In a recent Saturn Aura post a reader asked if the Nissan Altima's better handling comes at the expense of a harsher ride - the short answer is yes. I also think the Nissan's seats are less comfortable and the car is noisier around town and on the highway. Not engine noise, road noise is the culprit here.
If I were single, I'd get the Nissan b/c the firm ride would appeal to me and only me - not unlike a lot of decisions I made when I was single...
Now, with wife and kids loaded up, the Altima seems too hard.
Finally, the Altima's seat warmers work better than the Saturn's - the low setting has a gentle gradual warming whereas the Aura's just feel hot after awhile.
Brian Moody, Road Test Editor @ 20,037 miles
aurakr says:
08:24 PM, 12/ 2/07
Brian
Keep up the good work. Thanks for the response on the ride/handling combination. Now the question is which do you prefer with the wife and kids? I haven't ridden in an Altima, can't comment on its quietness or harshness. Having an XR, I can tell you that the one I own is incredibly quiet at cruise. By far the quietest car I have ever ridden in.
Regarding the seat warmers, I haven't used the Aura's, but my wife loves them. Again thank you for the updates.
stovt001 says:
05:59 AM, 12/ 3/07
That's a good insight on the seat warmers. Living in Southern California, I probably wouldn't use them very much, but it is good to know which ones have a good low setting.
1487 says:
08:35 AM, 12/ 3/07
its not surprising that the Altima isnt as quiet. I don't know if any cars in this class are as quiet at highway speeds. The recently tested Malibu registered 66db at 70mph which is quieter than the Camry and Accord. I cant remember the Altima's noise level at that speed but I'm sure its louder.
as for the ride quality, some reviewers have said the new Accord has a rougher ride than the Malibu/Aura and I would assume the Altima is at least as harsh as the Accord. Then again, Accords have never been known for plush ride quality.
chavis10 says:
08:56 AM, 12/ 3/07
I think the harsher ride only applies to the Altima SE as it has tighter suspenders. I can count how many 3.5 SEs I've seen on the road compared to the huge amounts of base S models.
langjie says:
09:58 AM, 12/ 3/07
the 3.5SE is more for non-family situations. if you wanted a more plush ride, the the 3.5SL or 2.5's are more for you. i think that my 07 altima hybrid's ride is a lot better than my buddy's 2003 accords. but for the record, i've always thought that the accord suspension is harsh
i blame the loudness on the road to cheap tires Nissan puts on the Altima
jaeger1 says:
02:33 PM, 12/ 3/07
Fortunately, I am married to a gearhead that likes a firm suspension and a shift-it-your-damn-self transmission. We figure we have enough time for slushboxes and cushy suspensions in our retirement years. In 3.5 SE trim, the Altima is designed to appeal to the enthusiast - and God bless them for it. Quiet, cushy family sedans are not exactly hard to come by. Sporty ones are. At least Nissan gives you a choice - if comfort is your thing, step right over to an SL.
Jaeger
billt9 says:
03:28 PM, 12/ 3/07
1487, in Car and Driver's base trim comparisons,
70 mph:
Camry 66 dB
Optima 68 dB
Aura 68 dB
Sebring 68 dB
Accord 69 dB
Altima 71 dB
idle:
Camry 36 dB
Altima 37 dB
Accord 39 dB
Aura 42 dB
stephen987 says:
03:37 AM, 12/ 4/07
Yeah, but C&D's sound meter is biased against American cars. . .
langjie says:
08:13 AM, 12/ 4/07
again, cheap tires...
1487 says:
09:41 AM, 12/ 4/07
edmunds has the Aura at 66.5db, the Accord at 67 and the Camry at 70. These are all V6 models. The Malibu came in at 66.
"Yeah, but C&D's sound meter is biased against American cars. . ."
thats a silly statement seeing as though the Aura and Sebring were quieter than the Accord and Altima.
stephen987 says:
06:41 AM, 12/ 6/07
1487,
I guess satire's not on your playlist. Take a look at the dBa at idle.