I just recently bought a smoke on charcoal cloth Altima 3.5 SE w/auto. Before buying my Altima I compared it to the Accord LX-V6, Mazda 6 V6, and Camry SE V6.
In my opinion the Altima was so decisevely better than the rest of these cars in terms of performance and exterior appearance that I was left wondering why anyone looking for a midsize car with any inclination for performance would buy any other car. The Altima was hands down quicker (at any speed) than any of the other cars. At highway speeds the Accord was close (though still behind). In terms of handling only the Mazda 6 was better though it is a decidedly smaller car which helps in terms of handling. As far as braking goes the Altima was the leader there too.
The only area the Altima was beaten was interior, and even then only by the Accord and by an ever so slight margin. The Altima's interior in my opinion offers the best design of the three but the Accord/Camry quality is slightly better. The Altima's qualtiy is good (and tremendously improved for 05) but still a little behind. Overall, I felt the Accord provided the best balance of interior quality/design with the Altima a close second; the Camry's design was just completely bland (though the Mazda 6 also offered a good overall package).
As much as I like the Mazda 6 I don't know why anyone who is interested in performance would buy a car that's running a Ford Five Hundred/Taurus drivetrain.
I know this is probably like preaching to the choire (in this forum) but what do you guys think?
My best friend drives a 6 and his engine is loud as hell. The transmission is undecisive but I like how the interior is set up inside. His seat warmers also work way faster than my Altima's. My other friend just bought a 2005 Toyota Camry SE-V6 and I swear its the smoothest car I've ever been in. Its smoother than my father's IS and is also well put together. Even though its styling is blahh..., it will last forever. My 93 Camry is pushing 230k miles and I havent had any problems with it. The Accord is ugly and every since I owned a 96 Accord EX, I vowed to never buy another Honda again, Not only did I invest too much money in the mechanics of that car, maintenance was high with it and the engine wasnt quiet at all. I had the 4cyl VTEC 5sp. It was still the best feeling manual that I've owned, and I miss that about it..
Now with the Altima, I love almost everything about its styling except how high it sits over the wheels. I mean yea, the interior isnt the greatest but one learns to cope with it, but I would recommend black interior. Mine is fully loaded and my most prized option's are the auto climate control, bose and the hid's . I've had waaaay more than my fair share of problems with it but Im gonna hang onto it for another 3 yrs or so. I also wish the shifter was a little less bulky and notchy.
I dont know about your experience, but my "brakes" seem medicore compared to the accord I tested.....
Also my tiptronic auto has clicks when you are coming to a stop....
accord/mazda seem to have the best interiors IMO
mazda6's styling I think is just as good, if not better than the altima
handling/slowest/least reliable goes to the mazda 6
the ugliest goes to the accord
the most reliable goes to camry (it's alright.... looks like a inferior pimped out ES300)
hey "EVT & NVS altima"
how does the LOW end of the 3.3 SE camry feel? that thing has like 240lbs of torque at around 3500rpm... it peaks lower than our altimas..... but lacks about "15 20hp....."
it does weigh like 200lbs more though.... however, toyota generally under rates power a bit, you can only expect 12-14% loss to the wheels........
in terms of looks, i think the mazda 6 is probably the best looking, but screams young. The altima is anice blend of sport and class. the accord is fugly, and the camry is a great car for people that are above 30 years of age.
hmm the max is faster than the alty right? but a friend of mine who has the accord LX V6 says he went neck and neck to the max if not faster... so i was wondering if i could beat him in my alty 3.5 if he went that close to a max. no mods on any cars inc the max, acc, and my alty. stock wise is my alty faster?
My opinions: Camry (lacking power and there is absolutely no personality in the design)
Accord: Over-rated interior. No better quality than the 05 altimas.
Mazda 6: Very nice design inside and out. However it is too small, too loud, and the seats are horribly uncomfortable in cloth form ( and I mean HORRIBLE!!!)
05 altima: Nice interior quality but the design is not as sporty as the previous design. Exterior design is also not as sporty
no the altima is faster than the maxima. Also the Accords interior is MUCH nicer than what my SE's interior was before I improved upon it. Mazda 6 is a big car IMO. It looks like a small car design but then they pull up to large cars and you can tell its big. Camry, i'm not 50 years old yet, yuck! Altima = SO much potential cosmetically and performance wise. I think you will get to the limits of how good you can make the new accord, mazda 6 look really quick. But with the altima its SOOOOOO easy to make fast and you can REALLY customize the look of the alti to your own style. I think thats why i love the car so much. In stock form it was a great looking car but with a bit of money invested in cosmetics the car looks better than 99% of new cars on the street. a bit of money invested in performance and it can beat 99% of the cars on the street and still a big ass sedan
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New Ride: 2005 Pontiac GTO
***SOLD***
2002 silver SE 5-speed
19" rims
Eracings front bumper
SE-R rear bumper/ taillights
JWT flywheel/stg 2 clutch
AT shocks/struts
Eibach sportlines
AT s2 sports grille
JDM black headlights
Nismo Sway bars
strada pulley
short shifter
berk intake
XS Headers
Philips 6000K HID
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. I've had waaaay more than my fair share of problems with it but Im gonna hang onto it for another 3 yrs or so. I also wish the shifter was a little less bulky and notchy.
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