My Experience

When the current Altima made its first appearance in 2002, the automotive press was quick to applaud its newfound sportiness. They even went so far as to deem the 3.5 SE a high-performance bargain in family-sedan clothes. I wasn't so sure about this, but after reading a Car & Driver test where the Altima did 0-60 in 5.9 seconds, I was willing to play along. And apparently, so were a handful of enthusiasts--I recall seeing several manually-shifted 3.5 SEs on my college campus, most of them sporting lowered suspensions, tinted windows, and big-bore exhausts.

Word of the Altima's aftermarket following must have gotten back to Nissan, because for 2005, they've unveiled an "SE-R" model that's essentially a ready-made tuner version of the 3.5 SE. It's been given a bodykit, bigger wheels, a six-speed manual, increased engine output, the works. Of course, pumping up the Altima with these performance-enhancing modifications comes at a price--$29,760, to be exact--and that figure throws the SE-R in with some pretty tough company--including Nissan's own Maxima and Infiniti's G35. Under those circumstances, is the Altima SE-R still a convincing value?

I recently got to find out at the Streets of Willow Springs raceway, where Nissan gave a group of journalists some quality track time with their beefed-up Altima. SpeedOptions (another website that I write for) received an invite, so I was off on my first such experience as a member of "the press." After several back-to-back laps in the SE-R and the standard 3.5 SE, here's what I found out.


Performance

Under the SE-R's hood sits a retuned version of the same 3.5-liter "VQ" V6 that powers the Altima 3.5 SE, and just about every other car in the Nissan/Infiniti lineup. There's a good reason for this engine's ubiquity: it's one of the best powerplants on the market today. And although the VQ doesn't do its best work in the SE-R--it generates 260 horses, versus 300 in some other applications--it's probably the single best part of the driving experience.

At part throttle, the SE-R's V6 feels strong, fluid, and unstressed, moving the car briskly with little apparent effort. Jam your foot to the floor, and the V6's behavior is much the same--only the seatback starts getting pushy, and the scenery begins to blur. There's no shortage of thrust here, but the best aspect of this engine is its sweet and linear power delivery. The fat part of the powerband begins just off idle, and you stay in the meat of it all the way up to 6000rpm. The engine starts feeling slightly breathless up near the 6600 rpm redline, but otherwise, there's simply not a flat spot to be found.

In addition to being powerful, the VQ V6 is also generally a very involving powerplant--but in the SE-R, I found its personality a little more subdued. the SE-R is clearly a very quick car, but the sensation of speed it provides is less intense than in a G35 or 350Z. There's very little engine noise, so you mostly just hear the soft--though sweet--treble purr of the exhaust. Vibration has been effectively quelled, too, so the engine feels liquid-smooth as the tach needle rises. Refined? You bet. But fun? I'm on the fence. I felt more detached from this excellent engine than I usually do.

Part of the problem is what feels like a super-squishy set of engine mounts. On the track, I noticed an annoying amount of driveline lash in quick on-off throttle inputs, which made path control sloppier than would be ideal. In all fairness, though, this is unlikely to be much of an issue in routine driving.


Transmission/Clutch

In suiting the Altima up for SE-R duty, Nissan perceptively tossed out the 3.5 SE's sloppy five-speed manual transmission, and replaced it with a close-ratio six-speed unit. But don't get too excited, because this is no 350Z shifter. The SE-R's gearlever is taller than it needs to be, increasing the perceived length of the throws, and its action is somewhat floppy, with a foam-rubber feel as you guide it through the gates.

The SE-R's clutch is better, with moderate pedal travel, easy weighting, and smooth--but not spongy--take-up. Clean gearchanges quickly become second nature, and the Altima's excellent pedal placement makes heel-and-toe downshifting a cinch. Nissan seems to have no trouble making great clutches, so what's up with their shifter department?

In any case, if you prefer not to shift for yourself, the SE-R also offers a five-speed automatic transmission as a no-cost option. I briefly sampled an SE-R so equipped, and found the automatic's behavior agreeably smooth and responsive. However, the slushbox does rob the Altima of much of its "super-sized sport compact" character.


Steering/Handling

Here's the area where I've always had the hardest time taking the Altima seriously as a sporting car. With a curb weight of 3,335 lbs, the Altima is no Twinkletoes--for reference, a Sentra SE-R is about 600 lbs lighter--and heavyweight front-wheel-drive cars are inherently resistant to quick directional changes. Did Nissan's chassis engineers work enough magic on the Altima SE-R to defy these odds?

The answer is, well, kind of. Nissan did elicit a substantial improvement over the standard 3.5 SE, but the SE-R isn't going to sell itself to enthusiasts on chassis dynamics alone. Its stiffened suspension, for example, could be stiffer still. I got a bit of that "up-on-tiptoes" feeling as I hustled the SE-R through the Streets' first uphill right-hander, due to some slight floating and bobbing. And in the tighter stuff, moderate body roll and nosedive slowed the SE-R's reactions.

Tire grip has been laudably improved over the stock Altima, thanks to a beefy set of 225/45R-18 Bridgestones, so I was able to make pretty good speed through the Streets' twists and turns. Those tires didn't howl much when pressed, either. However, the Altima's mass and nose-heavy weight distribution made themselves felt in a fair amount of understeer--I often found my line pushing wider than intended. Lifting quickly off the accelerator tucked the nose in usefully, but also swung the rear end a little more than I was comfortable with--this car tends to react dramatically to abrupt throttle inputs.

