Road Tests: Full Test

Specifications and Performance 2002 Nissan Altima 3.5 SE Vehicle Type: Model Year: 2002 Make: Nissan Model: Altima Style: 3.5 SE Base Price: $22,889 Price as Tested: $26,464 Drive Type: Front-wheel drive Transmission Type: 5-speed manual Displacement (liters): 3.5 Engine Type: V6 Horsepower (hp @ rpm): 240 @ 5,800 Torque (ft-lb @ rpm): 246 @ 4,400 Braking System: 4-wheel power-assisted disc brakes with ABS Steering System: Power rack-and-pinion steering Suspension Type (front): Independent strut front suspension Suspension Type (rear): Rear multi-link independent suspension Tire Size (front): P215/ 55R17 Tire Size (rear): P215/ 55R17 Tire Brand: Bridgestone Tire Model: Turanza EL42 Curb Weight (lbs.): 3,225 Recommended Fuel: Premium Unleaded Fuel Tank Capacity (gal): 20.0 EPA Fuel Economy (mpg): 19 City 26 Highway Edmunds Observed (mpg): 19 Conditions for Testing: Temperature (Fahrenheit): 76 Humidity: 70% Elevation (ft): 85 Wind: 0 mph Performance: 0 - 30 (sec): 2.5 0 - 45 (sec): 4.2 0 - 60 (sec): 6.3 0 - 75 (sec): 9.3 1/4 Mile (sec @ mph): 14.9@96.5 30 - 0 (ft): 32 60 - 0 (ft): 125 Braking Rating: (Excellent, Good, Average, Poor or Very Poor) Excellent Slalom (mph): 66.4 Emergency Lane Change (mph): N/A Turning Circle (ft), curb-to-curb: 38.7 Handling Rating: (Excellent, Good, Average, Poor or Very Poor) Excellent Db @ Full Throttle: 75 Db @ 70 mph Cruise: 76 Acceleration Comments: Acceleration was brisk. It revs so quickly, so smoothly and so quietly that you hit the rev limiter before you realize that you were even getting close to it. It took a little practice to get the best times out of it, and we achieved our best on the fourth attempt. You had to adjust to shifting before you hit the rev-limiter, but with road noise easily overcoming engine noise you had to actually read the tachometer to be able to anticipate your shift points. Red-line on the tachometer reads at the 6,700 mark, but the rev-limiter kicks in around the 7,100 mark allowing you to get far into red territory. Torque steer wasn't noted on any of the full-out acceleration runs, nor did our test driver note any on the road. Braking Comments: Other than more ABS system noise than we prefer, the brakes proved excellent in their stopping ability. We got into the low 125s on the second run and did not vary from that distance by more than a foot in our four attempts. We had our best 30-to-0 run on the fourth and final attempt, proving that fade was not an issue in our testing. On each run, the vehicle stopped straight and true with little to no movement in the lane, nor any noted nose dive. So just like the acceleration portion of our testing, chalk up another plus or two for good stability, nose dive control and short stopping distances. Handling Comments: From our first pass through the cones, this vehicle started out with some quick times that just kept getting better and better on each consecutive run. Just when we thought we'd reached a plateau, we'd dip a little lower in time. We finally got down to some very impressive times, beating such vehicles as the Ford Mustang Bullitt, and we nearly matched the new BMW M3. Accurate but overboosted steering was complemented by a body with little roll and quick reflexes. — Neil G. Chirico Specifications: Length: 191.5 Width: 70.4 Height: 57.9 Wheelbase: 110.2 Legroom (front): 43.9 Legroom (rear): 36.4 Headroom (front): 40.8 Headroom (rear): 37.6 Maximum Seating Capacity: 5 Cargo Volume: 15.6 Maximum Cargo Volume (rear seats down): N/A Warranty Information: Bumper-to-Bumper: 3 years/36,000 miles Powertrain: 5 years/60,000 miles Corrosion: 5 years/unlimited miles Roadside Assistance: Not available Scheduled Maintenance: Not available Safety Information: Front Airbags: Standard Side Airbags: Optional Head Airbags: Optional Antilock Brakes: Optional Traction Control: Optional Stability Control: Not available Rollover Protection: N/A Emergency Assistance System: Not available NHTSA Crash Test Driver: N/A NHTSA Crash Test Passenger: N/A NHTSA Crash Test Side Front: N/A NHTSA Crash Test Side Rear: N/A NHTSA Rollover: N/A IIHS Offset: N/A