Nissan Altima at #7 on the “Doenges Top Ten” Used Cars for December 2008

Some may find it surprising that the Nissan Altima is ranked in the top ten of all used vehicles for the month of December 2008. Of course, those people probably aren’t familiar with the Nissan Altima of the past few years. In fact, if you find yourself in the market for an impressive yet affordable used car, you really can’t do any better than going with a pre-owned Nissan Altima.

Though, for the most part, Nissan Altimas have found themselves residing in the shadow of the more popular Toyota Camry, what most people don’t realize is how comparable the two cars actually are. In a head-to-head comparison the Nissan Altima holds its own against the Toyota Camry in nearly every respect, and in some cases, such as front cabin head room, the Altima actually proves even roomier than its historically more popular competitor.

For the market, the Nissan Altima hasn’t been around all that long, making its first appearance in North America in 1993, so other imports in its class had a head start on gathering favor. Once it finally did enter the American market, the reception was somewhat luke-warm with critics referring to it as a “small, fairly reliable, average-looking” car. It is this image of the Altima that many still conjure when they hear the name today.

By 1998, however, Nissan was beginning to make great strides in revamping the Altima’s appearance, giving it a completely newly styled body but keeping its small-car look and feel. Then, in 2002, the Altima really came into its own. With the new year model Nissan took an even bigger step forward, creating a larger, taller, more stylish Nissan which the critics could not ignore and that had a smart classy appeal that sent consumers clamoring to get both new and used models.

Unfortunately, improvements often come with some inevitable drawbacks and for the Nissan Altima it was a matter of weight. The 2005 Altima is about 70 pounds heavier than its predecessor, even with the weight reduction afforded by constructing the trunk lid and hood, as well as the front and rear suspension components, from aluminum. But, for the cost of the added weight, Nissan was able to turn the slightly cramped 2004 Altima into a 2005 model that is one of the most spacious in its class and can easily seat five passengers. And, while this extra weight does have a slight impact on gas mileage, with an average 27 mpg, it still performs quite well comparatively and is, overall, one of the more economical vehicles on the road.

The 2005 Altima is also one of the safest models to date with a four star frontal collision rating based on NHTSA test reports. It sports power windows and door locks as standard equipment and all models, except the 2.5, offered a remote keyless entry system with remote trunk opener. Optional ABS is available on the 2.5 S, 2.5 SL, and the 3.5 SE model as well. Optional packages for the Altima also included such luxuries as leather interior and a leather wrapped steering wheel, speed sensitive volume control, and an 8-way power driver’s seat, so there are Altimas available that will appeal to those seeking a pre-owned car equipped with all the bells and whistles.

While it may be true that the problems with bumpy rides and poor handling that plagued some of the early Altima models (1993-2001) made it so that they could hardly compete with other, more established, cars in their class, those cars are not the cars people should think of when they hear the name Nissan Altima. Since 2004 consumers have loved the Altima’s stylish looks, roomy interior, and V6 engine. You can even get an Altima with a V6 and a 5 speed manual transmission. Neither Camry nor Accord ever offered that. Overall, for anyone interested in saving money and still getting a great car, one would be hard pressed to find a better deal than a 2005 Nissan Altima.

For more information please contact Brad Doenges of Doenges Ford Lincoln Mercury Toyota in Bartlesville Oklahoma at (918) 333-0900.

Popularity: 3% [?]