1997 Nissan Altima Review
1997 Nissan Altima Review
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Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- Luxurious, sporty, and well-constructed, the Nissan Altima is the perfect car for those who want an Infiniti, but are stuck with a Nissan budget.
Cons
- It will never happen, but we would still like to see a V-6 engine offered in the Altima.
What’s new
The 1997 models are virtually identical to 1996 models, except for the addition of new emissions equipment.
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 1997 Nissan Altima XE 4dr Sedan (1997.5) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.50 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.
Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio
$181/mo for Altima XE (1997.5)
Altima XE (1997.5)
vs
$179/mo
Avg. Compact Car
Vehicle overview
Talk about a runaway success. The Altima is quite a popular car, with hundreds of thousands of the jelly-bean-shaped sedans sold since its 1993 introduction. Its predecessor, the Nissan Stanza, was a practically invisible car to consumers, and we can't help but wonder whether the name change or Nissan's expensive advertising campaign touting the Altima as an affordable luxury car dictated the tides of change.
What we do know is that the Altima has the right mix of good looks, sedan capability, spunky personality and affordable price that Honda and Toyota used to make the Accord and Camry best-sellers. The Altima is a fun car, and plays the roles of pedestrian family hauler and pseudo-sport sedan with equal aplomb. Heavily subsidized national lease deals on the GXE trim level haven't hurt sales either, and virtually guarantee an excellent used Altima market in the near future.
This year, the Altima is a carryover; the only change being to the emissions equipment.
If you shop smart, the Nissan GXE is a great buy. It can be outfitted with all sorts of goodies and remain well under $20,000. Watch out for the SE and GLE, though, the price of those cars has been rising, and is getting uncomfortably close to Nissan Maxima territory.
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the Used 1997 Nissan Altima.
5 star(51%)
4 star(38%)
3 star(10%)
2 star(0%)
1 star(1%)
61 reviews
Trending topics in reviews
Most helpful consumer reviews
4.5 out of 5 stars
Very Satisfied owner
Very satisfied owner, 04/03/2010
1997 Nissan Altima GXE 4dr Sedan
I purchased my Nissan Altima 97 with little over 8000 miles. It currently has 286,437 miles on it. The car has treated me very well even though I didn't take care care of it. It still runs just as good as it did when I bought it. i haven't had to do very much work on it thus far. Just minor repairs and regular tune ups. I have driven it literally all over the country due to being in the … army.
3.63 out of 5 stars
Decent car with maintenance issues
nncincinnati, 09/08/2007
1997 Nissan Altima GXE 4dr Sedan
The Altima was very reliable early on, but as it aged, needed many more costly repairs and fixes. At ten years and less than 100,000, it has cost $600-1500 per year for the last five years to keep it running (not including tires!). My mechanic says there a few fundamental design flaws that show as this car ages that are costly (because they are labor intensive) to fix.
4.75 out of 5 stars
great car!
ionut, 06/20/2009
1997 Nissan Altima GXE 4dr Sedan
We bought this car in 2003, as a graduate student. Best $3,750 spent! Didn't like the exterior in particular, but once I got inside, I fell in love with it. Strong engine, not so great transmission. When I bought it, one of my colleagues told me: "Altima, you will get tired of it, it will never break!". He was right. In six years we replaced the tires, front breaks and the radiator. VERY … cheap to replace. No rattles! OK, it's noisy inside, the ride is not what it used to be when I bought it six years ago, but what can you expect from a 12 year old car? It is a Limited Edition, it has everything my Accord'07 has (another great car)!!! Just love it! I would buy it again in a heartbeat!
3.13 out of 5 stars
JJ
JJ LEE, 04/17/2003
1997 Nissan Altima GXE 4dr Sedan
Nice engine condition(2.4 syl) and good
acceleration, still comfortable to
drive. Good fuel economy.
Cornering is not that good.
Shock absorber is not that good.
Just got an 4 wheel alignment and
ballance.
1997 Altima Highlights
XE (1997.5)
Engine Type | Gas |
---|---|
Combined MPG | 24 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $181/month |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 14.0 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | front wheel drive |
Safety
NHTSA Overall Rating
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverallNot RatedDriver4 / 5Passenger4 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverallNot Rated
- Side Barrier RatingOverallNot RatedDriverNot RatedPassengerNot Rated
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront SeatNot RatedBack SeatNot Rated
- RolloverRolloverNot RatedDynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of RolloverNot Rated
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original0
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestNot Tested
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintNot Tested
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