Just passed 5,000 miles on our family's 2010 Altima V6:
As a celebration
, I gave it a thorough wash/clay/polish/seal today in preparation for winter.
So far, in 5,000 miles I have had 0 unscheduled dealer visits. The only maintenance performed has one been scheduled oil change after six months and 2,500 miles with Valvoline SynPower 5w-30. Hopefully it will stay this way, but if not, I have an 8 yr/120,000 mile warranty to fall back on!
Since I know some people on this forum are in the market for a mid-sized car, here is some info on the ownership experience so far:
The good:
1) Great power, especially low and mid-range torque. The VQ35DE engine is incredible. For a NA engine without DI, there is plenty of usable power in daily driving. In comparison, the 3.5L V6 in the current Accord feels weak. Due to the powerband, in our use the engine almost never sees more than 2500 rpm.
2) The CVT. Yes, the CVT. It has not overheated nor has it given us any reliability issues. When paired with the V6, the CVT does a good job as a transmission as it does not have any shift shock. The "feel" is surprisingly good for a CVT--there is none of the buzzing, drone or "rubber-band effect" that is commonly associated with CVTs. I think this is because the VQ35DE has so much usable low-end and mid-range torque that it eliminates the problem. The Drive Sport (Ds mode) is also great as it seems to improve throttle response slightly and also makes the transmission behave more similarly to a conventional auto (if you care).
3) Driving Position. The steering wheel tilts and telescopes (though a bit crudely) and allows me to find a good driving position without feeling cramped. I have driven cars with better driving positions, but this one is definitely one of the better ones.
4) Handling. Very flat during cornering, almost no body lean under most "normal" conditions. Without a doubt, this is probably one of, if not the best handling V6 family sedan on the market.
5) Steering feel. Though it is a bit light at low-speeds, the steering tightens up with speed. Road feedback could be a little better (Accord is the best in this area), but it is still better than most other cars in this class.
The bad:
1) The rear seat cushion is low. Really low. This has its pros and cons. Pro is that it allows me to sit on the rear seat without my hair greasing up the headliner.
The bad is that it is a rather odd seating position which is not super comfortable during long trips.
2) The front seats need more side bolstering. Come on Nissan, the 3.5SR V6 is the sporty version of the Altima. The seats in the new base model Maxima are fantastic, they should be in the Altima!
3) Styling. The outside is good. The inside is starting to look quite dated compared to the Accord and Sonata. And that steering wheel needs to be smaller-- Nissan needs to design a steering wheel that is identical to the one in the current Accord, as the Accord's steering wheel is the best one out there for a family sedan.
The Ugly:
1) Fuel Economy. VQ35 engines have never been known for great fuel economy, as they are more performance oriented. Thankfully, Nissan retuned the 2010+ Altima V6 to run on 87 octane, though it is the only VQ35 equipped vehicle to be approved for 87. It makes me wonder what they did to achieve this. I do notice that is noticeably less peppy in 100-degree weather with the A/C on...which makes me wonder if it can benefit from 91 octane.
Nevertheless, fuel economy is a bit of a weak spot with this car. Here's what we are getting so far:
-- 18-19 mpg if the tank is almost entirely comprised of 1-5 mile city trips
-- 21-22 mpg if the tank is comprised of 70% 1-5 mile city trips and 30% highway driving
-- 26-30 mpg if the tank is 100% highway.
Interestingly, the aggressiveness of your driving seems to have very little effect on the fuel economy. 5%, tops. Perhaps this is due to the V6 engine? Also, the onboard fuel economy indicator is fairly accurate-- it is only 5% optimistic.
2) The Stereo. We have the base model stereo. Not the Bose upgrade. Not the Bose that is bundled with the Nav. The base model stereo is so poor, that the base stereo in my 15 year old Saturn sounds better than it!
So, there you have it-- a 5,000 mile review of the Altima V6. It may seem a bit early, but early reviews are also important as 5k is enough time for any build quality issues to show up. But so far, no squeaks, rattles or any issues.
Also, here's a video of me starting up the car. You can definitely here the classic VQ35 exhaust note:
So the real question is, would I recommend this car? The answer is yes, but if and only if you want a somewhat sporty, NA V6 midsized sedan that runs on regular. But even if you are in the market for that type of car, you are probably better off paying the extra for premium fuel and instead purchasing a Maxima. The Maxima has far better fit/finish with more comfortable comfortable seats and possibly a slightly softer ride.
