2005 Altima SE-R

[captain_ron]

$35,200

I think the price is okay.  Leather, Sunroof, Heated Seats, 8 way power seat, 260hp, 18inch wheels, with the 6spd it should be around 5.8 or 5.9 0-60mph.  Not bad. I don't think there are many faster cars 0-60 under 35k? with the exception of mustang, srt-4, anything else?

[saint11]

subaru wrx  

the new rsx might be able to take it.

[x_ouch]

Altima is a bit too big for a race car I find.

[ovr50]

What does size have to do with 0-60 times? Perhaps you could ask John Force that question? The Altima is not a "race car", its a 4 door sedan with a bigger engine that can post a low 0-60 time.

[captain_ron]

Yea, it obviously won't be the best handling car.  Highway performance with the 6spd will be nice.  I think the SE-R looks very nice too, nice wheels, exhaust.  

I wish they offered a (250hp) 3.5L MANUAL bare bones Altima.  They offer the 3.5L only with an auto tranny in bare bones trim. $27,000.  Dump the auto and put in a 5spd manual for $26,000. That would be a fun highway commuter.

[x_ouch]

what do you think the R is SE-R stand for? recogntiion with a typo?  

[ovr50]

I don't care what the R stands for, the Altima is no race car and anyone the thinks so is being misled. Do you believe everything the marketers tell you? Come on.

[WW]

The Altima SE-R is something like a "funner" family sedan. It's no WRX or even RSX.

[saint11]

altima SE-R = sports tourer

well there are different types of racing. drag and autox. some cars are built for the straight line and some are for the curves. "race car" is a very general broad term used by marketers. its another whole political thing.  

would you still consider a camaro a race car cuz it can't handle very well. i would rather call it a dragger

would you still consider a miata a race car cuz it has a crappy quarter mile? i would rather call it a car with good driving dynamics.  

so its hard to call something a race car. its better to define it as something with more precision

[ovr50]

Exactly, Saint, the term is a hard one to define. It's easier to know what a isn't a "race car" and a 4 door family sedan is not one. There are really no real "race cars" on the street, as they would be illegal there.

[x_ouch]

uh, come on, think about it.

why the 3,5L is called a "trim", but now this.. tuned version is called SE-R?

 
From nissan.ca :

"A burst of Ego"

260HP, with a 6-speed manual transimssion, leather seating surfaces, perfromance-tuned suspension, larger front brake rotors with high performance pads, drilled aluminum pedlas and 18" forged alloy wheels.

I don't care what the R stands for, the Altima is no race car and anyone the thinks so is being misled. Do you believe everything the marketers tell you? Come on.

uh, almost every car company uses its car... let's say Honda Civic's highest trim like SIR to compete in races. So..a.... race... car?

I believe most of the competitions are called races. How do you define a bunch of cars going in a circle, or peeling off a red light and their goal is to be the first one to finish? Here is a hint, it starts with a R and ends with ACE.

[ovr50]

Whatever, x.

[WW]

X_ouch, what the automaker says is not necessarily true. I remember on the old Acura website, they once called the EL a "sports sedan". But is it a sports sedan? I think you know the answer to this one.      

[x_ouch]

I am driving a civic si which is pretty much the same. It's a sports sedan, ya. It feels fast, don't you think? That's what asian cars are all about, you can feel the speed even you go slow.

Tell me, if you don't believe what the marketers say, who should you believe in? the internet ? the "insiders"?? aren't they just another form of marketers :D:D:D???

[WW]

To be fair, the only EL I've driven is the 97-00 one. That car didn't really feel sporty to me. Maybe the new one is better. I believe my own senses when it comes to defining a sports car, sports sedan...

[ld500]

I test drove the Altima 3.5 auto and didn't like it at all.  While it was fast going straight, there was too much power for the front drive setup.  Maybe after getting more accustomed to the car it would have been better, but I was spinning the tires and the handling didn't feel very good.

Having said all that, I still haven't driven a V6 Accord so don't know if that would be any better.

I would buy a TSX over the Altima 3.5 eventhough the TSX is much slower in 0-60.

[x_ouch]

ya, it depends. These days, you really can't find a sedan that isn't labelled as "oh, fun to drive and.... sporty".  

ohya , I've never heard of the EL being called a sports sedan.

[WW]

http://ae.acura.ca/models/el.asp (old acura website)

[captain_ron]

EL, sports sedan? Ahaahah.  The EL is the slowest car I have ever driven.  The bare bones civic is better.  The EL is a heavily overweight Civic.  For me it is painful to drive my AUTO EL being a car nut.

BUT, the EL is probably the cheapest (to buy and maintain) daily driver you can get with sunroof, leather and heated seats.  And it gets 8L/100km.  So you can't have everything. Plus, girls don't know cars, and it is always better saying "Hey thats my Acura," instead of "Hey thats my Civic."

I swear the 5sp Echo I once rented was faster, better handling.

[x_ouch]

uhuhuh

EUROPEAN INSPIREEEEDDDDDDDDD:D sports car

From the impressive linearity of its steering to its precise, 4-wheel independent suspension, the EL will reward you with superior road feel and unforgettable control.

Maybe it really feels like an european inspired car. What the hell does that adjective mean anyway ?

It's true that honda just doesn't want to increase the power in its lowest branch of sedans. There must be a reason too.

(Message edited by x_ouch on October 17, 2004)