Faults:

Passenger rear TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) valve broke off when I was getting new tires put on. The shop said it was seized in place.

A ticking sound when the car was idling, but I never took it in. I believe the valves probably needed to be adjusted.

A slight whine/humming sound from the tranny while I was driving.

General Comments:

One of my first "new cars". I got it when I got back from the Afghanistan. I needed a car, but my choices were limited because of my bad credit. It was either a Honda Civic, a Nissan Sentra or the Altima. I picked the Altima because it was roomy, classy looking, and fuel efficient.

I loved the car, but due to a divorce, and getting out of the military and not being able to find a good paying job, I had to let the car go.

I drove from NC to GA, then to CA on one trip, and back to NC. The best mileage I got out of a tank was 620 something miles, somewhere in TX during the night. In Oklahoma, my GF and I were caught in a tornado. I thought that little car was gonna get picked up and dropped off in another county. But the car did amazing during the nasty weather.

About every 3k-4,500 miles I changed the oil. I replaced the filter once or twice. I wanted to change the transmission fluid, but the dipstick required a special tool that the dealership had. $100 to check your transmission oil. So I never bothered with it. A valve stem broke off and the dealership was charging me $250 to replace it. Go on eBay and buy one for $25. Take it to a tire shop, they'll put it on for $5-15.

The car was quick, and it handled pretty damn good. On my way back to NC, I was driving through TN/NC and there was a yellow Ferrari (360 Spider) zipping through the mountains. I was able to keep up with it, till my GF told me to back off. For a family car loaded with suitcases in the back seats and trunk, it did well.

I love the gauges on the dashboard; the outside temperature to the 3 different MPG readings you get. I usually drove with the instant MPG (the one with the sliding bar). The push start button was cool, it was a reminder of my dream truck, the Ram SRT10. The level of quality for the speakers was amazing. Radio reception was one of the better ones I've driven. The aux was a really neat feature that I always liked. The antenna is part of the rear window defrost. My car did have a moonroof, but it never leaked.

The 2.5 engine with the CVT trans is a great combo. On my way to work (60 miles there), I used to hold the gas pedal at 2,000-2,300 RPM and the speed would pick up. I really like that feature. Best short distance MPG was 44 something MPG. I did buy a vacuum gauge, and had it sitting on the column. I did experience torque steer in the rain every now and then.

My monthly payment was over $500/month when I had it. When I was getting a steady paycheck, it was completely worth it. It never left me stranded, and I always got complaints for it.

I recommend caution if buying an Altima of this year. From what I noticed, it's usually the "poor people" that get these cars and skip on maintenance. I'm in a better financial point that I would buy a newer one to avoid years of abuse and neglect.

Faults:

Left the radio and lights on, but the motor off for about 20 minutes, and the battery died.

General Comments:

I really like this car. I never had a small sporty car before. This car is sporty and a bit of luxury also. Fun to drive and very quick.