Why cast the Altima coupe as a low-cost G37? That honour belongs to the 370Z. Altima coupe was built as a direct competitor to the Accord coupe… and both vehicles are very similar. Also… what is Nissan’s hangup with CVT? I thought they were supposed to be a “sporting” brand. CVTs are junk for A-to-B commuters who are concerned with mileage and are too lazy to row their own gears… I’m suprised Honda doesn’t offer them in every vehicle.
All that said, I will say that the Altima coupes here around town are good for a laugh. Their drivers must think that because they have the legendary VQ under the hood that something magical is going to happen when they hit the go pedal. Newsflash… FWD sucks… especially in a large coupe. If this car were RWD with a real transmission then it would be worth considering… but wait, that would make it a 370Z.
Instead of this confused vehicle Nissan should have found a way to shove the high-power 2.5 out of the Sentra Spec V under the hood of a Z. All cloth interior, no power options, and smaller rims would have made for a nice 250Z for about $23,000. Some people like the coupe look without the sportscar power… the same reason that V6 Mustangs sell like hotcakes.
All that said, I will say that the Altima coupes here around town are good for a laugh. Their drivers must think that because they have the legendary VQ under the hood that something magical is going to happen when they hit the go pedal. Newsflash… FWD sucks… especially in a large coupe. If this car were RWD with a real transmission then it would be worth considering… but wait, that would make it a 370Z.
Instead of this confused vehicle Nissan should have found a way to shove the high-power 2.5 out of the Sentra Spec V under the hood of a Z. All cloth interior, no power options, and smaller rims would have made for a nice 250Z for about $23,000. Some people like the coupe look without the sportscar power… the same reason that V6 Mustangs sell like hotcakes.
Outfitted with Nissan’s tried and true VQ series 3.5-liter V6 with 270-horsepower and 258 lb-ft. of torque, the Altima has quite a bit of pulling power. Equipped with such advanced features as microfinished crank journals, cam lobes, molybdenum coated lightweight pistons and electronic throttles, it pulls smoothly throughout the range, achieving 0-60 times of 6.6 seconds with the CVT.
Steering was well controlled without the numb feeling that others seem to possess these days: Credit the speed-sensitive power rack and pinion steering. There was pronounced torque-steer, though, when laying on the loud pedal, keeping things, uh, interesting under heavy acceleration.
Twin independent struts with coil springs up front, and a multi-link independent rear suspension did manage to keep things flat while cornering on roads where you just know you need to power through, even if the 18-inch Michelins allowed for controlled tire squeal at the appropriate moment.
Steering was well controlled without the numb feeling that others seem to possess these days: Credit the speed-sensitive power rack and pinion steering. There was pronounced torque-steer, though, when laying on the loud pedal, keeping things, uh, interesting under heavy acceleration.
Twin independent struts with coil springs up front, and a multi-link independent rear suspension did manage to keep things flat while cornering on roads where you just know you need to power through, even if the 18-inch Michelins allowed for controlled tire squeal at the appropriate moment.
