2006 Nissan Altima 3.5 SE review from North America

Nothing at all yet, it's still a baby.

One thing I do notice with the V6 when I first start it up it idles really fast, around 1400 to 1600 RPMs, even during warm weather. Anyone else notice this?

I can't really comment on reliability with such low miles, but so far I love it. The engine is a whispering powerhouse, but is tame enough that it doesn't drink gas like a pig. I get about 21MPG city/ 28 highway moderately exceeding the speed limit.

Exterior styling really won me over with this car It is one of the few new cars that in my opinion doesn't look like a mutated blob. I don't like the way the new 2007's look, and first year models can be troublesome and unrefined no matter what make you buy, so I rushed to get one of the last new 2006's. Usually the last year of a model has most or all of the kinks and bugs worked put of it, so you're not dealing with recall or warranty issues as much.

The car is by far the best handling and cornering thing in its class I've ever driven. I've driven cars 10 to 20 thousand dollars more expensive that don't even come close. Only the bumpiest and roughest of roads seem to upset the passengers. The SL supposedly rides smoother, but I didn't notice too much difference.

My one complaint is the huge turning radius. I swear an old lincoln town car can turn tighter in cramped spaces. I don't think this would have been to hard for Nissan to fix. Not a big deal, just annoying in places like parking garages and takes some getting used to.

The interior is roomy enough for 5 full grown adults, lots of leg room even in the back. Seats are well designed and comfortable. I do think the interior is a bit bland, but hey its the middle of the road Altima. The new Gauge cluster is nice looking.

I was turned off by the cheap looking leather in the Altima SL. The Maxima has a much nicer interior, but I can't get over the body styling.

The Bose Stereo is overrated in my opinion, it doesn't have many modern features like ipod hookup. The 6 disk in dash changer is nice. The RDS feature is slow and practically useless, you have to be practically be next to a radio tower for it to read correctly or else it gets distorted and garbled.

I'm a picky guy, but so far I am very satisfied.