If you have any questions or comments, fire away!
As a celebration
So far, in 5,000 miles I have had 0 unscheduled dealer visits. The only maintenance performed has one been scheduled oil change after six months and 2,500 miles with Valvoline SynPower 5w-30. Hopefully it will stay this way, but if not, I have an 8 yr/120,000 mile warranty to fall back on!
Since I know some people on this forum are in the market for a mid-sized car, here is some info on the ownership experience so far:
The good:
1) Great power, especially low and mid-range torque. The VQ35DE engine is incredible. For a NA engine without DI, there is plenty of usable power in daily driving. In comparison, the 3.5L V6 in the current Accord feels weak. Due to the powerband, in our use the engine almost never sees more than 2500 rpm.
2) The CVT. Yes, the CVT. It has not overheated nor has it given us any reliability issues. When paired with the V6, the CVT does a good job as a transmission as it does not have any shift shock. The "feel" is surprisingly good for a CVT--there is none of the buzzing, drone or "rubber-band effect" that is commonly associated with CVTs. I think this is because the VQ35DE has so much usable low-end and mid-range torque that it eliminates the problem. The Drive Sport (Ds mode) is also great as it seems to improve throttle response slightly and also makes the transmission behave more similarly to a conventional auto (if you care).
3) Driving Position. The steering wheel tilts and telescopes (though a bit crudely) and allows me to find a good driving position without feeling cramped. I have driven cars with better driving positions, but this one is definitely one of the better ones.
4) Handling. Very flat during cornering, almost no body lean under most "normal" conditions. Without a doubt, this is probably one of, if not the best handling V6 family sedan on the market.
5) Steering feel. Though it is a bit light at low-speeds, the steering tightens up with speed. Road feedback could be a little better (Accord is the best in this area), but it is still better than most other cars in this class.
The bad:
1) The rear seat cushion is low. Really low. This has its pros and cons. Pro is that it allows me to sit on the rear seat without my hair greasing up the headliner.
2) The front seats need more side bolstering. Come on Nissan, the 3.5SR V6 is the sporty version of the Altima. The seats in the new base model Maxima are fantastic, they should be in the Altima!
3) Styling. The outside is good. The inside is starting to look quite dated compared to the Accord and Sonata. And that steering wheel needs to be smaller-- Nissan needs to design a steering wheel that is identical to the one in the current Accord, as the Accord's steering wheel is the best one out there for a family sedan.
The Ugly:
1) Fuel Economy. VQ35 engines have never been known for great fuel economy, as they are more performance oriented. Thankfully, Nissan retuned the 2010+ Altima V6 to run on 87 octane, though it is the only VQ35 equipped vehicle to be approved for 87. It makes me wonder what they did to achieve this. I do notice that is noticeably less peppy in 100-degree weather with the A/C on...which makes me wonder if it can benefit from 91 octane.
Nevertheless, fuel economy is a bit of a weak spot with this car. Here's what we are getting so far:
-- 18-19 mpg if the tank is almost entirely comprised of 1-5 mile city trips
-- 21-22 mpg if the tank is comprised of 70% 1-5 mile city trips and 30% highway driving
-- 26-30 mpg if the tank is 100% highway.
Interestingly, the aggressiveness of your driving seems to have very little effect on the fuel economy. 5%, tops. Perhaps this is due to the V6 engine? Also, the onboard fuel economy indicator is fairly accurate-- it is only 5% optimistic.
2) The Stereo. We have the base model stereo. Not the Bose upgrade. Not the Bose that is bundled with the Nav. The base model stereo is so poor, that the base stereo in my 15 year old Saturn sounds better than it!
So, there you have it-- a 5,000 mile review of the Altima V6. It may seem a bit early, but early reviews are also important as 5k is enough time for any build quality issues to show up. But so far, no squeaks, rattles or any issues.
Also, here's a video of me starting up the car. You can definitely here the classic VQ35 exhaust note:
So the real question is, would I recommend this car? The answer is yes, but if and only if you want a somewhat sporty, NA V6 midsized sedan that runs on regular. But even if you are in the market for that type of car, you are probably better off paying the extra for premium fuel and instead purchasing a Maxima. The Maxima has far better fit/finish with more comfortable comfortable seats and possibly a slightly softer ride.
If you have any questions or comments, fire away!
