The problem, eci, is that the Altima's cable-actuated shifter is inherently less tactile than the rod-actuated mechanisms that Nissan has used for years. The shifter is in fact the biggest complaint I have with the car, because Nissan took a step backward from its gearboxes in previous cars.
The shifter in my '91 Sentra SE-R was a joy. Throws were precise, short and crisp, with a mechanical smoothness that you just can't get from a cable mechanism. Even the gearbox in my wife's '98 Altima SE -- that car hardly being an example of Japanese engineering at its best -- had a solid, clean throw and clearly defined gates that are lacking in my '02.
I don't think the mechanism in my 3.5 is godawful, but it's muddy by comparison and I've missed a few shifts because of it. It's kinda like rowing in molasses when compared to the above gearboxes, and reminds me substantially of the shifter in my '88 Olds Calais Quad 4, which won exactly zero friends among shift-it-yourselfers like me. The word I'd use is "disconnected." And, well, "disappointing." But it wasn't a deal-breaker.
Jarrod K. Wright
'02 3.5SE 5-speed
'98 SE 5-speed