Review of the 2011 Nissan Altima 3.5 SR

A bit of a background: I currently own a 2000 Cadillac Eldorado ETC as my daily driver. The car has genuinely spoiled me for what I've come to expect out of a car used for a daily commute. This particular ETC is loaded. The only available option that wasn't included on my car are the massage-enabled front seats. Thanks to that car, my bar has been set particularly high for what I expect out of its replacement.

• 18+ city, 29+ highway miles per gallon
• 18+ gallon fuel tank
• 12 to 13 pounds per horsepower.
• Uses regular, 87 octane fuel.
• Highway driving offering a 500-mile range or greater.
• 0-60 MPH in under 7 seconds.
• 60-0 MPH in under 125 feet.
• 15+ cubic feet of trunk space.
• Smooth-ish, quiet ride at least 80% as good as my current Cadillac.
• A relatively ergonomic interior.
• A strong warranty.

With those hard limits set in mind, I also had a wish-list built. Things that aren't exactly necessary, but would be nice, or something that I already have in my existing vehicle.

• Power-adjustable seats, possibly heated.
• Available sunroof.
• Available premium sound system
• Fold-down rear seats
• Rear-wheel drive.
• Automatic Windshield Wipers.
• Automatic Climate Control.
• Automatic headlights/daytime running lights.

A lot of research around the 'net and a lot of research through brochures have helped me to narrow my search by quite a bit. Cadillac, unfortunately, doesn't make a car like the Eldorado anymore. The CTS is close, but falls short on power delivery and fuel economy. I looked through Chevrolet and Buick, but even the new Regal falls short in the power production category. Although, the resulting handling the vehicle has over the segment was tempting. With that, I decided to start looking elsewhere. 


My travels took me to a grouping of dealerships owned by the same individuals, selling Hyundai, Nissan, VW, Subaru, and Mazda motor vehicles. I tried Nissan first. I handed my requirements and wishlist above to the salesperson who was assisting me during my trip. He led me to the Altima 3.5 SR with the XTronic Continuously Variable Transmission. Looking at the window sticker, I noticed one very glaring "no" even before the test drive began. 27 MPG highway. After inquiring about the curb weight and the power, I started crunching some numbers mentally. 12.4 pounds per horsepower. Not terrible, right in my range. Also had a 20 gallon fuel tank. This put its maximum effective range in my required list. After a very pleasant conversation with the professional and courteous salesman, I was able to take one for a spin. 

The drive was a very well-chosen route by the salesman that allowed me to play with the car in a variety of scenarios. First was around town. The first thing I noticed was that the V6 wasn't as smooth as it could have been. At idle, there was a relatively significant amount of vibration transferred to the cabin. Accelerating out of the parking lot at a slow-ish rate, I found the CVT kept the engine well in tune with the engine's powerband.

When we got to some isolated back roads, I tested braking as well as 0-40 acceleration. Braking was on-par for the vehicle, I suppose. Reviewers say 60-0 in 123 feet. I couldn't measure my 40-0, but the wiggle in the back end under emergency braking was unsettling. It may have been the water on the road, but even then, that amount of wiggle is still not a good feeling. The 0-40 was relatively impressive, however the CVT made it feel odd. It felt similar to a wind-up car being let go. No power, onslaught, then the 6-speed behind the variable final drive shifted. You could feel the change if you were expecting it, not nearly as smooth as Nissan claims.

From here, I got onto a highway. I was able to test the 0-60 time at this point, as the speed limit was 65. To get from 0-60 took nearly 7 seconds. Just shy of it, though. I didn't have an accurate timer, however if I had to estimate, it would be somewhere in 6.7 to 7.1 seconds. Road and wind noise was moderate. It was definitely louder than the Cadillac. Bumps were transferred fairly readily into the cabin. It wasn't like driving a track-ready Corvette on a dirt road, but it also was nowhere near as smooth or pleasant as my Cadillac. The variable power steering became too light on a straight-and-narrow, causing a very twitchy experience.

After exiting the highway, however, the car came alive. My drive back to the dealership was on a very twisty back road complete with bumps and imperfections. The twists and turns were swallowed by the lightweight, nimble vehicle. I had no problems, even in the wet conditions, navigating despite some understeer at the upper limit around the curves. The bumps on the straight lines after the curves were unforgiving and actually gave me a fairly good rattle. This isn't bad, considering how well the car handles, and the fact that the suspension is tuned more for handling than comfort, but for a daily driver, is annoying.

During the trip, I kept an eye on my average mileage. Came out to barely 21 MPG. Which is to be expected considering the spirited method of my driving to test the car closer to its limits.

The interior was alright. It was relatively ergonomic and comfortable. Fit and finish was average. The back seat was cramped, but larger than that of my Cadillac. The gauges are well-designed and easy on the eyes. The audio system could be better. It was a base system, not the up-scale, and sounded a bit tinny, despite playing with the settings to mitigate it. I struggled with getting the Bluetooth system to sync with my Droid. It refused to find the phone despite following directions exactly. On the fifth try, it ultimately worked, but the connection was flaky at best. No idea if this is as a result of my rooted, custom ROM or not. It was the no-nav system. There were some rattles, shakes, and various plastic-y components that felt out of place despite a relatively plush interior. They were minor, but the combination of them added up to an iffy experience.

Sticker price was $26,135 and included aluminum kick-plates, carpeted mats, and a bluetooth connection for hands-free phone operation.


Summary of the 2011 Nissan Altima 3.5 SR:
Pros: Handles great, engine sounds nice, CVT is a nice experience for standard, every-day driving, interior is plush.
Cons: Torqueless engine (You really have to wind it out to bring any power out of it.), tiny rear seat, add-on packages are expensive if you want any degree of quality for an interior.


Check back tomorrow for more about my trip to this grouping of dealerships, and the other cars I've tested.