Steering feel has been recognized as an Altima weak point by many reviewers, and while improvements have been made in this area, there's still room for more. A welcome dose of heft has been added to the SE-R's helm, bringing effort into the light-to-moderate range, but the wheelrim still feels numb, and guidance remains fuzzy around the straight-ahead. Plus, since there's so much power being channeled through the front tires, the wheel tends to fight you when exiting corners under hard throttle.


Ride

Racetracks aren't very useful for judging ride comfort, so I'm not sure I got a good sense of how the SE-R fares in this area. Still, it was apparent that the SE-R rides less smoothly than the standard SE--over the few lumpy patches I managed to find, its stiffened suspension transmitted some rubbery kicks and jiggles into the cabin. However, the SE-R's 18-inch tires feel remarkably absorbent over rough surfaces, so I didn't notice any road-texture harshness--just firm body displacement. Combined with the muted engine soundtrack and muffled road noise, this could make the SE-R a reasonably pleasant cruiser on the street.


Interior

Step into the Altima SE-R's cockpit, and you'll receive some mixed signals about this car's intended mission. At first, it seems crystal-clear that the SE-R is a hardcore sports special. You sit on a beefy-looking bucket seat with color-matched stitching, and your feet rest on metal-trimmed pedals. The three-spoke steering wheel is grippy and thick-rimmed, and a row of ancillary gauges peek out of the center console. You feel like you're taking the helm of a four-doored 350Z.

But wait a minute... those Z-style center gauges aren't really that useful, listing only voltage, oil pressure, and fuel consumption. The meaty steering wheel has an unusually large diameter, too. And the seats, while racy-looking, don't offer much lateral support in the corners--they feel more like they were designed for long-distance comfort. So, is this really just a dressed-up family car?

There's clearly a stylistic identity crisis going on here, so judge the SE-R's interior however you like. Either way, it all works well from a functional standpoint. The driving position feels natural, the controls are well-placed, and the gauges scan easily. The only sore point is outward visibility--the Altima's broad cowl and invisible hoodline make it feel bigger than it is on the road, a sensation ill-suited to a sporting car.

Up until the 2005 model year, Altimas were often criticized--and rightly so--for their cheap-feeling interior materials, but that's no longer an issue. In fact, the SE-R's perceived quality is right up there with a Mazda's or Honda's, with substantial plastics, soft fabrics, and smooth-acting switchgear. The generous feature content doesn't hurt the upscale ambiance, either. Standard features include heated seats, a sunroof, automatic climate control, Bose audio, and a 6-disc CD changer. The only real disappointment is that DVD navigation is unavailable, its space on the dashboard usurped by the Z-mimicking center gauges.


Practicality

While the SE-R's family-car roots work against it in every dynamic discipline, they pay off handsomely in this department. The Altima's trunk is nearly as large as a Toyota Camry's, and certainly more spacious than any entry-level sport sedans'. Rear-seat riders should be happy in the SE-R, too, as it boasts the same roomy, comfortable rear quarters as every other Altima. There's plenty of head- and legroom, and the seat cushion feels nicely elevated off the floor. Lastly, there are a plethora of cubbies and pockets in the SE-R cabin to accommodate personal effects.


Reliability

Of course, a day at the track told me virtually nothing about the SE-R's long-term reliability. But Nissan's reliability ratings have been improving over the last several years, and the Altima currently receives a score of Average from the leading consumer publication. While this may sound like faint praise, the average number of defects in a new car is really quite low.


Overall

After several hot laps in the Altima SE-R, I walked away with a generally positive impression of Nissan's new creation. Its VQ engine is powerful and refined--as always--and its interior is comfortable and well-trimmed. Its grippy tires lend some sportiness to the handling, too. While the Altima's high curb weight and front-wheel-drive foibles keep it from possessing any real dynamic talent, the SE-R still comes off as a pretty sweet ride. And yet... I'm not sure who's going to buy it.

The reason for my confusion? Well, there are three of them, actually--the Nissan Maxima SE, Infiniti G35, and Nissan 350Z. All of these cars' base prices are similar to the Altima SE-R's, ranging from $27,380 for the Z to $31,210 for the G35. And all of them, being more specialized machines, fulfill their respective missions better than the SE-R.

For example, if you're looking for a luxurious package with edgy Nissan styling, you should at least test-drive a Maxima SE before buying an SE-R. The Maxima's smoother ride, roomier cabin, and more-mature road presence are at least as likely to please buyers looking for comfort with a hint of attitude. Or, if you're mostly interested in performance, check out a 350Z or a six-speed G35 sedan. Both cars' rear-wheel-drive chassis are better able to put the VQ's power to the pavement, and both handle with a more neutral balance. The Z, in particular, delivers far greater visceral thrills than the SE-R--or anything else in Nissan's stable, for that matter.

So, who's going to end up buying the Altima SE-R? I imagine it'll be the people who want some of the Maxima's luxury, some of the G35's capability, and--most of all--a tough, youthful, racy-looking exterior to wrap it all up in. Let's face it: while the SE-R is the highest evolution of the Altima yet, many of its components are put to better use in more-focused vehicles in the Nissan/Infiniti lineup. Still, if you find yourself drawn to the Altima's sporty looks--and won't be spending lots of time on the autocross--the SE-R's blend of power, comfort, and street-racer style could be appealing.

Amount Paid (US$): 29,760