:

Great performance for the price, and more comfortable than you'd expect from an entry-level vehicle.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th July, 2008

2008 Nissan Altima 2.5 from North America

Summary:

Do not buy from Nissan!

Faults:

Would not start after having the car for 3 days.

After this problem was fixed, it would not turn off about 3 weeks later. Yes, I said would not turn off! I had to leaving it running while I was at work for about 4 hours before the dealership came and got it.

Stalling out occured at about 15,000 miles.

Seats are not durable. I had leather seats and after about one month they already had cracks in them.

Back window leaks worse than anything I have ever seen.

Power windows would not work on a regular basis.

Service engine light would come on often and no one could tell me why.

Had to put new tires on the car just after buying it because they kept going low. And I know I did not run over anything because I drive strictly highway miles.

General Comments:

Nissan has the worst customer service of a manufacturer I have ever seen. They are doing a buy back, or should I say a "screw me deal". They are not even giving me back my down payment on the car so that I can get another decent car. Instead I am going to be forced to drive a piece of junk and be out of pocket about $10,000.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 24th April, 2008

13th Jun 2008, 13:19

THEY COME WITH A Warranty!! You wouldn't have to put new tires on them because they keep going low.

I own a 2008 Nissan and it has been the greatest car that I have ever owned. ZERO problems, and I have never heard of anyone having problems with one.

4th Jul 2008, 18:07

You probably should have checked your warranty... even tires are covered under those for "x" number of miles (for anything other than obvious puncture / misuse). Sounds to me like you have more of an issue with the dealership than the car- the MANUFACTURER would have taken care of any problems had you contacted them.